Teachers discover games can be work
Warwickshire teachers are being immersed in the world of Spongebob Squarepants and Bratz next week as they tour a top videogames creator.
Leamington-based Blitz Games Studios are throwing open their hi-tech doors on Thursday to teachers from Coventry and Warwickshire.
They are to enjoy a unique opportunity to meet the creators of games featuring, among others, Spongebob Squarepants and Bratz, and to have a behind the scenes look at the videogame industry.
The event has been co-organised by Blitz and the Warwickshire Education Business Partnership (a part of Warwickshire County Council which works to ensure the county’s school children are ‘work ready’).
The day will look in detail at many aspects of the videogame industry, from the demographics dictating the type of games that are made to the game development cycle and the many skills that are required from a team of people just to produce one game.
Julie O’Toole, Employer Engagement Co-ordinator for the Warwickshire Education Business Partnership, said: “Teachers will be able to use information and resources from the day to enhance their curriculum teaching. This will be particularly relevant for the new Creative and Media Diploma which will be delivered in Coventry from September 2008 and in parts of Warwickshire from Sept 2009.”
Philip and Andrew Oliver, founders of Blitz Games Studios, do a tremendous amount of work with schools all over Warwickshire. The brothers started the company in 1990, but started making games in their bedrooms from the age of just 13. This is light years away from the industry now, which generates more revenue than the film or music industries and involves large teams and multi-million pound budgets.
Kim Blake, Blitz’s Education Liaison Manager, said: “We’re really excited to be talking to teachers about our industry and the skills that potential recruits need to get a job in games.”