POC in Play, the racial equity and inclusion movement for the UK videogames industry, launches today with partnership from ustwo Games. Co-founded by Adam Campbell and Chella Ramanan, POC in Play aims to address the lack of representation and inclusion of People of Colour (POC) in the videogames industry. To celebrate the launch POC are being invited to use the #IamPOCinPlay on social media platforms to shine a light on their involvement in games.
POC in Play is an independent force for change, creating a range of initiatives and programme of events designed to increase the visibility and representation of POC in the videogames industry. Award-winning game developer, ustwo Games, is the first partner supporting POC in Play, confirming its commitment to cultivating a more diverse and representative UK industry.
Adam Campbell, says, “We’ve gathered a really strong and passionate team, who all share a vision of a more inclusive industry. We hold the same passion as other diversity movements in this sector though we aim to add our distinct, long term plan to the table, supported by a landmark strategic studio partnership with ustwo Games designed to enact real change at every level of the industry.
“We aim to work with industry, educators and other diversity organisations to tackle different aspects of representation. POC in Play aims to focus on recruitment, retention and career development within games to create a more welcoming and inclusive spaces that attract and nurture talent.”
The POC in Play team brings together industry professionals who all share a passion for increasing the visibility of People of Colour in the UK games industry. The launch team: Co-founders Adam Campbell (Azoomee) and Chella Ramanan (3-Fold Games), Nida Ahmad (UX analyst), Mike Anderson (ustwo Games), Jodie Azhar (Teazelcat Games), Des Gayle (Altered Gene), Moo Yu (Foam Sword).
The first of POC in Play’s monthly networking events, hosted by ustwo Games, at its London studio, takes place on Friday 22 March. These meetups offer a space to meet, network, listen to expert speakers and gain advice, with future plans for workshops and opportunities to show work.
Chella Ramanan adds, “We are delighted to be working closely with ustwo Games and look forward to our first social event at their studio, in March. It’s encouraging to already have this level of support from such a highly regarded game studio. POC in Play aims to be a positive force, helping industry make the changes we so desperately need to improve access and retention of POC talent. We are also planning some exciting initiatives designed to support new talent looking to build a career in a vibrant, creative industry like videogames.
“To mark the launch, we’re hoping people will engage with #IamPOCinPlay, as a celebration of all the POC professionals and POC gaming communities who make this such a rich and exciting industry.”