In collaboration with First Nations operated social enterprise Awesome Black, Powerhouse museum group has announced a new initiative that celebrates First Nations creativity and storytelling through video games.
The unique collaboration seeks to grow and foster the Australian games industry through a two-year project that encompasses creative learning programs and events, industry growth and skill development.
This initiative will see Awesome Black collaborating with Powerhouse and TAFE NSW to develop and deliver a free school holidays Creative Studio Workshop, focused on specific aspects of game creation.
The workshop, delivered to high school students and emerging game makers in 2024 will also become part of the Lang Walker Family Academy program at Powerhouse Parramatta.
Powerhouse will further support the learning and skill development of Awesome Black by providing connections to industry partners and mentoring opportunities.
Support will be provided for Awesome Black to attend relevant conferences, courses and workshops to successfully deliver their first video game, Fear of a Blak Planet, that explores re-Indigenising Australia.
Once released, Awesome Black and Powerhouse will deliver an industry-focused event that showcases Fear of a Blak Planet alongside a documentary which explores the making of their game and celebrates the First Nations creatives who supported its development.
Awesome Black founder, Travis DeVries, said he is thrilled to partner with Powerhouse and for their recognition of video gaming and First Nations culture in the arts space.
"Awesome Black is absolutely blown away to have our work in the video game development space recognised in this way," DrVries said.
"This opportunity builds the foundation for cementing our creative output as works of cultural significance, both now and in the future. Such achievements are only possible through collaboration and industry support.
"Having Powerhouse join us as a partner on this project is an honour we did not foresee when we started.
"We were so glad to be able to be a part of this initiative, with the Powerhouse team recognising video gaming and First Nations culture in the spaces that it deserves to be recognised."
Powerhouse games curator, Chloe Appleby said she hoped the initiative with Awesome Black will educate and engage young creatives across the industry.
"Supporting and championing the growing NSW games community to create unique stories and support knowledge sharing has been an important driving force for the work we are doing at Powerhouse," Appleby said.
"I am thrilled that this initiative with Awesome Black will not only create opportunities for mentorship within the team for the development of their game but empower young creatives in learning about game creation."
With Powerhouse sitting at the intersection of arts, design, science and technology - playing a critical role in engaging communities with contemporary ideas and issues - , the introduction of this new initiative is bound to see both First Nations communities and the broader public engage with excitement and intrigue.
Powerhouse chief executive, Lisa Havilah said the museum group is thrilled to collaborate with Awesome Black and integrate video games into its programming.
"This is an exciting opportunity to highlight the cultural significance of video games and how, as a modern medium, they can deliver new and complex ideas in an accessible and interactive way," she said.
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