Roots & Pixels, a project powered by the awesomeness of women: A two-week training focused on the power of storytelling and the indelible value of cross-cultural collaboration.
Our team at DAE is thrilled to announce that 150,000 euro of project funding has been awarded by VLIR-UOS for the ‘Roots & Pixels’ project, led by Allie Weis (Ethics Coordinator & Internships Coordinator) and supported by several team members (Katelijne Demeyere, Jolien Vanbecelaere, Katrien Verbrugge, Ingrid Viaene, Laure D’hooge, Alex Vanden Abeele, Tristan Clarysse).
Applications are now OPEN!
Roots & Pixels is an initiative designed to bring together female-identifying game developers from Belgium and Africa; specifically within Africa, developers from the countries of South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda.
The training program offers an exclusive opportunity for maximum 16 talented female game developers (8 intercontinental participants, 8 from Belgium) to join a two-week training hosted in Kortrijk at our DAE campuses. The program is designed to elevate participant expertise, build industry connections, and, above all, connect and empower female game developers from across the globe.
Thanks to the generous support of VLIR-UOS, all costs, including travel, accommodation, and program expenses, are fully covered for intercontinental participants (participants joining from South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda). Belgian participants are very welcome to join as well (the project heavily prioritizes reciprocal learning) and are only asked a small fee to cover catering costs.
Roots & Pixels has also been approved for two project cycles, running in March 2026 and March 2027.
How to apply?
Applicants should have a junior level of experience in game development (or an adjacent field/industry) and up (the training is for professionals, including our alumni, who are VERY welcome!).
(**Key note: If you do not have extensive experience in game development, don't let this keep you from applying! Experience from game jams joined in the past, or experience from self-teaching or engaging in game development as a hobby, is also very
valid. Creativity comes in many different shapes and sizes, and games need multiple different profiles to succeed).
Week 1 of the training (23-27 March 2026) will offer masterclasses and workshops given by both Belgian and international industry professionals, while Week 2 (30 March-3 April) will offer a Game Jam during which small teams of participants make a ‘meaningful game’ (the beauty of the vagueness of ‘meaningful game’ is that teams can decide what a meaningful game is for them – and allow it to take shape).
Topics of the program include storytelling, narrative design, game design, and business development/marketing. Masterclasses and workshops will be given by local and international professionals in the games and digital entertainment industry. An industry visit (to a local studio) will also be featured in the program.
More information about the project can be found on its site: www.rootspixels.be.
In preparation for the training which takes place in March 2026, with the support of the Global Minds fund, Allie recently visited several project stakeholders located in South Africa (including Sea Monster Entertainment, Nyamakop, University of the Western Cape – which is also a partner university of Howest – Games for Change, Studio Bolland, and Clockwork Acorn). Photos of the visits can be found below.
Any questions about Roots & Pixels? Want to get involved? Email Project Lead Allie Weis and she will be happy to discuss.
Let the countdown to 2026 BEGIN!