The BGI

The National Videogame Museum is celebrating five years since its Sheffield launch with a day of celebrations.

Everyone visiting on the fifth anniversary, Friday 24th of November 2023, can book discounted tickets and experience a celebration of the history and culture of videogames, with over 100 interactive exhibits and hands-on creative activities from their award winning Learning Team.

The Museum’s anniversary year has been its busiest to date, welcoming over 50,000 visitors to the Castle House venue (of which 70% are from outside of the city region) and establishing the NVM as a unique Sheffield attraction. The museum exists to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret videogames for everyone and like many cultural organisations it survived the pandemic through support from the Arts Council England Culture Recovery Fund, plus support from patrons in the videogame industry and a community fundraiser

Under the new joint CEO leadership of Creative Director, John O’Shea, and Director of Visitor Experience, Cat Powell, the last year has seen a refocus on the Museum’s ambition to expand its work with diverse and underrepresented communities; reflect on the relevance of videogames
across society, and advocate for greater access to careers in the videogame industry.

At the half decade mark, the Museum is reflecting on achievements with its community, and looking forward to the future, as a success story for Sheffield.

The Museum is dedicated to transforming lives with videogames: Initiatives during 2023 have ranged from pop up exhibitions around South Yorkshire, to exploring stories of sanctuary-seeking communities through the art of game making; and creating a fair for celebrating careers in videogames.

The NVM is now working towards Museum Accreditation – Arts Council England’s National benchmark for museum standards – a process which sees its expert team cataloguing over 5,000 videogame objects and cultural artefacts. The vital work aims to establish the Museum as the leading organisation for videogame culture – and builds the foundations for researchers, publishers, games developers, and the public to engage with this unique collection in new and exciting ways.

Sir Ian Livingstone, President, BGI Board of Trustees, said, “Videogames are an integral part of the UK’s cultural heritage, and the 5th anniversary of The National Videogame Museum in Sheffield is a significant milestone. Looking to the future, there is great potential to build on this foundation regionally and nationally, to emphasise Sheffield as a contemporary powerhouse for videogame development, and to communicate the full social, cultural, economic and educational impact of the videogames industry through the work of the museum.”

John O’Shea and Cat Powell, Co-CEOs of The National Videogame Museum said, “It’s a privilege to lead the Museum at such an exciting juncture in its development. Digital culture, including videogames, plays such an important role in all of our lives now. As the UK’s only museum dedicated to videogames, we want the museum to continue to grow, and to educate, inspire and engage the widest possible audience over the next five years and beyond.”

Celebrating careers in games, the week will showcase the wide array of diverse opportunities and pathways into the videogames industry.

 

Returning for its third year, Games Careers Week celebrates diverse pathways into a career in games for young people of all backgrounds, through events, media, diverse developers, and online activities.

Organised by The National Videogame Museum, the week brings together organisations, individuals and educational institutions to showcase excellence and celebrate one of the UK’s fastest growing industries, which has a market worth of over £7 billion.

The week will not only encourage and inspire young people’s passion to enter the industry but will also help parents understand the credibility of a career in games (with nearly 21,000 people employed in the games sector in the UK in 2022 – a 25% increase on the previous year.)

For 2023, The NVM, alongside partners Into Games, Grads in Games, NextGen Skills Academy and Women In Games, will deliver activities, events and resources throughout the week while encouraging studios and educational institutions to participate with their own activities in this
week-long national festival.

The NVM will host a “Why do Videogames Matter” symposium on the 21st of June in collaboration with Leeds Trinity University where academics and industry speakers will debate this provocation.

The 22nd and 23rd of June will see a careers fair inviting studios, FE and HE providers to have an exhibition stand at the museum demonstrating alternative pathways into the games industry. Students will be invited from high pupil premium schools, SEND and alternative FE providers to
discover a variety of careers and take part in STEM based workshops (created by their award winning learning team and NextGen Skills Academy).  All of which will be available to them for free with the help of headline sponsors Boneloaf, a Sheffield based indie game studio, and Sheffield Hallam University.

Into Games will organise activities aimed at FE students to help students build confidence in developing their portfolios, and taking the next steps on the games careers ladder. Women In Games run a global Ambassador Programme to build a powerful and diverse community of action, aligned and committed to achieving the vision and mission of Women in Games through meaningful collaboration and initiatives. It will be their ambassadors that will take centre stage to create and participate in activities that will be aimed at young people.

Any organisation, school, university or games studio can participate in Games Careers Week to inspire young people, parents and teachers to discover careers in games. The NVM has provided a resource pack showcasing examples of events that institutions can organise, host or promote. No matter the size of the event, Games Careers Week highlights how a little can go a long way in someone’s life. Studios could host game jams, provide expert talks or studio tours, while educational institutions can take part in online courses or design videogames using Scratch or
Twine.

Events will be added to the Games Careers Week website in the weeks leading up to the 19th June.

Stacey Jubb, Head of Learning at the NVM says: “Games Careers Week is an opportunity for us to celebrate the fantastic range of careers in the games industry. We are excited to be hosting a two day career fair at the NVM which will showcase alternative pathways into the industry, give students opportunities to take part in workshops, speak to industry professionals and experience our interactive museum. If you are wanting to embark on a career in games but not sure how or where to start, our careers fair is the place to be!”

Create and event and get involved with the Games Careers Week’s Event Resource Pack and help shape the future of young lives and the industry.

The charity that runs the National Videogame Museum has appointed Sheffield arts innovator Cat Powell to lead its Visitor Experience team.

Cat brings a wealth of experience as Head of Artfelt, the arts programme which uses art to change the lives of thousands at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Under her leadership, Artfelt grew to become a multi-faceted project with national prominence. Passionate about new audiences, she’s deeply committed to Sheffield and its potential for the National Videogame Museum.

Working alongside BGI’s Creative Director, John O’Shea, Cat will lead a team of 17 staff and crew that delivers the Museum, which has just announced a major National Lottery Heritage Fund award to redesign its Visitor Experience.

Following the recent departure of CEO, Rick Gibson, Cat will join John in a co-CEO capacity and lead an interim period of exciting transformation.

Cat says “My work has always centred around access to the high quality art for underrepresented groups, especially those from my hometown of Sheffield. I’m delighted to join the NVM and develop their presence as a unique cultural offer in the city, working to strengthen links with its residents, and creating an exciting destination which provides access to games for all”.

Creative Director (and Interim co-CEO) John O’Shea said “Cat has hands-on experience of transforming the lives of children and young people in an inspirational charity in the heart of Sheffield. I’m excited to begin working with Cat at the National Videogame Museum, which has similar ambitious goals to transform people’s lives with videogames”.

(ENDS)

Notes to Editors

Interviews

If you would like to interview BGI trustees or staff, please contact Christian Beckett on christian(at)thebgi.uk

About the National Videogame Museum

The NVM celebrates videogame culture and allows the public to play most of its exhibits, which include nearly 100 games consoles, arcade machines and other interactive experiences, including games designed exclusively for the Museum.

The Museum holds one of the UK’s largest collections of nearly 5,000 videogame objects, including arcade machines, technology, game memorabilia and ephemera. Formerly the National Videogame Arcade in Nottingham, the Museum has welcomed over 200,000 visitors, including hundreds of school visits, since it opened in 2016.

The Museum presents a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibitions both in person and online. For more details about the NVM, please visit: http://www.thenvm.org.

A press pack including images and video of the NVM is available here.

About the BGI

The BGI is a national voice for videogame culture, heritage and education which empowers people from all backgrounds to:

• Play through accessible and creative experiences that engage and inspire
• Collaborate through inclusive communities, research, discussions and teamwork
• Learn through informal, formal and vocational learning

Our charity celebrates and interrogates games culture for everyone through the National Videogame Museum, our Collection, our research into games preservation and our festivals such as GameCity. We run award-winning formal and informal learning programmes such as Pixelheads in person and online for schools and families. We run vocational courses and the Games Education Summit and we co-founded and organise the Games Careers Week Festival for young people, their parents and educators.

For more details about the BGI’s mission and programmes, please visit: http://www.thebgi.uk/

Following the a successful National Lottery Heritage Fund award the BGI are now recruiting 3 new roles based at the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield. Full information is available via links below and on the Recruitment page.

Community Outreach Officer, National Videogame Museum

The BGI, charity number 1183530, is looking for a community outreach officer to liaise with local communities for the Level Up Project, which will develop a new community-led visitor experience for the National Videogame Museum with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The role will report directly to the Creative Director.

Job Title: Community Outreach Officer, Level Up
Accountable To: Creative Director
Location: The National Videogame Museum, Castle House, Angel Street, Sheffield (Role is Sheffield based, with some project specific travel required.)
Salary: £25,000 FTE
Contract: Part time fixed term for 12 months
Usual Working Pattern: 16 hours / 2 days a week, flexible

Applications should be emailed in the form of attached cover letter and CV to jobs@thenvm.org with the subject: Community Outreach Officer [your full name]

The deadline for applications is 10am Tuesday 07 June 2022

Access the full Community Outreach Officer job description here

Collections Assistant, National Videogame Museum

The BGI, charity number 1183530, is looking for a collections assistant to assist the National Videogame Museum in completing museum accreditation process, to support development of a more accessible collection, and to deliver a cataloguing project. The role will report directly to the Creative Director.

Job Title: Collections Assistant
Accountable To: Creative Director
Location: The National Videogame Museum, Castle House, Angel Street, Sheffield (Role is Sheffield based, with some project specific travel required.)
Salary: £20,000
Contract: Full time fixed term for 12 months
Usual Working Pattern: 40 hours / 5 days a week, flexible

Applications should be emailed in the form of attached cover letter and CV to jobs@thenvm.org with the subject: Collections Assistant [your full name]

The deadline for applications is 10am Tuesday 07 June 2022

Access the full Collections Assistant job description here

Grant Administrator, National Videogame Museum

The BGI, charity number 1183530, is looking for a grant administrator to oversee the Level Up Project, which will develop a new community-led visitor experience for the National Videogame Museum with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The role will report directly to the Creative Director.

Job Title: Grant Administrator, Level Up
Accountable To: Creative Director
Location: The National Videogame Museum, Castle House, Angel Street, Sheffield
Salary: £20,000 FTE
Contract: Part time fixed term for 12 months
Usual Working Pattern: 24 hours / 3 days a week, flexible

Applications should be emailed in the form of attached cover letter and CV to jobs@thenvm.org with the subject: Grant Administrator [your full name]

The deadline for applications is 10am Tuesday 07 June 2022

Access the full Grant Administrator job description here

Sheffield, 1200 28/04/22: The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded a significant grant to the BGI to redesign the National Videogame Museum’s Visitor Experience in close collaboration with local communities.

The Level Up project will conduct a significant redesign of the Museum, which will be co-designed with under-represented communities in Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Chesterfield. The Museum will launch pop up exhibitions in these communities and use videogames’ unique accessibility to improve cultural and educational opportunities for new as well as existing audiences. In parallel, the Museum will start a project to improve the accessibility of its Collection for all audiences.

This project builds upon a Cultural Recovery Fund Grant from Arts Council England which enabled the BGI not only to survive the pandemic but also to conduct a comprehensive audience survey. This found that visitors gave the Museum a remarkable 95% visitor satisfaction rate but also that there are some local communities under-represented amongst its current visitors.

Aligned closely with the charity’s new  ‘Transforming lives with games’ strategy which focuses on inclusivity and diversity, this project will develop a bold new visitor experience with the help of consultants in close collaboration with its local community in South Yorkshire. The charity will shortly announce an open tender for the redesign contract as well as multiple roles to deliver the project.

John O’Shea, Creative Director, said “Through Level Up, our expertise in videogames will combine with the unique power of gaming to reach into our local communities and create opportunities for new cultural engagement, especially through the NVM Collection.”

BGI’s outgoing CEO Rick Gibson said “We’re so proud that Heritage Fund has awarded us this project, which is a significant milestone for our organisation as we develop a new, ambitious and inclusive proposition. Our work with under-represented communities is important to us and I can’t wait to see the result of these collaborations”.

The BGI is recruiting for a new CEO: https://thebgi.uk/recruitment/

(ENDS)

Notes to Editors

Interviews

If you would like to interview BGI trustees or staff, please contact Chris Bromley on chris@thebgi.uk.

About the BGI

The BGI is a national voice for videogame culture, heritage and education which empowers people from all backgrounds, especially women, BAME, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and from disadvantaged backgrounds, to:

• Play through accessible and creative experiences that engage and inspire
• Collaborate through inclusive communities, research, discussions and teamwork
• Learn through informal, formal and vocational learning

Our charity celebrates and interrogates games culture for everyone through the National Videogame Museum, our Collection, our research into games preservation and our festivals such as GameCity. We run award-winning formal and informal learning programmes such as Pixelheads in person and online for schools and families. We run vocational courses and the Games Education Summit and we co-founded and organise the Games Careers Week Festival for young people, their parents and educators. For more details about the BGI’s mission and programmes, please visit: http://www.thebgi.uk/

About the National Videogame Museum

The NVM celebrates videogame culture and allows the public to play most of its exhibits, which include nearly 100 games consoles, arcade machines and other interactive experiences, including games designed exclusively for the Museum. The Museum holds one of the UK’s largest collections of nearly 5,000 videogame objects, including arcade machines, technology, game memorabilia and ephemera. Formerly the National Videogame Arcade in Nottingham, the Museum has welcomed over 200,000 visitors, including hundreds of school visits, since it opened in 2016. The Museum presents a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibitions both in person and online. For more details about the NVM, please visit: http://www.thenvm.org. A press pack including images and video of the NVM is available here.

 

The charity is seeking 3 new trustees to help govern the charity through its next stage of growth.

The BGI is a national voice for videogame culture, heritage and education which empowers people from all backgrounds.

We inspire everyone to play, collaborate and learn through our unique National Videogame Museum, our Collection, our multi award-winning learning programmes and our groundbreaking new vocational programmes.

We make our work accessible and inclusive to everyone, including people from disadvantaged communities, women, LGBTQI+, people of colour, people with disabilities, people of faith and older people.

By sharing stories how videogames can change people’s lives, we will inspire the public and uncover new opportunities, no matter their background.

We’re a young but rapidly growing charity that is committed to creating
a diverse and flexible working environment. We’re seeking candidates
from all backgrounds who demonstrate a desire to progress our social
mission.

The requirements for the new trustee roles are as follows:

All candidates: to distil complex information; offer pragmatic advice; collaborate and communicate effectively; foster relationships and build support for the charity; inspire trust and confidence through ambassadorial and influencing skills.

Finance: Oversee the charity’s financial affairs; monitor its financial health; ensure robust financial processes; oversee annual audits; and join our finance sub-committee.

Legal/Governance: Oversee matters of governance and ensure all relevant
governance policies and processes are set up and maintained; and to join our Governance sub-committee.

HR: Oversee personnel best practice and ensure all relevant human
resource policies and processes are set up and maintained.

Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply by downloading this Trustee pack.

 

 

The Games Education Summit will convene studios and educators to discuss how we can bring through the next generation of games professionals – and support them on their career journeys.

Thursday Mar 17th 2022: The UK games industry is facing a major talent shortage, with Ukie recently reporting that some 2,000 roles need to be filled.

So where will the UK’s games studios find that talent, now and in the future?

Educators at Further and Higher Education levels clearly have an important role to play in helping maintain a flow of well-trained games talent into entry level jobs and over 7,000 videogames degree students are expected to graduate in 2022.

But how are studios, universities and educators working together to ensure graduates are fully prepared for a career in games in 2022 and beyond? And what are the roles that studios are finding particularly hard to fill?

Earlier this year, 29% of UK employees reported they want to change jobs, so how will this ‘Great Resignation’ impact games companies and how are studios and educational institutions changing their working practices to offer genuine flexible working and learning environments?

And as wellbeing and a better work/life balance become ever-more important to individuals, what can studios and education do to better support their staff and students?

These are the key issues currently facing games and education – and will be tackled head on at the upcoming Games Education Summit (April 21st-22nd, Sheffield Hallam University).

Speakers and panellists from the UK’s leading studios, universities and further education organisations will come together to discuss and debate how the UK’s games industry can shore up its talent pipeline and support students and employees. Speakers include:

Aurore Dimopoulos, Unity
Charlie Hargood, Bournemouth University
Chris Windmill, University of Derby
Dan Dudley, Grads in Games
Dom Shaw, Ukie
Doug Brown, Falmouth University
Finlay Pearston, Abertay University
Gina Jackson OBE, Game Dev Bootcamps
Ian Goodall, Aardvark Swift
Jake Habgood, Sumo Digital
James Butcher, Epic
Jayne Morgan, Exient
Jess Gaskell, Media Molecule
Karen Hedger, AIM Group
Leon Killin, Sumo Digital
Liz Prince, Amiqus
Liz Wright, No More Robots
Marcia Deakin, Next Gen Skills Academy
Maria Stukoff, University of Salford
Matt Wilson, Cloud Imperium
Peter Howell, Portsmouth University
Rick Gibson, BGI
Rosie Taylor, Safe In Our World
Tamsin O’Luanaigh, nDreams
Victoria Zamperoni, Mental Health Foundation

Tickets for the Summit are priced at just £125. As well as enjoying two days of thought-provoking and inspirational talks, delegates will also have plenty of opportunity for networking. They are also invited to attend the National Videogames Museum on the evening of April 21st where the Grads In Games Awards will be presented.

Tickets are available here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/games-education-summit-2022-tickets-227031586587

Students are welcome to attend for free.

About the BGI

The BGI is a national voice for videogame culture, heritage and education which empowers people from all backgrounds, especially women, BAME, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and from disadvantaged backgrounds, to:

• Play through accessible and creative experiences that engage and inspire
• Collaborate through inclusive communities, research, discussions and teamwork
• Learn through informal, formal and vocational learning

Our charity celebrates and interrogates games culture for everyone through the National Videogame Museum, our Collection, our research into games preservation and our festivals such as GameCity. We run award-winning formal and informal learning programmes such as Pixelheads in person and online for schools and families. We run vocational courses and the Games Education Summit and we co-founded and organise the Games Careers Week Festival for young people, their parents and educators. For more details about the BGI’s mission and programmes, please visit: http://www.thebgi.uk/

Sheffield 0900 15/03/2022: The BGI’s founder and CEO, Rick Gibson, has announced he is departing the charity in July 2022. The charity is advertising for a new CEO based in Sheffield and is keen for candidates from all backgrounds to apply via its website.

Rick founded the charity in 2019 with Sir Ian Livingstone and was appointed its CEO by trustees, but he began campaigning for its creation in late 2017, winning support for the campaign from hundreds of games, finance, arts and non-profit organisations, as well as over 10,000 members of the public. Rick was appointed CEO of the National Videogame Foundation in 2018, which took over the BGI campaign, moving the National Videogame Arcade from Nottingham to Sheffield and rebranding it as the National Videogame Museum.

The Museum attracted 35,000 visitors in 2019 before the pandemic struck. Rick created the emergency appeal which raised over £200,000 from the games industry and public. He led the charity to win a substantial Cultural Recovery Fund grant as well as winning funding from the Jingle Jam for its award-winning workshop programme. He also created the Games Education Summit and the charity’s FutureLearn course, co-founded Games Careers Week and led the charity’s fundraising for projects from major arts funders such as Arts Council England, Art Fund, Esmee Fairbairn Trust, Ufi Voctech and BBC Children in Need.

Rick said: “After 4.5 years of growth, surviving the pandemic, and developing the charity’s new social mission, I’ve decided to step away from BGI. I’m very proud of what we have achieved with the new charity, especially tripling the museum’s income in just 3 years during Covid. It is vital that the games industry’s important contributions to our national culture are recognised in a national museum and preserved in a nationally significant Collection. I am filled with gratitude and pride about what the team has accomplished both in the museum in Sheffield but also in our award-winning learning and vocational programmes. I am so grateful to the trustees and all the charity’s supporters, especially to Andy Payne OBE for his unflinching support. The charity has a bright future in Sheffield”.

A games industry veteran of over 20 years, Rick created the campaign to lobby for Video Games Tax Relief in 2007 with Sir Ian Livingstone, building the economic and cultural case for the legislation over 5 years. VGTR has since paid out over £624m to 1,640 titles developed by British games studios.

Chair of the BGI’s Trustee Board Claire Boissiere said: “When I joined the BGI as a trustee during its formation in 2019, I was instantly blown away by Rick’s passion and drive for positively impacting the games industry. Rick has steered the charity and the National Videogame Museum through immensely difficult times, launched a wide range of award-winning educational and vocational programmes and been a champion for diversity. I’ll miss working alongside Rick but I’m proud to continue the charity’s new social mission, which wouldn’t have been possible without him. The BGI and National Videogame Museum will always be grateful for the hard work and persistent dedication that Rick has exhibited over the past 4.5 years and I wish him all the best in the future.”

President of the BGI and Trustee Board Member Sir Ian Livingstone said: “When Rick first suggested the idea of the BGI to me and invited me to join him, I had no hesitation in saying yes. Without Rick’s vision, energy, determination and expertise, the BGI and the National Videogame Museum would never have happened. Rick’s contribution to society’s understanding and recognition of the cultural impact and educational value of video games cannot be underestimated. We owe him our sincere thanks and gratitude.”

About the BGI

The BGI is a national voice for videogame culture, heritage and education which empowers people from all backgrounds, especially women, BAME, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and from disadvantaged backgrounds, to:

• Play through accessible and creative experiences that engage and inspire
• Collaborate through inclusive communities, research, discussions and partnerships
• Learn through informal, formal and vocational learning

Our charity celebrates and interrogates games culture for everyone through the National Videogame Museum, our Collection, our research into games preservation and our festivals such as GameCity. We run award-winning formal and informal learning programmes such as Pixelheads in person and online for schools and families. We run vocational courses and the Games Education Summit and we co-founded and organise the Games Careers Week Festival for young people, their parents and educators. For more details about the BGI’s mission and programmes, please visit: http://www.thebgi.uk/