Gaming as a Gateway to Creative Futures
Co-design, careers, and creative confidence in Bognor Regis
What does it take to create a meaningful careers experience across education levels?
Time, collaboration - and shared ambition.
That’s exactly what came together on the 10th of June when Future Creators, The Regis School, and the University of Chichester (Bognor Regis campus) partnered on a full-day creative careers event, with one of the UK’s fastest-growing sectors in the spotlight: e-sports.
Why e-sports?
The gaming industry isn’t just entertaining – it’s a launchpad for future-focused skills: storytelling, design, animation, coding, collaboration, and resilience. All of which were front and centre in the day’s immersive, hands-on workshops.
Young people took part in:
- Film-making
- Games design and development
- Live motion capture
- E-sports
- Animation
Each session was designed and delivered by university students – turning campus classrooms into real-world creative studios and showing younger learners what their futures could look like.
The Coastal Catalyst model in action
This wasn’t an off-the-shelf careers day. It was co-created – shaped by educators, university staff, young facilitators, and Coastal Catalyst partners.
And the learning went both ways. As university students led sessions, they gained practical experience in teaching, planning and adapting creative workshops – building essential facilitation skills that will support their own career journeys in the creative industries and subject areas.
Teachers weren’t just supervising either – they were learning too. Asking questions, exploring tools, and reflecting on how creative, tech-rich careers could open up new horizons for their students.
And that’s the Coastal Catalyst model in action:
- Relationships-first
- Opportunities tailored to place and people
- Young people stepping into real-world experiences, supported by educators and employers who are learning alongside them
Big thanks to:
Michael Holley and the University of Chichester team
Ben Cavanagh and the Future Creators team
The inspiring staff at The Regis School who brought energy, openness, and care throughout the day
This is what building creative pathways together looks like.