Nelson Provincial Museum has responded to a call of duty to level up female involvement in an industry historically dominated by the boys.
A hands-on Codebreakers: Women in Games exhibition, installed by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, will play host at the central city museum until November to inspire the next level of females in the gaming sector.
The museum’s very own Master Chief, Lucinda Jimson, says about 10 per cent of the gaming industry has a female odyssey, and while it had always triggered them to pick up a controller, more career offerings would allow more women to push play and not fall out.
“I think gaming has been really appealing to women, but I think it’s about getting a handle on the technology and having those opportunities in the industry and breaking down that boys club,” she says.
“I think there’s an awful lot of potential, we’ve got some amazing graduates coming through and this exhibition is a real opportunity for those students and those young women, actually seeing there is a pathway.
“Internationally [the gaming industry] is growing every year in terms of the amount of people it employs, and it’s a real growing area in New Zealand, and this exhibition concentrates on some role models and women who have been doing that, and the cool stuff that they’ve made.”
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Lucinda says the work of 10 Australasian female game makers are featured, including Maru Nihoniho, who’s the founder and director of Auckland-based game development studio, Metia Interactive.
She says 14 hands-on games are also connected for visitors to test their skills.
The exhibition pushed play on 11 August and will be in action until game over on 12 November. Lucinda says Nelson and Tasman residents can visit the exhibition for free and out-of-towners can expect the entry charge to switch to $7.
