New Autism-friendly Games Sessions at The National Museum Of Computing

Relaxed Games Sessions designed to introduce teenagers with Asperger's and Autism to careers in games at The National Museum of Computing

The BAFTA Young Games Designers Competition (http://ygd.bafta.org) is providing a special Relaxed Opening session sponsored by Paessler AG at The National Museum of Computing on Bletchley Park on 28 October 2019.

The drop-in sessions are open to anyone aged 10-18 with Austism, Asperger's or social anxiety disorders that may require for them to have a quieter learning environment. They will gain an insight into the world of game making and a unrivalled chance to talk to game developers in the industry.

Anne-Marie Sandos, head of learning at The National Museum of Computing, said, "This workshop is a fabulous opportunity for young people to develop ideas for computer games and learn some tips about developing them further.

"Our series of free Relaxed Opening sessions, generously sponsored by Paessler AG, is proving hugely popular and this very special event in October offers an amazing opportunity. Anyone interested should register as soon as possible."

The BAFTA team running the workshop has considerable experience of working with people with autism. It runs competitions that open doors for youngsters to enter the industry.

Melissa Phillips of the BAFTA team said, "If you're 10-18 years old, BAFTA's Young Game Designers opens a world of creative opportunities. When we heard about the Relaxed Opening sessions at The National Museum of Computing, we immediately agreed to come. It should be a very special day for some very special youngsters."

Notes to Editors

About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.

About The National Museum of Computing

Now fully open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10.30 am to 5.00 pm.

The National Museum of Computing, located on Bletchley Park in Block H, one of England’s ‘irreplaceable places’, is an independent charity housing the world's largest collection of functional historic computers, including reconstructions of the wartime code-breaking Colossus and the Bombe, and the WITCH, the world's oldest working digital computer. The Museum enables visitors to follow the development of computing from the ultra-secret pioneering efforts of the 1940s through the large systems and mainframes of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and the rise of personal computing in the 1980s and beyond.

The Museum runs a highly successful Learning Programme for schools and colleges and promotes introductions to computer coding amongst young people to inspire the next generation of computer scientists and engineers.

Sponsors of the Museum have included Bletchley Park Science and Innovation Centre, Fujitsu, InsightSoftware.com, Paessler AG, Sophos, Issured, Lenovo, Bloomberg, Ocado Technology, Ceravision, CreateOnline, 4Links, Google UK, IBM, NPL, HP Labs and BCS.

For more information, see www.tnmoc.org and follow @tnmoc on Twitter and The National Museum of Computing on Facebook.

Media contact
Stephen Fleming, Palam Communications
01635 299116
s.fleming@palam.co.uk