
PlayAway Speakers & Performers

Alastair Low
Game designer and founder of Lowtek Games.
Thu 4th Mar, 13:00-14:00

Alex McLean
Alex McLean is a musician, software artist and researcher.
Wed 24th Feb, 17:00-18:00

Andy Antoniou
Andy designs games and immersive experiences with inclusivity at the forefront.
Wed 3rd Mar, 13:00 – 14:00 (GMT)

Arthur Ehlinger
Currently conducting a PhD in Music at the University of Glasgow, his research investigates the world of live streaming and intends to act as a stimulus for greater scrutiny around this new medium.
Thu 25th Feb 13:30 – 14:15 (GMT)

Bea Wijshijer
Research-based artist working within digital media and video installation
Fri 5th Mar, 14:00 – 15:00 (GMT)

Beverley McMillan
Learning and Events Producer at BAFTA Scotland
Mon 1st Mar, 13:00-14:00

Brian Allen
Game designer and founder of BearHammer Games Ltd
Wed 3rd Mar, 13:00-14:00

Brian Baglow
Journalist, digital media consultant, games industry researcher, and founder of the Scottish Games Network
Tue 23rd Feb, 13:00-14:00

Charly Harbord
Charly Harbord works at Abertay University as well as doing a PhD on RPGs
Thu 25th Feb 13:30 – 14:15 (GMT)

Chipzel
Games composer and chiptune performer
Sadly, Chipzel is no longer performing at the festival due to family reasons.

Christopher Kelly
Teacher of Music Ardrossan Academy

Claire Morwood
Programmer, artist and game designer interested in games that promote exploration, personal and diverse narratives, and non-violence
Tue 2nd Mar, 9:30-12:30

Clare Duffy (Civic Digits)
Playwright, artistic director, and founder of Civic Digits Theatre Company, the creators of The Big Data Show
Tue 23rd Feb, 13:00-14:00

Dan Pinchbeck
Game designer and creative director of BAFTA-winning games studio The Chinese Room (Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Dear Esther, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs)
Mon 22nd Feb, 19:15-20:00

David Martin
Artist, educator and founder/creative director of Hidden Door Festival in Edinburgh

David Rocks
Taught Music at Greenwood Academy, North Ayrshire since 2008

Derrick Schultz
Derrick Schultz
Artificial Images
Mon 1st March, 15:00 – 16:00 (GMT)

Dominic Campbell
Artistic Director, Producer and Creative

Dougie Irvine
Artistic Director of Visible Fictions

Dr Carla Brown
PhD, Game Doctor
Tue 23rd Feb, 13:00-14:00

Dr David Farrell
Lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University where he teaches game design and researches the design of Applied Games
Thu 25th Feb, 14:30 – 15:15 (GMT)

Dr Matthew Barr
Game design lecturer, author, leader of the Graduate Apprenticeship in Software Engineering programme, and co-director of the University of Glasgow’s Games and Gaming Lab
Thu 25th Feb, 11:30-12:15

Dr Romana Ramzan
Producer at No Code
Thu 25th Feb, 14:30 – 15:15 (GMT)

Elena Höge
Founder of Yaldi Games
Tue 23rd Feb, 13:00-14:00

Foxdog Studios
Programming and comedy team who design gamified systems to elevate interactive live performances
Tue 23rd Feb, 18:00-19:00

Gabriel Elvery
Beyond Parasocial Interaction: A Talk and Let’s Play of Speed Dating for Ghosts with Gabriel Elvery
Thu 25th Feb, 20:00-21:00

Guy Jackson
Games composer (Sea of Solitude)
Fri 5th Mar, 18:00-19:00

Ilsa Pouwels
Ilse is currently at the Umeå Institute of Design working on her graduate thesis
Fri 5th Mar, 14:00 – 15:00 (GMT)

James Morwood
Game designer, artist and maker at Biome Collective and Bit Loom
Wed 24th Feb, 13:00-16:00

Jane McGonigal
Keynote Speaker
Game designer, best-selling author, and Director of Game Research + Development at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, California
Mon 22nd Feb, 18:00-19:00

Jed Milroy
Adventure Folk pioneer, veteran of legendary ‘Whisky River Boat Band’ and Assistant Director of Tinderbox Collective
Fri 5th Mar, 19:15-21:30

Jellyman’s Daughter
Performer
Fri 5th Mar, 19:15 – 21:30 (GMT)

Jennifer Lawrie
Music Teacher Garnock Community Campus

Jenny Nelson
Author of ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’ and Programme Manager at Scala Radio
Fri 5th Mar, 18:00-19:00

John “Slide20XX” Smith
Composer who decided to write music for video games at the age of 13 and hasn’t stopped since
Fri 5th Mar, 19:15-21:30

Jon McKellan
Game designer, founder and creative director of BAFTA-winning games studio No Code (Observation, Stories Untold)
Mon 22nd Feb, 19:15-20:00

Jung In Jung
Interdisciplinary artist and researcher, and Postdoctoral Research and Development Fellow in Interactive Engagement at InGAME: Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise (Dundee)
Wed 3rd Mar, 13:00-14:00

Kate Wimpress
Director of North Edinburgh Arts (NEA)

Kirsty Dunlop
DFA candidate in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow
Thu 25th Feb, 11:30-12:15

Laura E Hall
Artist, writer, puzzle-maker, immersive environment and narrative designer whose work focuses on the playful intersections of arts, culture, and technology, especially in gaming
Tue 23rd Feb, 18:00-19:00

Laura McGregor
Principal Teacher, Garnock Community Campus

Lauren Watson
MPhil Research student at the University of Glasgow
Thu 25th Feb, 11:30 – 12:15 (GMT)

Lia Coleman
AI researcher, and educator.
Mon 1st March, 15:00 – 16:00 (GMT)

Malath Abbas
Malath Abbas is a game designer, artist and producer working on experimental and meaningful games in Scotland.
Mon 22nd Feb 19:15-20:00

Marina Díez
Marina Díez, emotional game designer & CEO at 3ofcups Games
Thu 4th Mar, 13:00-14:00

Martin Disley
Artist, researcher and creative technologist
Fri 5th Mar, 14:00 – 15:00 (GMT)

Max Scott-Slade
Max has launched a number of successful game IP’s over his 10 year career in games.
Tue 23rd Feb, 13:00-14:00

Michael Baldwin
American composer
Fri 5th Mar, 14:00 – 15:00 (GMT)

Mona Bozdog
Researcher, designer and performance maker with interest in the areas between theatre, games, and physical spaces
Tue 23rd Feb, 18:00-19:00

Monica Vazquez
GTA and second-year PhD researcher at the University of Glasgow working on the Technology of Immersion in Fantasy Literature and VR
Thu 25th Feb, 11:30-12:15

Nainita Desai
Award-winning and Ivor Novello nominated film, TV and game composer (Telling Lies, The Reason I Jump)
Fri 5th Mar, 18:00-19:00

Natalie Schmidt
Writer and game designer based in Los Angeles, CA.
Thu 4th Mar, 13:00-14:00

Nida Ahmad
UX Designer with a focus on creating playful user experiences with accessibility and psychology in mind
Thu 4th Mar, 13:00-14:00

Paul Blackham
Game artist and research assistant at InGAME.
Wed 3rd Mar, 13:00 – 14:00 (GMT)

Paul O’ Neill
Artist and researcher based in Dublin, Ireland
Fri 5th Mar, 14:00 – 15:00 (GMT)

Robin Sloan
Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Game Design and Production at Abertay University
Thu 25th Feb, 14:30 – 15:15 (GMT)

Ruth EJ Booth
Writer and SGSAH-funded academic of fantasy based in Glasgow, Scotland.
Thu 25th Feb, 13:30 – 14:15 (GMT)

Scottish Game Developers Association
Official Scottish chapter of the International Game Developers Association
Fri 26th Feb, 19:00-21:00
Mon 1st Mar, 13:00-14:00

Shauna Macdonald
Artistic director & drama leader

Shay Thompson
E-sports presenter, games reviewer, and host of Press X To Continue at BBC Sounds.
Mon 22nd Feb, 19:15-20:00

Stephen Mitchell
Principal Teacher for St. Bridget’s Primary School and Early Years Class

Susie Buchan
Creative Producer
Mon 1st Mar, 13:00-14:00

Tess Tyler
Games composer (PLAYNE: The Meditation Game, LEGO® Worlds, Dead and Buried)
Fri 5th Mar, 18:00-19:00

The False Economy
Performer
Fri 5th Mar, 19:15-21:30

The Gamba Geek
Brazilian viola da gamba player, arranger and composer
Fri 5th Mar, 19:15-21:30

The University of Glasgow’s Games & Gaming Lab
Lab promotes cross-disciplinary research into Games and Gaming
Thu 25th Feb, 13:30-14:15

Thomas Kildren (Fletcher Studios)
Artist & VR designer
Wed 3rd Mar, 13:00-14:00

William Kavanagh
Computer Science PhD student at Glasgow writing up a thesis on Game Balancing.
Thu 25th Feb 14:30-15:15

Yann Seznec
Artist whose work focuses on sound, music, physical interaction, games, and building new instruments.
Tue 23rd Feb, 18:00-19:00

Zoë Sams
Tools Programmer at Rockstar North, and games livestreamer
Tue 2nd Mar, 19:00-20:00

PlayAway Team

Anna Fraser
Tinderbox Festival Assistant

Dominika Jackowska
Tinderbox Website/Media Design
& Festival Assistant

Jack Nissan
Tinderbox Creative Director

Liam Dempsey
Tinderbox Festival Assistant

Luci Holland
Tinderbox Festival Director

Martin Disley
Tinderbox Festival Assistant