Swindon game developers Evil Twin Artworks set to work with local school
Evil Twin are to work in collaboration with Dorcan School in Swindon to run an after school club that will teach Dorcan students how to create computer games.
Dorcan have been award lottery funding by Awards for All to run an innovative after school educational scheme called Creation Application, which is aimed at young people aged 12-16. It will teach the participants how to create computer games, and will be lead by Evil Twin industry professionals who will give the students roles, responsibilities to create a professional, vocational environment.
The main aim of the club is to demonstrate that creating a vocational setting as an after school club gives young people responsibilities, helps empower individuals to use their own initiative, and also identify potential career pathways which can offer a real alternative for students.
Making games is often seen as something big companies in big cities do, programming is also seen as something unachievable by many, so much so that it has lead to a massive campaign in America with supporters such as Bill Gates and Will.i.am not only advocating the use of programming but promoting the ethos that anyone one can code, they just need the belief and perseverance to do so.
The club will focus on creating one game using Scratch and will require that all the participants work together as a team in order to create a product they are very proud of, the final game will be embedded in Dorcan Schools website and shared via the Scratch Website.
In the game the player takes control of a Dorcan School student who must navigate their way through the Dorcan school site in order to find the way out. It is hoped that students new to the school can play the game and learn their way around.
As part of the funding teachers from the school will also be offered training in using the Scratch software with an aim of leaving a legacy at the school in creating interactive content.
The project was supported by Awards For All and The Big Lottery Fund.
The Big Lottery Fund, the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since its inception in 2004 we have awarded close to £6bn.
The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
