Black, Asian and minority ethnic young women and non-binary people are massively underrepresented in videogame development education and, consequently, the industry.
They don’t pursue these careers because of a lack of visible role models and prevailing cultural stereotypes about suitable jobs for women and non-binary people. We want to turn this around and open up opportunities in this fast-growing, well-paid industry. Under-representation is not only a diversity problem, it impacts the art form. Many fans report disappointment at the lack of relatable characters and experiences in games. Change is being driven by both social justice and the market. The missing links are targeted vocational learning, access to information and viable pathways into careers.
The BGI is a charity for games culture, skills and diversity. The project will develop and pilot an online course led by women and non-binary people for young women and non-binary people which will introduce them to video game creation and careers. Using accessible technology, participants will learn
art and animation skills, narrative development, and basic coding. Led by a diverse games developer, learners will work in cohorts of 15 to co-create and publish video games for the public. The course will build sufficient skills to enter a games studio on a traineeship.
The technical design will use Crayta, a new platform for collaborative game design, to give participants a foundation learning experience. Cloud technology and platform accessibility means that participants can create and learn from home without high-performance devices. Accessible technology also means that the project can be easily scaled in a cost-effective way.