Montreal, March 25, 2024 – La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec is proud to announce that a first cohort of studios has participated in its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Accelerator Program, made possible with the support of the Canada Media Fund, in collaboration with National Bank. Through the program’s activities, 10 video game studios have embarked on a path of mentoring and coaching in DEI.
This new program supports independent studios with fewer than 50 employees in their integration of tools and practices that foster an organizational culture adhering to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. This initiative enabled the cohort to benefit from mentoring, workshops focused on the creation of new tools, and round-table discussions to prepare for their implementation.
This program gave the studios the opportunity to create a concrete structure, validated by experts, to ensure an equitable, inclusive and safe working environment.
“We are particularly proud of the work accomplished by the studios over the last few months. Equipping managers enables companies to make significant progress in integrating DCI principles into our ecosystem,” says Béatrice Desjardins-Gagnon, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor, La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec.
“The CMF is committed to supporting the development of the video game industry’s DEI skills. We are convinced that this mentoring program makes a concrete contribution to equipping companies in the pursuit of their inclusion objectives,” adds
Jessica Lea Fleming, Director, Growth and Inclusion, Canada Media Fund.
“National Bank supports companies in their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. These values are at the heart of our commitment, and we are convinced of the program’s relevance and impact within companies in this sector,” says Brigitte Leblanc, Managing Director & Head, Creative Industries Group Canada & International, National Bank.
The Accelerator Program is part of La Guilde’s 2021 IED Action Plan. This led to the creation of the Guide des bonnes pratiques pour les studios de jeux vidéo and the organization of awareness-raising workshops and an IED diagnostic program. Several initiatives, including a second cohort of the Accelerator program, are planned for 2024-2025.
About La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec
La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec is a non-profit cooperative that brings together independent and international video game developers, creators, educational institutions and related entrepreneurs based in Quebec. The unified voice of over 300 members and a global leader in the industry, La Guilde is the largest group of its kind in the world.
