Dare to be Digital is a video games development competition for extremely talented students at universities and colleges of art, and is promoted by the University of Abertay Dundee.
Teams of five students, usually a mix of artists, programmers and audio, assemble at Abertay University for ten weeks to develop a prototype video game, receiving support and mentoring from industry specialists, as well as a stipend, team budget and free accommodation.
The competition has a truly international flavour, with teams coming not only from the UK and Ireland, but from as far afield as China, India and Canada.
At the end of the competition, the prototypes are displayed at a special talent showcasing event in Edinburgh, Dare ProtoPlay, during the Fringe Festival in August. The general public and industry experts get to play and vote for the games. Prizes are then awarded to the winning teams at a special awards ceremony.
Later in the year the winning teams attend the BAFTA Video Games Awards to compete for the coveted 'Ones to Watch' award.
Students who have gone through the Dare experience are highly sought after by industry and are working for such companies as Rockstar North, Electronic Arts, Realtime Worlds and Rare.
For more information, please visit the Dare to be Digital website.
