Urchins in Dickens' London

Charles Dickens, ever a champion of children, wrote stories about those who were poor and unprotected, left in the hands of the manipulative and cruel.

Yet his child characters are often triumphant, building lives of purpose and happiness in the face of difficult circumstances.

What was it like to be a child in Victoria's England? Become an urchin and find out!

The Urchin Project is:

A game of free form role play that includes things to find, experiences to try, and stories to explore.

Pick up the Urchins in Dickens London hud at The Dickens Project. Look for the Urchin Information kiosk and click on the poster offering the hud. Inside the package, you'll find instructions on how to get started.

The Game:

Wear the hud to participate. Click stuff!

As a poor urchin, you need food and money. The grocer, the baker, the butcher all have food. Can you buy some? Maybe steal some?

You might see the gleam of coins on the street. Can you pick those up? 

If you ring a shop bell, the owner might have a job for you. Maybe down on the mudflats, treasure might be hiding.

For more information, go to the Game page.
If you get stuck (I mean, really stuck), go to the Clues page.

The Role Play: 

The Dickens Project is created around Dickens' beloved A Christmas Carol, offering a calendar filled with events that include story tours during Carol Week, the Big Read, and guest performances.

Visitors are invited to wear Victorian dress. We also invite you to participate in free form role play!

With the Urchin hud and an urchin avatar, we invite you to interact with other urchins and visitors. If you get a role play response, play on! If not, let it go and find someone interesting.

(Note: An urchin avatar is not required to explore the hud, but definitely encouraged. The urchin hud includes suggestions on how to set up a low-cost urchin "outfit."

This year, we also invite you to roleplay an adult character who is part of Victorian London. These characters can be as detailed or as simple as you prefer. 

If interested, please contact Aoife Lorefield inworld.

Find more information on roleplay opportunities on the Urchin Information kiosk in Dickens Plaza.

If you visit the Dickens Project and see an urchin, interact! Being in Victorian dress is required for roleplay, though you do not need a character profile for informal interaction. 

Remember, urchins were on their own in a hard world. They are not all angels.

For more information, go to the Role Play page.
Need ideas? Check the Historical Background page.

Return to the main Dickens Project page.

Questions? Contact Aoife Lorefield inworld.