Another sunshine filled Develop: Brighton has come to a close, and after catching up on some much needed sleep we are ready to share all that we got up to during those busy days!

Social Mobility Conference

Photo credit: Sophie Sheinwald

On Tuesday 14th, we welcomed industry leaders, educators, policymakers, charities and emerging talent to the Brighton i360 to discuss how the games industry can create a better pathway for people from working class and low-income backgrounds into the games industry. We are the only UK games charity that is solely dedicated to social mobility, and we were thrilled to bring the discussion to the forefront of one of the UK’s largest networking events.

After a welcome speech from our CEO Declan Cassidy, the conference began with a panel discussion of working class professionals in the industry, giving them space to discuss what the industry is like, the difficulties they had and the support they believe will help more working class talent not just join the industry, but thrive in the industry.

Our second panel was focused on leadership in the industry and how we can drive change from the very top, and how content within gaming can progress to conversation on social mobilty further.

Some special guests attended the Social Mobility Conference - this year’s IG50 winners. Thanks to support from partners and kind donations, we were able to provide travel, food and accommodation to 38 winners so they can begin their networking journey and meet their fellow cohort.

Luke Carter, one of our 2026 Animation/VFX/Tech Art winners commented on what this support meant to him. “Winning the IG50 gave me the opportunity to attend Develop, where I was able to meet and network with developers from across the industry, build meaningful connections, receive valuable feedback, and gain advice from experienced professionals... Hearing encouragement from experienced developers was incredibly rewarding and gave me greater confidence in the project and my journey as an artist.”

A big thank you goes to our friends at Get In, Ubisoft UK, IO Interactive, UKIE, Chucklefish and MSI for helping us put this event together.

The Games Industry Database Launch Event

Photo credit: Sophie Sheinwald

Not satisfied with just one event, the next day we dived into the Games Industry Database (GIDB) Launch event! Hosted at the stunning Soho House Brighton Beach venue, The GIDB launch was a special moment to recognise the hard work that has been poured into the creation of this new database.

In case you haven’t hear of it, the Games Industry Database is a fully funded project by the BFI & National Lottery with our goal to solve the sector’s biggest challenges around data. This is a new platform to help the games industry represent itself better with reliable data on workforce, salaries, funding, distribution, and everything in between.

​A more informed games industry is a healthier games industry, and with more accurate data comes better opportunities. By working with games industry experts, studios and governing bodies, we can collect and share our findings to strengthen the industry for years to come.

If you like to find out more, you can read our announcement post and check out the database.

The West Sussex Tech Art Bootcamp Meetup

Photo Credit: Nina Klos

Lastly, our latest bootcamp for folks looking to learn about technical art is now in full swing in West Sussex, so naturally a sunny trip to Brighton to the unofficial tech art meetup was in order! Thank you to all the professionals attending that talked to the students, providing advice and networking tips.

The West Sussex Technical Art Skills Bootcamp is a hands on 14-week bootcamp in technical art for those based in West Sussex region. The students will gain in-demand game industry technical art skills, receive 1:1 mentoring from top industry pros, finish with a standout portfolio piece, and receive wrap around career support.

Now, we can rest... and jump into our next exciting projects to improve access to careers in the games industry! Catch you next year, Develop.