Website: www.kippie.org.uk/
Twitter: @KippieCIC
Location
: Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Following the success of a one day workshop with children at a local gallery, sisters Katherine Rowlandson and Caroline Anderson - and Katherine’s partner Justine Scoltock - set up Kippie to deliver tailor-made workshops that teach people how to create computer games that explore social issues.

Kippie

Despite being just over a year old, Kippie has hosted a range of workshops on areas such as LGBTI rights, racism and xenophobia, where attendees learn important digital skills such as coding and illustration.

Kippie Manager, Katherine Rowlandson says: “We’ve had all sorts of games created, including a young boy who used the analogy of managing a football club to educate people on civic engagement.”

Exploring social issues through the medium of games is the core element of Kippie.

Games are a great way to connect emotionally and to reach people who wouldn’t normally pick up a leaflet. And of course, they are also fun

Katherine Rowlandson

“We’ve found that by using games we can get people thinking and teach them about an issue in an engaging way without them even realising. In games you assume the point of view of a character. You see things from their perspective and you sympathise with what they are going through.”

Kippie is partnering with more schools to roll out their training to an even wider audience of children and is also working hard to position Londonderry as a hub for computer games and tech for good.