About

Celebrating the creativity and passion

behind games development

in Silicon Spa and beyond.

 

25 OCTOBER - 2 NOVEMBER 2014

For over three decades Warwickshire has enjoyed a rich, although sometimes well-hidden, history of world-leading videogame development. Backspace is here to celebrate that history, revel in the games being produced right now, and encourage and engage the designers and developers of the future.

 

Launched to huge acclaim and multiple awards in 2013, the Backspace festival was co-organised by Vital, Press Space PR, Leamington Looks Back, Warwick District Council and Warwickshire County Council. Expanding its reach in 2014, Backspace 2.0 will continue to showcase the creativity and technological innovation across the region, this year expanding outside of its Leamington Spa roots, to include games companies and community events across the whole of Coventry and Warwickshire.

 

A broad range of activities for all ages and interest levels will light up October half term week, in addition to a series of 'warm-up' events in the weeks and months that lead up to the festival proper. And a flagship community-wide schools game design competition (launched in May 2014) will culminate in a 2-day 'game jam' that will see school students, professional developers and local dignitaries rub shoulders to create a series of original games that celebrate Warwickshire itself.

 

So come and join the fun, and help us tell the story of how a small Midlands region helped to change the face of the largest entertainment industry in history.

 

FEEDBACK FOR BACKSPACE 2013:

 

FRESH AWARDS 2013

Freshest Experiential Campaign or

Event Gold Award WINNER

Freshest Community Relations RUNNER-UP

 

CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PR PRIDE AWARDS 2013 Best Event RUNNER-UP

 

UK EVENT AWARDS

Best Cultural Event of the Year RUNNER-UP

Best Festival of the Year RUNNER-UP

Best Exhibition of the Year RUNNER-UP

 

 

“Just wanted to say thanks for inviting us to take part in Backspace. The hard work definitely paid off. I think the exhibition looks great!”

Chris Southall, Studio Head, SEGA Hardlight

 

 

“The Backspace festival and exhibition has captured the story and the creativity in the town brilliantly and we’re thrilled and humbled to have been involved.”

Philip Oliver, CEO & Co-founder, Blitz Games Studios

 

“Congratulations on an amazing preview evening… the show looked fantastic!”

Dave Fullick, co-founder, Monster & Monster

 

 

“Thank you for inviting us down to demo at Backspace. The exhibition looked great and we were really pleased to have been able to be a part of it!”

Bill Donegan, SpecialEffect, Backspace official charity

 

 

“Just finished interviewing games dev veterans Philip Oliver and David Darling on stage at Backspace. Top fun and a wicked exhibition!”

Will Freeman, Editor, Develop Magaine/Observer games correspondent, via Twitter

 

 

“Just wanted to say thanks for you and your colleagues’ efforts with Backspace. It was a great event as a whole and both I and my students got a lot out of it, really helped them ‘connect’ with the industry in the area and also gave them a sense of the heritage they hope to become a part of. I know it must have been a monster amount of work for you but I think it was definitely worth it!”

Andrew Brazier, Games Art Course Leader, Warwickshire College,

host of Backspace Careers Evening

 

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Warwick District Council 2014