A brand new talent line-up has been unveiled for Ensemble, a flagship programme of the annual London Games Festival that showcases Black, Asian and underrepresented ethnicities working in UK video games.
The Ensemble initiative champions game developers and creatives from a broad spectrum of roles and a wide variety of backgrounds. Curated by award-winning, bestselling author and artistic director Sharna Jackson, this year’s line-up includes experts in the fields of game production, programming, artistry and community management.
Ensemble will be exhibited at various locations during London Games Festival, commencing with an installation at LGF’s New Game Plus (Thursday 3 April & Friday 4 April) the festival’s new boutique games expo and then at Trafalgar Square on Friday 11 April.
Ensemble refreshes ever year at London Games Festival – but each edition spotlights and showcases inspiring stories in the workforce to promote diversity, advocate for new voices, and change perceptions.
London Games Festival is supported by the Mayor of London. It is delivered by Games London, an initiative from Film London, the capital’s screen industries agency.
The eight creatives selected for 2025 are:
- Annabel Ashalley-Anthony, CEO and Founder of Melanin Gamers; a platform dedicated to supporting gamers of colour, and the creator of Melanin Gamers D&I Consultancy. She has worked with major companies such as EA, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and ZA/UM Studio to drive diversity and inclusion initiatives in the gaming industry.
- Jonas Gawe, Community Manager; with a background in Human Biology and Nutrition, Jonas transitioned from Development Operations to Voice Acting and Community Managing. He has worked with Into Games, Limit Break and Electric Saint on their new game Crescent County. Jonas has also led a range of large-scale industry events, including masterclasses with renowned game developers and voice actors.
- John Giwa-Amu, Producer; with a diverse background, including experience as a poker player, film school graduate, and entrepreneur. He has worked on projects like The Complex, Five Dates, Ten Dates, Night Book, and Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus. John’s philosophy of perseverance, summed up in his belief to “never stop,” has driven his success in both film and interactive media, where he continues to innovate and push boundaries
- Patrick Haraguti, Creative Director and Founder; with over 20 years experience as a 3D Artist and VFX Supervisor, Patrick has worked on games such as Embraer KC-390 VR Tour, Affected: The Manor and Affected: The Asylum. After stepping away from a previous role, Patrick made the decision to embark on a new journey, starting his own independent game development studio Ronin Game Studio.
- Bulut Karakaya, Lead Programmer at Ustwo; where he contributes to projects like Monument Valley 3 and Desta: The Memories Between. With a Master’s in Game Development from Carnegie Mellon University, He co-founded two indie game studios, where he learned valuable lessons in team management and product shipping, despite facing the challenges of closing studios due to financial struggles.
- Zakia Khan, Senior Character Artist and Lead Artist; after transitioning university courses from Biomedical Science to Games Art and Design, she began her career at Rare Ltd, working on Sea of Thieves, and has since contributed to games like Everwild, Fall Guys and Destruction All Stars. With experience at studios like Mediatonic and Lucid Games. Zakia has also served on BAFTA juries and engaged in industry discussions on platforms like the BBC.
- Tara Mustapha, CEO and Founder; after dropping out of university, Tara’s journey took her from bartender to theatrical make-up artist and eventually to game designer. She has worked on titles such as Cartomancy, Detours and Insecure – The Come Up Game, and partners with major companies like Google, Meta and Netflix. As the founder of Code Coven, Tara has supported over 1,000 marginalised developers worldwide, creating opportunities through mentorship and education.
- Sarah York, Founder of Panda Cat Games; starting her career with part-time jobs while studying Animation and VFX, Sarah gained her first role in Quality Assurance at Team17. She then went on to work at GREE, Sony Liverpool and Rocksteady, contributing to games like Batman: Arkham Knight and Killzone: Shadowfall. Now the founder of Panda Cat Games, she is working on a new game, Spirits of Heartwood.
Curator Sharna Jackson who chose the eight said: “Welcome to the seventh edition of Ensemble, the exhibition that foregrounds the importance of a diverse industry, by demonstrating its significance in the creation of rich and intoxicating worlds and experiences for everyone.”
“Vibrant and essential work is being created by Black, Asian and minority ethnic talent in the UK’s games industry each and every day. Let’s celebrate that. Let’s highlight these achievements – especially in this climate – to encourage and support the next generation of talent as they emerge.”
Ensemble launched in 2018 and has since been a tentpole moment in the annual festival, helping change perceptions around games creation in the UK.
The exhibition will also be available to feature at other UK locations – potential hosts and partners are welcome to contact info@games.london to find out more about ways to support and take part in the programme.
