This profile forms part of a series of interviews produced as part of Game Republic’s 20th Anniversary celebrations supported by our Official Partners Barclays, Escape Technology and Red Kite Games.
Rosie Taylor is Content & Community Manager at Safe In Our World, the video games mental health charity. Her work with the charity revolves around eliminating stigma and working on projects to make the games industry a more welcoming place to work regarding mental health. Rosie has joined panels online and in person at major conferences, at Game Republic events and at BAFTA providing insights and tips on how to look after mental health in the games industry. The charity will soon be launching Sidekick, a video games themed wellbeing journal for people working within an industry. Rosie works tirelessly to make mental health front of mind for companies and the whole sector.
What is great about working in the games industry?
I think this is something that so many people working in games share, and that is that it’s an industry full of enthusiasm and passion for games. Being able to get to work with the people who made the games we love, and embrace the creativity in our work, it can be such an incredibly fulfilling job. My work in the charity side brings me a lot of joy in getting to work directly with people to make a difference, as well as talking about 2 subjects I care deeply about; games and mental health.
…you don’t need to burn out to prove worthy of your place here. You are in this industry for a reason. Your life is not your job and finding joy and peace outside of your work is so important.
What words of advice do you have for people starting out in the games sector?
Don’t forget, a job in the games industry is still a job. We see so many people run themselves into the ground to thrive in their dream job and prove themselves worthy to work in such a fun industry. If there is one thing to really take note of from this interview, it’s this: you don’t need to burn out to prove worthy of your place here. You are in this industry for a reason. Your life is not your job and finding joy and peace outside of your work is so important.
What work have you been doing in the region to support the games industry in tackling mental health issues?
I recently did a talk at a Game Republic meet-up around looking at Toxicity in Games Communities, and what we can do to fight it. I think being able to do more local talks and discussions around industry-wide issues allows us to feel more empowered to make changes at a local level. From our work at Safe In Our World we’re seeing more and more companies notice how we can support games companies in being more inclusive when thinking about mental health at work.
What has been a highlight of your career / work so far for the industry?
One of the favourite parts of my career has been having candid conversations around mental health with people I look up to in the industry on the podcast I host – Safe Space. Recently I talked to both Adam J Harrington and Charlotte McBurney, who voiced Sindri from God of War and Amicia from the Plague Tale series. Talking to people who voiced characters in stories so close to my heart was truly magical.
What influence do you think your organisation can have on the sector?
The work that we do is here to empower people in the industry globally to feel as though they can talk more openly about mental health. Having organisations like Safe In Our World are important to know that there are people who have your back and want to implement positive change. I can only hope that our growing influence is achieving that.
There is a fantastic amount of talent and creativity in the North!
What do you think of the role of Game Republic?
It’s great to see organisations in the North doing more to boost our industry and connect us as a whole. Having more networking opportunities outside of the big cities down south is important to nationally connecting our industry in a more cohesive way, and celebrating local achievement.
Why is Yorkshire and The North a good place to do business?
There is a fantastic amount of talent and creativity in the North!
What projects / events and initiatives are coming up for Safe In Our World?
We recently hosted a mental health summit with BAFTA, bringing mental health conversation to the centre stage. Having companies like BAFTA and Safe In Our World team up is imperative to having our message heard.
We’re also launching Sidekick, a video games themed wellbeing journal, this summer! It will be available for individuals and teams to buy to have a creative games-themed outlet for exploring how journaling can benefit our wellbeing.