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The British Games Institute, a new organisation that could act as a support body for the games industry in the UK, has unveiled its proposals, following a consultation phase starting July 13th, 2017.
The BGI is being run by industry figureheads, Rick Gibson and Ian Livingstone, and is supported by both the TIGA and Ukie trade bodies. Over 500 companies have now signed on to show support for the Institute.
The proposal can be read in full here. Some of the key points include the mission statement that outlines the three objectives for the charity: "To encourage the development of the art, science and technology of video games across the UK, to research and promote video games’ impact on and reflection of British culture, and protect national video game collections that represent the 40-year heritage of British-made games, and to gather and disseminate the UK’s artistic and technical expertise in games production and distribution, to increase the productivity of British games studios and up-skill its workforce."
The BGI will be working with the aforementioned trade bodies as well as the Department of Digital, culture, media and sports (DCMS), and the National Videogame Arcade to name a few. The BGI will also be established as a registered charity in 2017.
The proposal details in as transparent a way as possible the ideas, but also the cost of the BGI for administration and funding for the industry, much like the film industry has with the British Film Institute (BFI). A team of 14 people will be formed with and the budget for the BGI will be £8 million annually for the first three years. The BGI will also try to get out of London to, proposing to tour around the country and encourage a nationwide programme.
The announcement of the full proposal also invited feedback from the industry as part of a consultation. This phase that has started today (as of writing) is the third out of four consultations, so if you have any feedback in your positions in the games industry, please visit the BGI website at: https://britishgamesinstitute.com/2017/07/13/give-us-your-opinion-about-the-british-games-institute.
