Open Tech Calendar

Over 30 leaders from the UK’s leading games universities, colleges and development studios will share will start an emergency debate about how the games industry and games educators are tackling the significant threats, changes and opportunities of Covid-19 and Brexit.

Last year, over 100 course leaders from all the UK's leading games universities met for vigorous debates with some of the largest games studios, games technology providers, recruitment companies and 3rd sector games organisations to discuss strategic issues of importance to the sector.

This year, innovative educators, studios and 3rd sector organisations will share how they are handling the pandemic, and will discuss from many angles how Covid-19 and Brexit could impact deep-rooted challenges with employability, diversity, skills, apprenticeships and work placements within the industry.

GamesEd20 speaker highlights include

- Aurore Dimopoulos, Unity
- Dr Paul Parry, Sheffield Hallam University
- Mike Gamble, Epic Games
- Emma Smith, Creative Assembly
- Marcia Deakin, NextGen Skills Academy
- Larra Andersen, London College of Communications

Hear leaders from Sumo Digital, Birmingham City University, TT Games, Rare, Bournemouth University, Aardvark Swift, Playground Games, Portsmouth University, AIM, Launchpad at Falmouth University, Amiqus, Priestley College, Ukie, Codemasters, BGI, TIGA, Digital Schoolhouse, Women in Games and Leeds Trinity University.

GamesEd20 is produced by the BGI, the charity for games culture, skills and diversity, with platinum sponsorships from Unity, as well as sponsorship from Unreal Engine, Aardvark Swift and AIM.

GamesEd20 is the second of an annual series of conferences to support games educators and developers, enabling more collaboration, dialogue and best practice sharing between Further and Higher Education organisations and Industry.

Join panels and discussions including:

- The Great Debate: Educators and studios discuss the biggest challenges in a time of Covid and Brexit, as well as looking at how the industry can continue to capitalise on the boom in games during lockdown
- From college to work: FE students and course leaders discuss apprenticeships and internships
- From university to work: Former students discuss the transition from learning to senior studio roles
- Breaking the glass ceiling: Tackling diversity in education and studios during a pandemic
- Inspirational internships: How students placed inside the UK’s largest games studio are adapting to internship during Covid
- Pathways for talent: How we can bring new talent into the industry during Covid and after Brexit
- Aligning the funding: The economics of games education and recruitment during the pandemic and after Brexit
- Policy for games: Trade body lobbyists discuss educational policy for games during Covid and Brexit
- Pathfinders during the Pandemic: Leaders of educational games projects share how they got their projects funded