Using VR and Gaming to inspire and engage boys in Havant

Date Created: 23rd May 2017

Game On! was created in response to a brief as part of The Arts and Culture Investment Programme, co-supported by Artswork and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The programme aimed to reduce antisocial behaviour and youth offending rates through sustainable high quality arts and cultural activities, with Arts Council England’s Quality Principles at their heart.

A group of young people from Leigh Park (either already known to the police or recognised at risk of offending by their schools and other agencies) were invited to take part in the project, which ran from November 2016 to February 2017. All were consumers of games, but through this they were able to actually discover the processes and learn some of the techniques and skills involved in creating games for themselves. Working with the University of Portsmouth’s School of Creative Technology, the project introduced the young people to new activities, using creativity as part of a skill-building process.