England and Wales-based Safe in Our World is a games industry mental health charity that has partnered with global independent arts charity BAFTA to host a mental health summit for games industry professionals.
The summit will take place at BAFTA’s London headquarters at 195 Piccadilly from 9.00 am on Monday 22nd May. Attendees can expect an open day full of keynotes, panels, workshops, and roundtables delivered by knowledgeable industry speakers and mental health clinical consultants.
Taking place just after Mental Health Awareness Week, the Games Industry Mental Health Summit is open to everyone within the industry regardless of experience level and has been designed with affordability and approachability in mind.
Luke Hebblethwaite, head of games at BAFTA commented, “Games are an incredible art form that require a wealth of creative and technical expertise and hard work to make. As with any creative medium, the creative talents behind them dedicate a great deal of time and energy to their creations and, sometimes, the pressures they face can be high.”
The summit is open to all
Visitors can also access practical advice on topics such as avoiding burnout, dealing with negative community sentiment, reaching out for help when needed, and how industry leaders can foster mental well-being across the industry.
“With 1 in 4 people experiencing a mental health problem of some kind in the UK, we’re always striving to create a more open dialogue around mental health within the games industry,” says Sarah Sorrell, charity manager at Safe In Our World. “Partnering with BAFTA has given us the opportunity to dedicate a whole day to helping our industry peers access vital and even life-saving information.”
Both Safe In Our World and BAFTA are keen to stress the importance of mental health awareness and each of the day’s activities focuses on offering tangible takeaways that industry members can use within their roles and across their day-to-day lives.
A full list of speakers will be announced soon, with tickets selling at £10.00 / £7.50 concessions.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
