The British Games Institute Wins Grant from Ian Livingstone Foundation

The British Games Institute (BGI) has received a significant grant from the Ian Livingstone Foundation to develop its learning program in public and school workshops around the UK.

The initiatives in the program will be deployed through the National Videogame Museum facilities and its Pixelheads clubs in Nottingham and Sheffield.

While the exact amount of the grant has not been publicly disclosed, the National Videogame Museum said it will use the funds to expand the charity’s Learning Programmes, assist in the creation of Key Stage workshops, and develop workshops for more visiting schools.

“We are so grateful to the Livingstone Foundation for this generous grant, which will enable our Learning Programme to reach and educate thousands more young people,” said Claire Boissiere, BGI Vice-Chair.”

Boissiere explained the main objective of The British Games Institute is to find new ways to help young people access the skills they need to thrive in our rapidly changing world.

“We’re opening new windows onto the artistic, design and technical skills used to make games, making these skills fun and easy for anyone to access.”

The BGI campaign was founded in 2016 and launched in 2017 by Rick Gibson and Ian Livingstone. After winning support from over 560 organizations and expanding its Advisory Board to 29 individuals, the British Games Institute officially became a charity in May 2019.

Through the National Videogame Museum, the charity organizes playable exhibitions with an average turnout of 40,000 annual visitors.

The goal: to inspire families and schoolchildren about what games mean and how they are made and reveal career paths into the UK’s fastest-growing creative industry.

Commenting on the news, Livingstone said, “The Foundation is delighted to provide this grant towards the important work that the BGI is doing at the National Videogame Museum and further afield. The NVM is a unique asset not just for the UK games sector but for the country as a whole.”

The BGI founder concluded by encouraging the gaming industry to look at the program’s further developments and to pledge their support in the future.

The British Games Institute’s next event is Games Education Summit 2020, which will take place in Sheffield next month. The event will bring together over 30 leaders from the UK’s leading games universities, colleges, and development studios. You can book tickets here.

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