DMG is a not-for-profit videogame arts organization supporting a membership of more than 650.

DMG is a not-for-profit videogame arts organization that creates space for marginalized creators to make, play and critique videogames within a cultural context.

We teach computing skills for artistic expression, offer production and exhibition facilities, and provide community support for the creation of new artworks.

Our space and community is a platform and playground for artists working in games, engaging the public with the expressive potential of this medium.

What We Believe

  • We believe game-making can be an act of resistance, giving creators ultimate agency in the expression of their identities, politics, selves, genders and sexualities. Our work has the power to transform our communities, and positively impact policies and practice.
  • We believe that creating space and time to make and talk about games in an explicitly feminist context elevates the craft, amplifies alternative and diverse narratives, and supports the socio-cultural changes that are necessary to make game design accessible to all.
  • We are interested in creating alternative forms of economic power grounded in solidarity, openness and collective values.

Community Commitments

  • We are committed to the ongoing work of anti-oppression, anti-racism and decolonization.
  • We are committed to developing, contributing to, experimenting with, promoting and sharing knowledge about free and open source tools and platforms.
  • We care for and respect this organization, its mandate, its facility, its partners and its membership.
  • We are committed to fostering an open and inclusive community space to make, play and talk about games not only as a refuge from and reaction to the harmful aspects of mainstream game culture, but also simply because games and the people who make them are important to us.

Board of Directors

Soha El-Sabaawi

since 2014

Soha is a writer and experimental game designer, currently working on diversity and inclusion programs at Riot Games in LA.

Santo Aveiro-Ojeda

since 2016

Santo is an artist, speaker, and game designer. They recently released their spooky, witchy game, Don't Wake the Night, while also creating art based around expressions of latinx identity and ancestral traditions. They tweet over at @babbygoth.

Jayd Matyas

Resource Development Director

since 2018

Jayd is a multidisciplinary game designer and storyteller with a background in industrial design and wearable tech. She is currently working on designing games for AI research at DeepMind in London, England.

Kaitlin Tremblay

since 2019

Kaitlin is a writer and a narrative designer at Capy Games in Toronto. Her independent game work has focused on creating space for positive and productive conversations around mental health, difficult emotions, and healing in video games. She was the lead writer on the death positive video game A Mortician’s Tale (Laundry Bear Games 2017) and a lead narrative designer on Watch Dogs Legion (Ubisoft Toronto). Kaitlin serves as DMG’s industry liaison.

Natalie Zina Walschots

since 2019

Natalie cultivates fandoms, builds new communities, develops character voices, leads interactive fiction workshops, designs alternate reality games, constructs branching narratives, and most mornings open Tumblr before she opens her eyes. Her digital strategies have twice won Canadian Screen Awards for sci-fi television show Wynonna Earp, and she's currently the community manager at Stitch Media, where she also gets to do everything from narrative design to ordering four-foot cloroplast cut-outs of angry cacti. She is currently finishing up Hench, a novel dedicated to the plight of the downtrodden and often expendable employees of supervillains. She also writes terrible little text-based video games about dismemberment, LARPS about trauma and recovery, and a lot of horror micro-fiction.

Shel Kahn

since 2020

Shel is an illustrator and cartoonist with a love of heavy metal, megafauna, and mighty-thewed barbarians Kahn earned their BFA in Visual Art from York University, and currently illustrates and creates concept art for indie and small-press games and fiction. They have a passion for diverse characters, cultures and environments, and loves to research their subjects thoroughly. Kahn is also a self-published cartoonist, exhibiting fine artist, and experienced teacher. They live and work in Toronto, Canada. When not in the studio, Kahn can be found continuing their studies in drawing, painting and local natural sciences, or teaching art, science and history at local museums and schools.

Seb Pines

since 2021

Gillian Blekkenhorst

since 2021

Staff

Izzie Colpitts-Campbell

Executive Director

since 2014

Izzie is a software and electronic artist. She’s been exhibiting her work since 2008, including as part of a Making Patterns at Eyebeam in New York. Izzie currently works as programmer and creative technologist, specializing in experimental wearables, product design and responsible tech communities. Izzie represents DMG on the Toronto Media Arts Centre board of directors.

Izzie offers weekly office hours for members.

Jennie Robinson Faber

Board Advisor & Damage Labs Co-ordinator

since 2012

Jennie is a developer, arts administrator and advocate for equity in interactive and media arts. She manages DMG’s day-to-day operations, long-term planning and program execution. Jennie also co-founded Gamma Space and is manages the operation of the Toronto Media Arts Centre, and serves on committees with MOCA Toronto, Ontario Creates and the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. She loves building tools and platforms for making games and interactive experiences.

Past Directors

Izzie Colpitts-Campbell • Meagan Byrne • Stephanie Fisher • Rose Goodwin • Yifat Shaik

Founding Directors

Cecily Carver • Alex Leitch • Jennie Robinson Faber