Call for participation: She Got Game

She Got Game is an initiative by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia to promote gender equality and diversity in the Swiss and international videogames scene. Even though the number of women in leading roles within the videogame industry is growing, under-representation still exists. This mentorship programme includes formats to empower participants, foster international exchange with peers and industry veterans and promote discussions around the topic of women in games. 

Up to two women working in game development from our region will benefit from the following:  

• 1:1 online mentorship with an international expert in the industry 
• Online lectures to develop entrepreneurial and professional skills
• Peer-to-peer exchange with other participants in the programme 
• Visibility for their work 

All sessions will be held in English. The mentoring programme will be flanked by panels and events on the topic of gender representation in the videogames industry, which Pro Helvetia presents in cooperation with international partners. 

She Got Game mentors:

• Stephanie Darrah, Business Development Manager, Playtonic Ltd
• Dajana Dimovska, Co-CEO and Business Development Manager, NapNok Games, CEO Indium Play
• Yasemin Günay, Co-Founder, Koboldgames
• Violetta Leoni, Executive Producer, 101%
• Dasha Nasonova, Game Designer and Architect, Founder of Adagia
• Martina Santoro, Founder, OKAM studio; Founder, Latam Video Games Federation
• Natasha Skult, Founder and CEO, MiTale; IGDA Chair
• Chriss Vasquez Reyes, Producer, Gamaga; Partner and COO, Racoon Party Games; PR, Iguanabee
• Allison Yang Jing, Game Director and Researcher
• Poornima Seetharaman, Director of Design, Zynga; Women in Games Ambassador

Eligibility criteria for applicants:  

• The call is aimed at all those who identify as women 
• The call is open to emerging talents working on an independent interactive media project designed for computers, mobile phones, tablets, game consoles, virtual reality headsets or similar devices, and any other type of digital content requiring a high degree of interaction from the user 
• The call is open to women with a maximum of 7 years of experience in the game industry (leaves of absence are excluded)
• Applicants must be based in the region covered by Pro Helvetia Johannesburg: West, Central, East and Southern Africa

To participate in the programme, please send your PDF application to kbahana@prohelvetia.org by Monday 14 November 2022 (until midnight CAT), with the following documentation:  

• Contact information  
• Short biography and portfolio of projects worked on until now (include your education, nationality and/or residence status) 
• Concept description or Game Design Document of project you are currently working on (with visual material)
• Additionally, please fill out this form  

Note: the number of participants in the programme is limited. The applicants who best meet the criteria and who are most likely to benefit from the mentoring will be selected.  

We are looking forward to receiving your application! 

In case of questions or feedback, please contact Kampire Bahana: kbahana@prohelvetia.org

[Graphic by Lydia Perrot]