Latest news with #CreativeWales
North Wales Chronicle
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Claire Hughes MP was gifted ticket to the BAFTA Games Awards
Ms Hughes, who was elected last July, has declared the ticket on her register of financial interests. This states that, on April 8, the UK Interactive Entertainment Association Ltd gifted the ticket, valued at £700, which she accepted the same day. The BAFTA Games Awards, which were this year held on April 8 and hosted by comedian Phil Wang, celebrates achievements in the video game industry in the last 12 months. Ms Hughes' Labour colleague, Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols, was also gifted hospitality at the event, also worth £700. Ms Nichols stated in her own register of financial interests that this was 'in my capacity as chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on video games and e-sports". Ms Hughes is not a member of this APPG. All of the other items on Ms Hughes' register of financial interests date back to last year. These include a £10,000 donation from Labour Together Ltd, which was 'to support campaign activities leading up to the general election'. Ms Hughes was approached for further comment by the Pioneer. She posted on her Facebook page this afternoon: "Wales is starting to become a significant player in the global gaming landscape. But I want North Wales to have a much bigger slice of the pie. "At the start of Easter recess, I attended the BAFTA Games Awards celebrating the best of the UK games industry with UK Interactive Entertainment. "I'm not a gamer myself. As someone who previously worked in the sector, though, I recognise the massive value of the sector and opportunity for growth; the video games sector is bigger than the music and film sectors combined, contributing almost £7bn a year to UK GVA. "Recent growth in video games in Wales is thanks partly to support from Welsh Government including the Games Scale Up Fund for Wales, which last week announced a total of £850,000 funding support for Wales-based developers via Creative Wales. "But with the creative industries highlighted as one of the key growth areas in the UK Government's upcoming Industrial Strategy, we could be doing much more to encourage young people to consider a career in immersive entertainment, and to support up-and-coming businesses to thrive. "We have brilliant opportunities for people to gain the skills to build a career in the industry in our area - Coleg Llandrillo have long offered highly respected courses in 3D arts and games development, and the recent investment in a state-of-the-art new campus in Bangor makes it clear the Welsh Government is serious about putting pounds behind promises. "I hope that in future years, we will see games made in Wales featured at the gaming BAFTAs. More than that, though - I want more young people in Bangor Aberconwy knowing that a career in video games is up for grabs. "I'll be doing more on this over the summer, including workshops for school-leavers and an industry roundtable. If this is something you're interested in being part of, get in touch."
Rhyl Journal
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
S4C series set in Rhyl and Prestatyn tackles teenage issues
Set in Rhyl and Prestatyn, the series brings important real-world issues affecting young people in Wales to the screen. The show, aimed at viewers aged 13 and over, features a fresh cast of young talent from across the country. Inspired by discussions with teenagers, Hafiach explores themes including refugee experiences, murder, and relationship struggles. It portrays a raw depiction of life for young people in modern-day Wales. The series opened with a group of teenagers celebrating the end of their GCSE exams, looking forward to a carefree summer. However, their world is quickly shattered when a 12-year-old boy's body is discovered on a beach. The subsequent murder investigation pulls the friends into a disturbing web of secrets. The main cast includes eight young actors, aged 16 to 23, selected from acting workshops across Wales. This includes Dream Williams from Anglesey, Siriol Ousey from Rhyl, Adam Williams from Penrhyn Bay, Beca Williams from Denbigh, and Siôn Emlyn from Dolgellau. For several cast members, including Mohamad Ali Masri from Swansea, this is their first acting role. A refugee from the Middle East, Ali drew on his own experiences to shape his performance. He said: "The experience felt like reliving parts of my own life. "I remember when I first arrived here, I didn't speak a word of English and was constantly trying to make sense of my new world." The series is produced by Vox Pictures and funded by Creative Wales. Executive producer, Llyr Morus, said the show's themes were directly shaped by teenagers across Wales. He said: "We ran workshops in schools across Wales and asked 12–15-year-olds what concerned them most. "Two themes came up again and again - immigration and the climate crisis." Sioned Geraint, S4C's education and children's commissioner, added: "This is an important drama for us for young people 13+ and I hope we see more commissions for this age in the future." Jack Sargeant, the minister for culture, said: "I would like to commend Vox Pictures for undertaking important research into the important issues that concern our younger generation and going on to tell such a personal story about what it is like to face the unimaginable difficulties of having to flee your war-torn country as a refugee." Hafiach premiered on S4C on June 4 at 8.25pm. The series is now available as a box set on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer.
North Wales Chronicle
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
S4C series set in Rhyl and Prestatyn tackles teenage issues
Set in Rhyl and Prestatyn, the series brings important real-world issues affecting young people in Wales to the screen. The show, aimed at viewers aged 13 and over, features a fresh cast of young talent from across the country. Inspired by discussions with teenagers, Hafiach explores themes including refugee experiences, murder, and relationship struggles. It portrays a raw depiction of life for young people in modern-day Wales. The series opened with a group of teenagers celebrating the end of their GCSE exams, looking forward to a carefree summer. However, their world is quickly shattered when a 12-year-old boy's body is discovered on a beach. The subsequent murder investigation pulls the friends into a disturbing web of secrets. The main cast includes eight young actors, aged 16 to 23, selected from acting workshops across Wales. This includes Dream Williams from Anglesey, Siriol Ousey from Rhyl, Adam Williams from Penrhyn Bay, Beca Williams from Denbigh, and Siôn Emlyn from Dolgellau. For several cast members, including Mohamad Ali Masri from Swansea, this is their first acting role. A refugee from the Middle East, Ali drew on his own experiences to shape his performance. He said: "The experience felt like reliving parts of my own life. "I remember when I first arrived here, I didn't speak a word of English and was constantly trying to make sense of my new world." The series is produced by Vox Pictures and funded by Creative Wales. Executive producer, Llyr Morus, said the show's themes were directly shaped by teenagers across Wales. He said: "We ran workshops in schools across Wales and asked 12–15-year-olds what concerned them most. "Two themes came up again and again - immigration and the climate crisis." Sioned Geraint, S4C's education and children's commissioner, added: "This is an important drama for us for young people 13+ and I hope we see more commissions for this age in the future." Jack Sargeant, the minister for culture, said: "I would like to commend Vox Pictures for undertaking important research into the important issues that concern our younger generation and going on to tell such a personal story about what it is like to face the unimaginable difficulties of having to flee your war-torn country as a refugee." Hafiach premiered on S4C on June 4 at 8.25pm. The series is now available as a box set on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer.
Business News Wales
04-06-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Welsh Games Companies Share £850,000 Funding Boost
Six Welsh games development companies are set to receive an £850,000 funding boost from the Welsh Government. The Games Scale Up Fund for Wales is the first scheme of its kind. It was launched earlier this year by Creative Wales in partnership with UK Games Fund, who managed the applications. Its aim is to help Wales-based developers take their games projects from a pilot to a more substantial and self-sustaining model, by allowing for growth in scope, reach and impact. A total of £850,000 in funding support has been awarded to six companies: Cloth Cat COPA Gaming Goldborough Studios Rocket Science Sugar Creative Wales Interactive The announcement follows a successful trade mission to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco in March, where five out of the six awarded companies joined the Cymru Wales stand to showcase their projects, meet major industry leaders and build new connections. Osian Williams, Director of COPA Gaming, said: 'Being backed by the Welsh Government through this scale-up funding isn't just a headline for us, it's a true game changer. 'It gives our team the confidence and resources to move forward, grow sustainably and to proudly create uniquely Welsh games for a global audience.' Paul Durrant, CEO at UK Games Fund, said: 'The Games Scale Up Fund for Wales has been a fabulous opportunity for us to see the breadth and depth of games development talent in Wales. It's been an honour to manage the application process for Creative Wales.' Minister for Culture, Jack Sargeant, said: 'Wales has an incredibly talented and ambitious video games industry that's making its mark on the global stage. This investment is about giving our homegrown studios the financial backing to level up their operations and reach new audiences worldwide. 'I had the privilege of meeting several Welsh developers at GDC in San Francisco, and I was deeply impressed by their creativity and innovation. The feedback they received from international publishers confirms what we already know – Wales is becoming a significant player in the global gaming landscape.' Creative Wales currently has another fund open for applications. The Games Development Fund, closing on Thursday 5 June, offers between £10,000 to £50,000 to Wales-based businesses developing video and immersive games projects for commercial release. For more information and to apply visit
South Wales Argus
03-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Welsh games development companies receive funding boost
The Games Scale Up Fund for Wales, the first scheme of its kind, was launched by Creative Wales in partnership with the UK Games Fund earlier this year. It aims to help Welsh developers take their games projects from pilot stage to self-sustaining models, allowing for growth in scope, reach, and impact. The companies that will benefit from the initiative are Cloth Cat, COPA Gaming, Goldborough Studios, Rocket Science, Sugar Creative, and Wales Interactive. The announcement follows a successful trade mission to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco in March, where five of the awarded companies showcased their projects and built new connections. Osian Williams, director of COPA Gaming, said: "Being backed by the Welsh Government through this scale-up funding isn't just a headline for us, it's a true game changer. "It gives our team the confidence and resources to move forward, grow sustainably, and to proudly create uniquely Welsh games for a global audience." Paul Durrant, CEO at UK Games Fund, added: "The Games Scale Up Fund for Wales has been a fabulous opportunity for us to see the breadth and depth of games development talent in Wales." Minister for Culture, Jack Sargeant, said: "Wales has an incredibly talented and ambitious video games industry that's making its mark on the global stage. "This investment is about giving our homegrown studios the financial backing to level up their operations and reach new audiences worldwide." He added: "The feedback they received from international publishers confirms what we already know - Wales is becoming a significant player in the global gaming landscape." Creative Wales currently has another fund open for applications. The Games Development Fund, closing on Thursday, June 5, offers between £10,000 to £50,000 to Wales-based businesses developing video and immersive games projects for commercial release.
