Ended - 29.09.2022
Elevate
Through webinars, workshops, and the Story Jam, young participants crafted digital stories, honed skills, and connected with gaming industry professionals.
Key statistics
120
Participants
XX%
employed in the games industry
at the end
X
weeks
Detailed Impact report
Overview
Webinars: These were designed to set the stage and provide a foundational understanding of the game-making process. Topics covered in the webinars included writing for games, the intricacies of giving and receiving feedback, the dynamics of running a narrative game studio, and insights into publishing interactive narrative games on platforms like Itch.io.
Workshops: These sessions were hands-on and aimed at imparting practical skills. Participants delved deep into four game-making software tools: Twine, Charisma.ai, Ink, and Microsoft MakeCode Arcade.
The Story Jam: This was the culmination of the learning process, where participants were encouraged to integrate into an online community of peers. The objective was to create a game that could be played, shared with the world, and celebrated.
A unique aspect of the program was the involvement of game industry professionals in delivering each segment. This not only provided participants with invaluable insights but also facilitated connections within the local and UK-wide games industry. Notable contributors included Maz Hemming, a Brixton-based Game Developer and Narrative Designer; Olivia Wood, a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit and Clapham-based Narrative Designer; and Tom Kail, a BAFTA-nominated Game Designer.
For those interested in revisiting the sessions, recordings of the webinars and workshops are available on Game Anglia’s Youtube channel.
Partners
Here East
Here East is home to a diverse range of organizations, sectors and individuals. More than 4,500 people now work at Here East, including students, academics, entrepreneurs, creatives and corporates. Here East is the fastest growing creative cluster in London, the fastest growing eSports cluster in London, home to a thriving start-up ecosystem, a community of artists and scientists at the forefront of research into robotics and manufacturing.
The Good Growth Hub brings together people and businesses in east London to offer career opportunities, training and skills to 18- to 30-year-olds in our community, while connecting new talent to local businesses. Situated right in the heart of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Good Growth hub offers programmes, services and a physical space that are part of a plan to make sure businesses are tapping into local talent.
Game Anglia
Game Anglia is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that helps the young people and independent game developers mainly in the Eastern part of England get the connections, skills and experience needed to succeed in the UK-wide and international game development industry.
Into Games
Into Games was launched in 2019 to connect the dots between education and industry, making a career in the video games sector more accessible to young people in the UK, no matter their background.
Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University in London are continually developing our courses to be relevant to the working world, and empowering our students to secure their future career. Staffordshire University London, which is less than two years old, is already home to 135 students studying on a range of courses including Esports, Computer Science, Concept Art for Games and Film, Computer Games Design and Cyber Security.
Sports Interactive
Sports Interactive is the world’s leading developer of sports management simulation based at HereEast, with over 170 employees, and is the winner of the Best Places to Work 2021 Award.
Programme
The webinars tackled the following subjects:
Writing for games
Giving and receiving feedback
Running a games studio that is making a narrative game
Publishing your interactive narrative game on the Itch.io platform and counter-culture
The workshops deep dived into each of the 4 pieces of software which could be used to make games during the Story Jam:
Twine
Charisma.ai
Ink
Quotes
“The workshop was informative even having done the online tutorial for ink. Hearing someone talk through it live really clarified the way things work.” - Student
“I learned about MakeCode Arcade and all the cool things it can do. I also realized that the jam is about story in a much wider sense than just branching text-based adventures.” - Student
“I learnt that making a schedule when developing a game is CRUCIAL” - Student
Our Programmes
At Game Anglia, we take a hands-on approach to education. Through our range of events, workshops, and initiatives, we empower individuals to learn, create, discover, and promote. Whether you're a budding game designer looking to gain essential industry skills, or an independent studio seeking expert guidance, our programmes are designed to foster talent and propel you towards your game development aspirations.
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