Mental health for games industry professionals will soon take center stage in the UK.
Games industry mental health charity Safe In Our World and world-leading arts charity BAFTA recently partnered to host a mental health summit for games industry professionals in May.
The summit first occurred in Aug. 2019 in Toronto, Canada - at the time, it was the first of such an event covering the mental health of games industry professionals, per Venture Beat.
A general view of the BAFTA award trophy ahead of the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2023 at The Royal Festival Hall on February 19, 2023 in London, England.
Games Industry Mental Health Summit 2023 Details
Just like its past iterations, this year's Games Industry Mental health summit will tackle the importance of keeping one's mental health well taken care of despite the stress and the day-to-day hustle in the video game industry, per Games Press.
You may be familiar with the cases of games industry professionals being overworked to the point they feel burnt out and depressed months and even weeks before a game's release date. A few guilty video game developing studios are CD Projeckt Red before it released Cyberpunk 2077 and EA's Bioware during the development time of its failed live service game, Anthem, per Kotaku and BBC.
"Games are an incredible art form that requires a wealth of creative and technical expertise and hard work to make," said Luke Hebblethwaite, BAFTA's Head of Games. "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."
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The summit will consist of many events and speeches about the importance of mental health in the video game industry and how to best take care of it. As such, attendees can expect an open day full of keynotes, panels, workshops, and roundtables involving knowledgeable industry speakers and mental health clinical consultants.
As for who the speakers in the keynote addresses are, Safe In Our World and BAFTA will announce a full list of those who will do such within the next two weeks.
Additionally, any visitor could access practical advice on topics like avoiding burnout, dealing with negative community sentiment, reaching out for help when needed, and how the leaders in the games industry can cultivate mental well-being across the industry.
How To Attend Games Industry Mental Health Summit 2023
This year's Games Industry Mental Health Summit is scheduled to take place on May 22, right after Mental Health Awareness Week, at BAFTA's London headquarters at 195 Piccadilly from 9 AM onwards.
According to both organizations, the tickets for the summit will be kept affordable to make it as accessible as possible to all game industry professionals. As such, a Day Pass Public Concession ticket costs around $10, while a Day Pass Public Adult ticket has a price tag of approximately $13.
These tickets can be purchased online through BAFTA's page for the summit.
Attendees are advised to turn off their electronic devices during the event; the use of professional photography or recording equipment is also prohibited unless permitted.
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