By: Dr Silvia Lozeva, Director, Institute 361
Promoting the game of Go in Australia required a strategic framework to navigate challenges and leverage opportunities across community, educational, and business settings. This article introduces the Go Promotion Framework (GPF), combining theoretical approaches with practical applications. The GPF framework consists of four pillars: Accessibility, Inclusivity, Engagement, and Integration. The paper utilises empirical research in Australia, based on participatory method of promotion of Go activities in community, business and educational institutions in the period 2019-2025.
Background
Go has a growing community in Australia, with an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 active players across various levels of participation. This includes casual enthusiasts and those who compete in national tournaments organised by the Australian Go Association (AGA). Of the approximately 800 registered AGA members, around 250 can be considered active, having participated in at least one face-to-face tournament in the past three years. However, the wider Go-playing population extends beyond AGA membership, with an estimated 5,000 individuals—primarily from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean communities—playing privately or within culturally specific groups. For instance, a private group of about 80 Chinese players meets in Campsie, Sydney, combining traditional Go games with cultural activities such as dancing, singing, and Mahjong. (1)
The AGA, a founding member of the International Go Federation, plays a key role in promoting Go through clubs, online tournaments, and international representation. The broader Go community in Australia reflects the global trend of increasing interest among youth and professionals, as highlighted in reports by the International Go Federation in 2016.
The game of Go, while steeped in tradition and widely revered in East Asia, remains relatively less popular compared to other strategic board games in Australia. Despite this, Go has seen a surge in interest following key cultural events, such as the TEDx Perth 2019 talk on the game delivered by Dr Silvia Lozeva (the lead author of this paper) (2) which inspired curiosity about its strategic depth and cultural heritage, particularly in educational settings. Another significant boost came in October 2024, with an Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio National special episode dedicated to Go, exploring its history and relevance in the modern era. (4) Although tis paper focuses on the period 2019-2025, it is very much also worth noting that the popularity of Alpha Go in 2016 has carried out its long-lasting legacy, and continues to inspire new Go players, especially those who are in the IT and technology sector.
To increase the popularity of the game and its benefits, this paper explores additional avenues for growth and engagement, drawing on lessons from Australia’s diverse and evolving Go community.
Method
Through the work of Institute 361 in the period 2016-2025, various activities were introduced in Western Australia to increase the popularity of the game. Some of these included:
Numerous community presentation in universities, schools and community and cultural clubs (including Japanese cultural centers).
For the period 2022-2025, Go Community Play programs were introduced in 6 (six) local libraries in Perth, Western Australia, which included a more structured approach of 8-10 weeks activities. These programs were sponsored by Local City and delivered at the Library by Institute 361 and supported by non-for-profit organisations (Multicultural Futures and Multilingual Australia). The aims of the program linked with the Strategic Plan of the local Government to reduce social isolation and to foster social connections, particularly in the post COVID-19 period. This more structured approach allowed for an effective delivery, leveraging also on the promotion of the local cities and the local libraries e-newsletters and social media (see table 1).
The adopted methodology was participatory, where the lead author participated in the above events and was actively involved in the organising and the promotion of the activities. Feedback was collected through feedback forms, as well as through anecdotal verbal conversations from participants.
Table 1. Go Community Play programs 2022-2025
Local Government | Timeline | No of participants | No of workshops |
City of Bayswater: | 2022 | 30 | 10 |
Program for older Australians over 55 from a culturally and linguistically diverse background in partnership with Umbrella Multicultural Services | |||
City of Fremantle | 2023 | 55 | 12 |
Program for people from diverse backgrounds held weekly at Fremantle Library in partnership with Multicultural Futures | |||
City of Cockburn | 2023 | 70 | 10 |
Program for community to engage in new new learnings and to foster social connections in partnership with Multicultural Futures | |||
City of Joondalup | 2024-25 | 35 | 8 |
Program aimed at a wide range of community members, from different ages, cultural backgrounds and abilities in partnership with Multilingual Australia | |||
City of Kwinana | 2024-25 | 25 | 10 |
Community program to reduce social isolation and loneliness in partnership with Multilingual Australia | |||
City of Armadale | 2025 | 30 | 8 |
Community program to reduce social isolation and loneliness in partnership with Multilingual Australia | |||
City of Stirling | 2025 | 30 | 4 |
Community program to reduce social isolation and loneliness in partnership with Multilingual Australia (4 Go workshops) |
The programs are about 8-10 weeks,and designed for people who have never played by structured Go sessions during a 10-week school term.
Findings
In analysing the main findings from the programs run, there are a few useful characteristics that stand out. They are summarised in the Go Promotional Framework (see fig 1.)
Accessibility: Choosing venues near public transport with ample parking facilitated participant attendance. This was important, also from the point of view in research, which the lead author conducted on good practices for intercultural hubs. Due to the spread of the geographical areas in Perth, the city is mainly designed for cars, which makes parking anchors accessibility even more important. The spread-out of the city also makes it difficult to find a central point for everyone to group, and this is why it is better to have smaller, but more diverse
Inclusivity: Local facilitators fluent in Mandarin created a welcoming atmosphere. Structured curricula progressively built participants' skills and knowledge. In the City of Cockurn, it was especially successful program because of the participation of a Mandarin-speaker and a Go teacher, who was already known by the community. He was also well known to the lead author, as they were both part of the Curtin University Go Club more than 10 years ago. As a high level Go player, an educator and a dual=language speaker, it proved to be a very successful way in engaging and attracting participants.
Engagement : Co-promotion with libraries and visually appealing posters significantly increased awareness and participation. Diverse participants from various backgrounds enriched the experience. Some of the examples of Go promotion included the posters below.
Integration: Exposure and networking outside the Go community were crucial. Presenting at conferences like the Data Cloud and Storage convention and the Mining conference led to collaborations with mainstream businesses. A key component was the "Go Strategic Play" workshop, a half-day session that gamified strategic thinking for business professionals. This workshop demonstrated how Go's principles could be applied to enhance strategic decision-making in the corporate world. Through the GPF and the Go Strategic Play workshop, we successfully blended theory and practice to promote Go, offering a replicable model for enhancing community engagement and business integration.
Use of technology: while most of the time, the program sued traditional Go sets, the use of the IZIS AI Go set gave a strong advantage, as it attracted a large.
Fig.1 Go Promotional Framework
Conclusion:
The promotion of Go within multilingual communities in Australia has demonstrated the importance of a structured, inclusive, and adaptable approach. By implementing the Go Promotion Framework (GPF) through Accessibility, Inclusivity, Engagement, and Integration, we have identified key factors that contribute to the successful expansion of Go beyond its traditional base.
Multilingual families and culturally diverse communities benefit from structured Go programs that foster cross-generational learning, social cohesion, and cognitive development. The participatory methodology applied in Go Community Play programs in Perth libraries has proven particularly effective, showcasing the need for community-driven initiatives that align with local government objectives for social inclusion and community wellbeing.
A key takeaway from this research is the value of language and cultural familiarity in fostering engagement. Programs that incorporated facilitators fluent in participants' native languages, such as Mandarin, significantly improved attendance and retention rates. This highlights the necessity of tailoring promotional strategies to the linguistic and cultural needs of different communities, ensuring that Go is accessible and enjoyable for all.
Moreover, strategic partnerships with libraries, local governments, and non-profit organisations have played a crucial role in sustaining Go programs. These partnerships have provided essential resources, promotional channels, and financial support, which have enhanced the visibility and accessibility of Go initiatives.
The integration of technology, including AI-supported Go sets like IZIS, has also contributed to engagement, particularly among younger generations familiar with digital tools. While traditional Go boards remain the core medium of play, leveraging technology helps bridge the gap between modern gaming preferences and the classical elements of the game.
References:
Private correspondence with David Mitchell, secretary of the Australian Go Association
“How the ancient game of Go is a guide to modern life”, TEDx Perth 2019 talk, delivered by Silvia Lozeva and joined on stage by Jason Schrader (27) and Hardy (6)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio National, God Forbid: What can an ancient Chinese boardgame teach us about human consciousness? from https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/godforbid/boardgames-consciousness-go-ai-spirituality/104351258
Shamim, S. and Lozeva, S., Good Practice for Multicultural Hubs, Perth, 2018
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