MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
If you missed it late last year, Amiqus – along with Ukie’s #RaiseTheGame – announced the launch of Empower Up, a platform to provide studios of all sizes with the knowledge, frameworks, guidance and resources they need to establish or grow their EDI policies, practices and processes.
Empower Up is suitable for all games companies, wherever they are on their EDI journey. For those looking to gain more understanding about what EDI is and why it’s important, the Intro To EDI section provides an overview. It also provides a summary of different Diversity Characteristics and Under-Represented Groups, along with some specific advice and guidance on each. At the heart of Empower Up is a practical Health Check tool that enables games companies to benchmark where they are on their EDI journey. This will then signpost those companies and individuals to specific areas of the website where they can gain relevant advice and actionable steps on how to move forwards.
The EDI Journey section provides just that information and guidance, covering a number of areas, including:
- Getting Started
- Your Workplace Culture
- Recruitment & Hiring
- Staff Development & Retention
- Marketing & Communications
- Accessibility & Representation
- Activities & Outreach
- Legal Requirements
Meanwhile, a Resources section will provide inspirational Case Studies from studios already doing great work in EDI; a Directory of EDI organisations and initiatives; and a Glossary of Terms area. News and Events will also be regularly updated. Studios and individuals are encouraged to sign up to become Empower Up Members, which will provide additional benefits, namely:
- Save your Health Check results, allowing
you to monitor your progress - Bookmark articles to save in your personal
Reading List - Receive a monthly newsletter
- VIP invitations to Empower Up events
The launch of Empower Up has been a significant one for both Amiqus and Ukie’s #RaiseTheGame, and we’re delighted with the feedback we’ve received so far.
There are many studios and employees who know that making their organisations a more inclusive, equal and welcoming place is the right thing to do – but often they just don’t know where to start, or how to progress. That is where the idea for Empower Up was created. There are some brilliant organisations and initiatives out there, but nothing that pulls everything together in one place to help studios to take actionable steps in this area.
Empower Up has been a real labour of love, and we’re really proud and happy that it’s now ready to help games companies in the UK push forward with their EDI efforts.
We are looking to highlight the great work studios around the UK are doing in EDI, both on the Empower Up platform and within MCV. So if you have a story or case study to share, please get in touch – liz.prince@amiqus.com.
