Game design students at the East London Arts and Music academy (ELAM) have, from today, access to a new learning environment. The new games lab has been built as part of a long-term partnership with Creative Assembly, which has also donated original game art to adorn its walls.
The development is especially significant due to the fact that as many as 34% of ELAM students come from low income households and do not have access to computers and equipment outside of the academy.
“Creative Assembly has been supporting ELAM since the start of their game design course in 2017 as we recognised the potential of the college, and its importance in servicing young people in one of the most deprived areas of the country,” said Creative Assembly’s head of talent, Emma Smith. “We are delighted to support the opening of their new learning lab, as another step in opening doors for students, giving them a taste of what the industry is like and helping arm them with the expertise and skills to succeed.”
Established in 2014 to teach 16-19 year students destined for higher education at university, ELAM was rated Outstanding by OFSTED in 2017. The academy received three nominations at this year’s BAFTA Young Games Designer Awards.
