GameOn! Highlights from the Creative Futures Bootcamp 2024

If you are a visual arts student, you might be asking yourself: “How can I turn my passion for art into a career?” or “Are there really opportunities for me in the gaming industry?”

Well, you are not alone!

Many creatives feel uncertain about their career paths, especially in fields like e-sports and gaming, which can lead to frustration and doubt about their future. To tackle this uncertainty head-on, the Young and Safe project put together the Creative Futures Bootcamp! This program is all about inspiring and equipping visual arts students to explore different areas in the creative world. It gives young artists the knowledge, skills, and connections they need to thrive in their careers.

This year, the 2024 edition of the boot camp, held on Saturday, November 16 at Mawuli School, Ho, zeroed in on the gaming industry. By focusing on e-sports and game design. It aimed to show students just how vital their artistic talents are in this booming field.

This edition featured pros from PlayProvince, a Ghanaian e-sports organization dedicated to boosting Africa’s presence in the global gaming scene. They are all about tackling youth unemployment in Ghana and creating cool opportunities for young people to thrive in the gaming world.

How Visual Artists Can Shine in the Gaming Industry!

Gamergirlnica at Creative Futures Bootcamp

At the boot camp, Monica Mensah Sefakor Yawa, widely recognized in the gaming community as gamergirlnica, led the first session, emphasizing the crucial role of visual arts in the gaming industry.

She is a professional gamer and content creator signed to PlayProvince, she competes in titles like Electronic Arts Football Club (EAFC) and VALORANT, and as a Women in Games Ambassador in Ghana, she champions women’s representation in the gaming community.

She discussed how visual artists can carve out exciting careers in this fast-paced world, covering various pathways like graphic design, game development, and character animation.

Gamergirlnica highlighted that while there are many different jobs visual art students can pursue, each role requires specific skills to succeed. For instance, she talked about the importance of storytelling in game design, which helps create engaging narratives that players love. She also emphasized skills like character design and digital painting, which are essential for bringing game worlds and characters to life.

Bodybagszn Talks Competition and Teamwork in E-sports!

After gamergirlnica’s inspiring session, Djangba Patrick Edem, known as Bodybagszn, took the stage to share his insights with the visual arts students. As an esports athlete with PlayProvince, he competes professionally in games like EAFC and Call of Duty.

In his session, he shared about what it’s really like to compete in esports, highlighting the crucial roles of teamwork, strategy, and communication. To make it even more engaging, he provided live commentary while some students played, demonstrating how commentary can elevate the gaming experience.

Together, the sessions from gamergirlnica and Bodybagszn connected the dots between visual arts and the gaming industry, inspiring students to explore the many opportunities available to them.

About Young and Safe

The Young and Safe project is a three-year initiative that aims to address key issues such as youth participation in city governance, sexual and reproductive health, mental health support, creative self-expression, and digital employment opportunities. The initiative aims to develop an inclusive and supportive community for young people in Ho, Volta region, Ghana by leveraging the capabilities of each partner. The Young and Safe project will also increase young people’s employability by helping them build their digital innovation and entrepreneurship competencies. Read more.

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