In an exciting new development for the Scottish games ecosystem, Education Scotland has announced September will be Scottish Games Fest 2025, a month-long series of events across the whole month, dedicated to exploring the power of games across the entire curriculum.
This is a landmark initiative from the national body for education, demonstrating a deep and welcome exploration of games and playful learning in Scottish schools. The festival will move beyond the traditional focus on game design and development, instead championing the use of games as a tool for teaching a wide range of subjects, fostering creativity, and developing essential skills.
This approach is a powerful, real-world application of the ‘More Than Games’ mindset, a core pillar of the Scottish Games Action Plan. It highlights the transformative potential of our sector’s skills and products when applied to vital areas like education.
George Milliken, the Digital Education Officer for Education Scotland, said:
We are incredibly excited to launch the first Scottish Games Fest 2025 for schools. Games are a fundamental part of our young people’s culture, and they offer a uniquely powerful and engaging way to explore topics across the curriculum. By working directly with the creative and technical experts in Scotland’s world-class games industry, we hope to find ways to build powerful new learning experiences for pupils and teachers alike.
A Call for Partners: Help Shape the Future of Learning
Education Scotland is now issuing an open call for collaboration from across the Scottish games ecosystem. They are looking for partners – from developers and studios to academics and community groups – to help shape the festival by contributing ideas and exploring new ways to connect the industry with learners.
To facilitate this, the Scottish Games Network will be co-hosting an online briefing and brainstorming session with Education Scotland for any interested companies. This is your chance to hear the plans directly, ask questions, and suggest ways we can build a powerful bridge between our industry and Scotland’s schools. This initial session will be followed by further opportunities to get involved in more specific initiatives.
Brian Baglow, Director of the Scottish Games Network, said:
This is an exciting and incredibly welcome announcement. For Education Scotland to put such a strong focus on the broad application of games in learning is a game-changer. We are proud to be the official industry partner for the Scottish Games Fest and strongly encourage the entire games community to join our online session to help shape this incredible initiative.
To register your interest for the Scottish Games Fest 2025 industry BRAINSTORM, please sign up HERE.
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