“TrailOff” Guided Afrofuturist Story Walk with SwimPony

Immerse yourself in a new narrative along the Bartram’s Mile Trail with a guided story walk through the Garden using the new TrailOff app by SwimPony. This structured 1-mile walk will follow the new Afrofuturist audio drama Chronicles Of Asylum by Philadelphia author and artist Li Sumpter of MythMediaStudios, available for free download through TrailOff:

Set in future Philadelphia circa 2045 on the eve of a major cosmic event, Chronicles of Asylum follows savvy young journalist Liliquoi Brown as she investigates an otherworldly urban myth in hopes of finding two missing visitors to a refugee camp on the Schuylkill River. Exploring survival and sacrifice, home and exile, humanity’s fate and hope for the future, Chronicles follows the path of this unexpected trailblazer.

The story walk will take approximately one hour but can accommodate participants moving at a slower pace.

WHAT IS TRAILOFF?

TrailOff is an audio storytelling app that puts YOU in the center of the drama! Get out onto a trail and let a 360° world swirl around you. Literally step into the shoes of characters as they run from monsters, uncover clues to mysteries, or adventure into unknown secrets from the past in stories synced to you in real-time!

TrailOff uses your phone’s technology to transport you into an augmented reality world that syncs to your movements as you walk a trail. It features 10 original audio dramas, totally free to download through a cutting-edge app, that unfold on trails across the Philadelphia region’s Circuit Trails network. Each story is uniquely crafted for its site, written by incredible local authors who will explode the way you think about taking a walk outside. This is NOT your grandma’s nature trail!

Created by Swim Pony and the PA Environmental Council (PEC), this FREE project aims to diversify the stories we imagine when we think about nature.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

To use TrailOff just download the app to your phone, explore trails and stories, and pick a trail you want to try. Hit “Let’s Go” to download a story and get directions to the trail by car or public transport. Once you arrive just hit “Begin” and start walking!

During your story, follow the path and directions from the app. If you accidentally stray from the path, a sound will let you know you’ve gone off route. The story will follow YOUR pace, so take as long as you like to explore. If you need to leave, you can always return and pick up where you left off.

After finishing a trail, you’ll even get some bonus features to keep you busy on the walk back!

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