Silicon Spa set to welcome its first ever international Games Festival

Leading lights of the UK and international games industry will visit Leamington Spa soon for the inaugural Interactive Futures Games Festival

The event, at the Royal Spa Centre from January 31st to February 2nd, will put 'Silicon Spa' right in the spotlight during a three day festival of games, culture and creativity.

The main conference on Thursday and Friday will provide a platform for the creative communities to showcase the latest developments and opportunities in this fast growing sector.

An important element of Interactive Futures is the opportunities for local independent studios and students to get their games or animations in front of the audience of professionals attending the festival, through competitions, or by submitting their portfolio for review by an industry expert.

Saturday 2nd February is tailored for aspiring games creators, enthusiasts, students and families. Sessions will include ‘Let’s Make,’ where you can explore virtual reality and create your own animation, a Raspberry Pi Minecraft workshop or the chance design your own video game character for a ‘Pixelheads Dash’.

For those interested in starting a career, there will be talks from leading games professionals including Ubisoft, Playground Games, Codemasters and Darbotron on the job roles available in the industry, or how to get your foot in the door at an AAA studio. 

BAFTA will also be holding workshops for parents and teachers and young game designers at the Town Hall which are completely free to attend, but need to be booked in advance.

Stacy O’Connor, Digital Skills Lead at the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “This event is the perfect opportunity to showcase the innovative and growing gaming companies which are based in Leamington Spa.

“Interactive Futures will showcase the varied career opportunities available to young people across the region and will provide an economic boost to the area as we attract visitors from across the UK and build on our reputation as being a pioneer in this constantly evolving industry.”

Warwickshire County Council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe commented: “The county council works very closely with schools and businesses to help to equip our young people with the skills they will need in the high tech economy.  With Silicon Spa growing, it is vital that we ensure that the businesses have the talent pipeline to enable them to continue to prosper in the county.

“Interactive Futures will showcase the industry to many young people and show them the career opportunities available to them in the county. “

The Leader of Warwick District Council Cllr Andrew Mobbs said: “I’m extremely proud that we have brought this completely unique event to Leamington Spa. Interactive Futures, not only supports the current generation of talent in our district, but also offers unrivalled access to the best in the business for a whole new generation, who with the right skills could become the future industry leaders in our growing Silicon Spa.”

An Interactive Futures pass for Saturday 2nd February is just £5, visit interactive-futures.com for tickets, session bookings and further information.