Full-tuition and partial-tuition scholarships, valued at over $150,000, include mentorship and internship opportunities with The Coalition, Blackbird Interactive, East Side Games, Timbre Games, Relic Entertainment & A Thinking Ape.
Announcement Highlights:
- For the first time, the scholarship and/or mentorship and job placement will be offered for each Game Design start date, from May 2023 until January 2024.
- The fund includes five full-tuition scholarships, valued at over $150,000.
- Scholarship, mentorship, and internship winners will be selected by VFS and the game studio associated with each opportunity, including Relic Entertainment, Blackbird Interactive, The Coalition, East Side Games, Timbre Games, and A Thinking Ape.
- The winners of the five full-tuition scholarships will enroll in VFS’s 12-month, award-winning Game Design program.
- Recipients of the scholarships will receive personal instruction from VFS faculty, as well as mentorship from Relic Entertainment, Blackbird Interactive, The Coalition, East Side Games and A Thinking Ape.
- Recipients of applicable scholarships will also receive a six-month paid design contract from Blackbird Interactive, The Coalition, East Side Games and A Thinking Ape.
- Timbre Games will offer mentorship and a 6-month paid internship post-graduation to the applicant selected.
- Submission process will open on International Women’s Day - March 8, 2023, and will stay open for the rest of the year, with scholarships and studio applications corresponding to each Game Design program start date. Scholarship and studio applications will close approximately one month prior to their designated Game Design program start date.
(VANCOUVER, B.C.) March 8, 2023 – Vancouver Film School (VFS) announced on International Women’s Day that they have renewed and evolved the Women in Game Design Scholarship, in partnership with Vancouver’s top game studios. VFS is offering a scholarship, and/or mentorship and job placement for each Game Design program start date from May 2023 until January 2024.
The scholarship, mentorship, and/or internship opportunities for each program start date are offered with top game studios including East Side Games, Timbre Games, Relic Entertainment, The Coalition, Blackbird Interactive, and A Thinking Ape. The scholarship fund, valued at over to $150,000, is available exclusively to women and non-binary persons looking to enter the game industry.
"As a woman in Game Design, I understand the unique challenges we face in this industry. Being a mentor for the Women in Game Design Scholarship allows me to be an active part of the change I want to see, to support the next generation of women in games! I'm proud to be working for a company that goes above and beyond to support diversity.” -Yara Van Kessel – Game Design Lead, A Thinking Ape
Historically a male-dominated industry despite 44% of gamers being women, game developers recognize the need for change. Equity for women in the gaming workspace should be a priority and the best way to achieve this is by supporting more women to secure careers in the game industry.
The Women in Game Design Scholarship is a collaborative initiative between VFS and Vancouver-based game studios The Coalition (Gears of War franchise), East Side Games (RuPaul’s Drag Race Superstar), Timbre Games (2022 Winner of Best Place to work, Small Studio), Relic Entertainment (Age of Empires IV, Company of Heroes), Blackbird Interactive (Homeworld 3, Hardspace: Shipbreaker), and A Thinking Ape (Party in my Dorm, Kingdom of Heckfire).
"After seeing firsthand the amazing contributions the Women in Game Design Scholarship can bring to our industry, The Coalition is thrilled to be part of the program again this year. We look forward to welcoming one of this year’s recipients to our team and helping them get their start in games.” Mike Crump – Studio Head, The Coalition
Five full-tuition scholarships and one $20,000 partial-tuition scholarship will be awarded for the VFS Game Design program start dates from May 2023 to January 2024. Full-tuition winners will be selected directly by VFS and The Coalition, East Side Games, Blackbird Interactive, Relic Entertainment and A Thinking Ape.
All selected winners will receive personal instruction by faculty at VFS. Timbre Games will provide private mentorship and a 6-month paid internship post-graduation. In addition to the scholarship, Relic will provide the recipient with private mentorship. Both private mentorship and six-month paid design contracts are awarded to the scholarship winners for Blackbird Interactive, The Coalition, East Side Games and A Thinking Ape.
"Relic Entertainment is honoured to partner with Vancouver Film School for their Women in Game Design Scholarship. Programs and scholarships like this provide women with opportunities to establish roots and build positive skills and connections within the video games industry, and create healthy partnerships between schools and employers to ensure students receive mentorship as well as training. Relic is proud to continue our relationship with VFS and to invest our time, experience, and funding into building a strong future for women in games.” -Heidi Eaves – Chief Operating Officer, Relic Entertainment
"VFS is thrilled to expand upon our previous Women in Game Design Scholarship by partnering with top-tier game studios in Vancouver to offer scholarship and internship opportunities multiple times throughout the year. This expansion provides more chances for aspiring women game designers to train for and gain valuable work experience in the game industry. We’re delighted to support the career development of these women and ensure women’s voices are heard in the next generation of games.” -Christopher Mitchell – Head of Game Design and Programming for Games, Web & Mobile, VFS
For more information about the 2023 Women in Game Design Scholarship, or to apply, visit https://vfs.edu/scholarships/women-in-game-design-2023.
About Vancouver Film School
In 1987, Vancouver Film School introduced the world’s first true immersion film program. Today, VFS is Canada’s premier post-secondary entertainment arts institution, offering an immersive curriculum in film, animation, design, and beyond. VFS is known for providing high-quality education in accelerated time frames and offers 16 industry-integrated programs in which students graduate in one year as an in-demand, industry-ready creative professional. VFS alumni are consistently credited on the highest grossing films, television shows, and games worldwide, in a global industry set to generate US$2.1 trillion in revenue in 2022.
For more information, or to schedule interviews, please contact:
Evan Biswanger
Creative Director & Head of Marketing
Vancouver Film School
ebiswanger@vfs.com
vfs.edu
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