DVRS Games Festival, the first festival focused around diversity in the gaming industry will be held at Manchester Met from Thursday, April 10 to Friday, April 11.
It is a collaboration between the university’s School of Digital Arts (SODA) and POC in Play, the organisation geared towards increasing the representation of people of colour in the video game industry.
The festival spans two days and will cover talks and networking opportunities over a range of topics, from diversity in video game development to animation and film.
One of the speakers at the event will be Call of Duty Character Artist, Shifally Rattan, who has worked in the gaming industry for over a decade. Speaking on why it is important for the industry to have festivals like this, she said: “I grew up in Illinois and there weren’t many families who looked like mine. I remember one of my first gaming memories was playing Street Fighters II and being able to play as Chun-Li, a Chinese girl. I thought that was really cool.
“I really hope festivals like this will inspire different folklore stories from different cultures in the gaming industry. I want to be inspired, and I want to hear other people’s stories in games.”
The festival is the brainchild of Dr Satish Shewhorak, Senior Lecturer in Animation and Games at Manchester Met. He also referenced Street Fighter II as an impactful game when he was younger due to the diverse characters.
He said: “I’m very passionate about getting young people into the games animation industry. UKIE, the trade body for the UK games industry has reported that the number developers from South Asian, Black and other ethnic backgrounds is relatively lower compared to the national average.
“With the DVRS Games Festival, we really want to provide a communal event where people can come together and share experiences about recruitment, retention, promotion and also about representation. For example, being able to see themselves within the games that they produce and the barriers and opportunities that that might be available.”
According POC in Play, for over a decade the gaming industry in the UK has been the biggest single entertainment industry but still only has 10% from ethnic minority groups working in it. They have illustrated that diversity is needed to keep games fresh and dynamic and also the importance of people from different backgrounds to be represented accurately.
Shifally Rattan added: “It’s way better from 2013 when I graduated and first started in the industry but there’s definitely a way to go.
“For anyone from an under-represented background who is looking to get into the industry, I’d say hang on. Show them and work hard!”
You can sign up for the DVRS Games Festival 2025 here
