Lots of folks on the boards have been involved in this and it is a great opportunity for third level or further education students.
Aphra
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The Digital Hub Development Agency, with support from the Department of Education and Skills, in association with the University of Abertay, Dundee, Scotland are inviting students from the Island of Ireland to enter Dare to Be Digital 2013.
Dare to be Digital is an internationally renowned games development competition for talented computer science and art students to develop a prototype video game. Teams of 5 students, usually a mix of artists, programmers and audio, assemble in a development hothouse in Scotland for 9 weeks during June to August 2013. Here they receive daily support and weekly training sessions from industry specialists to create their games. The students also receive a weekly stipend of £150 per student, free accommodation at the University’s halls of residence and a team budget of £200.
This unique competition is open to students enrolled in further education and 3rd Level colleges on the island of Ireland who are interested in developing a new innovative product in the games sector.
Dare to be Digital presents a unique opportunity for students. Many of the contestants from previous years have been hired by games companies on completion of the competition.
At the end of the competition, the prototypes are displayed at talent showcasing event Dare ProtoPlay. The general public and industry experts get to play and vote for the games. At the Dare awards ceremony, three prizes of £2500 will be awarded to the three highest scoring teams based on the criteria of innovation and creativity, market potential and use of technology (none of the three will be specifically attributed to any particular criterion). Seven months later the winning teams attend the BAFTA Video Games Awards to compete for the coveted “Ones to Watch Award”.
We’re looking for a diverse range of original, innovative, ground breaking games for all platforms.
Sounds good, yes? If you’re still not sure, here are the benefits of taking part.
*Enhance your CV
*Get mentoring from the industry
*Produce a demo to take to interviews
*Hone your skills and get the experience that employers are looking for
*Expose your skills and work to games industry luminaries / potential employers
*Experience working as part of a team
*Weekly stipend of £150
*Team budget of £200
*Free accommodation at Abertay’s halls of residence throughout Dare
*Build industry contacts
*Work with friends and make new ones from across the globe
*Opportunity to start your own games studio
*Work on your own ideas
*Exhibit your game at Dare ProtoPlay where thousands will play it
*Chance to win one of three £2500 prizes
*Chance to win the BAFTA Ones to Watch Award
How to enter:
*You must be studying in further education and/or a 3rd level college
*You must be part of a team of five students with a mix of programmers, artists and audio with someone acting as Team Leader
*If you are an individual and wish to join up with others in order to form a team post a notice on the Ireland Vacancies Board at http://www.daretobedigital.com/88_How-To-Apply-Ireland.html
*Register to become a member of the Dare to be Digital Website.
*Once registered log in to the Dare to be Digital Website to complete the team application form.
*Sample Application Form available to view at http://www.daretobedigital.com/applications/uploads/ApplicationForm_Final.pdf so you have an idea of what information is required from you.
The deadline for receipt of completed applications is Tuesday, 9th April 2013.
To read the rules & terms, frequently asked questions, and for further information on how to apply, please read the pages in the apply section.
Digital Hub Development Agency
Digital Exchange
Crane Street
The Digital Hub
Dublin 8
t: +353 1 4806200
f: +353 1 4806201
e: learining@thedigitalhub.com