Code Breakers: Women in Games Arrives At Yarra Ranges Regional Museum
Women constitute almost 50% of gamers but still comprise less than 10% of the industry. However, their contributions – as programmers, directors, designers, producers, writers, and artists – have been immense and immeasurable. It is important that we recognise, acknowledge, and celebrate that fact.
Code Breakers: Women in Games is an absolutely astounding exhibition, previously featured at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and is now travelling to the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum from Saturday, 5 March to Sunday, 15 May 2022.
This will be a free exhibition where you will be able to experience a variety of games made by women from Australia and New Zealand. Games like Need for Speed: No Limits, or Ninja Pizza Girl, or one of my personal favourite games of all time, Armello.
To celebrate the launch of the exhibition, the Museum will be hosting an online conversation on 8 March 2022 called “On Gaming and Social Change” for International Women’s Day, from 12.00pm to 1.00pm AEDT.
There will be several other public programs over the exhibition dates including school holiday workshops, an online event featuring award-winning writer and narrative designer, Brooke Maggs. So make sure you take time to get round to this exhibition. And as a resident of Victoria, I might even make a little holiday of it.
See the key details from the full press release below:
“Register for the event here and see the speakers below:
- Lisy Kane, most recently a Producer at League of Geeks, co-founder of Girl Geek Academy and one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in the games category (also featured in the exhibition)
- Professor Larissa Hjorth, socially-engaged artist and digital ethnographer, currently the Design & Creative Practice Platform director at RMIT University
- Caitlin Cronin, Paper House Producer shortlisted for the Trade Media 2018 Women in Games – Campaigner of the Year, for her work pitching, developing and delivering the ACMI Gamers Club (a monthly meet-up dedicated to providing a safe space for women and underrepresented folks to meet, and play video games)
Game makers featured in the exhibition include:
- Katharine Neil, independent Game Developer and director of the hugely controversial and influential game Escape From Woomera
- Maru Nihoniho, Founder and Managing Director of Media Interactive and recipient of a New Zealand Order of Merit for her service to the gaming industry
- Siobhan Reddy, Co-Founder and Studio Director of Media Molecule, named in Fortune’s 10 most powerful women in gaming”
