04/05/2021
Hi, I'm Liam, founder of Silent N Gaming. I'm an unashamed geek who loves games. The obsession started back in the 80s, when I got my hands on an 8-bit Atari 800XL. I still have fond memories of waiting 10 minutes for cassettes to load (if at all!) and enjoying games in all their nine colour glory. Since then I haven't looked back... and my wallet has been a little lighter for it.
Gaming has shaped a lot of what I've done over the years. It got me interested in tech, drove me towards STEM subjects and a masters in electronic engineering. I love tinkering with gaming gadgets, almost as much as playing on them. It also got me interested in the artistic aspects: the world building, characters and stories - which games excel at - so I spend a lot of my time writing creatively too.
Silent N Gaming is in its infancy, so I still have a day-job, somewhat related to the project. I work for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, where I've led the government’s work to support the country’s Creative Industries, including the film, music and - of course - video game sectors (that's me rocking a VR headset on the front cover of one of our publications). Right now, I lead on national investment in youth activity programmes.
Working with young people is part of the family business. My partner - Anya Zhavoronkova - is the director of the award-winning ‘Skylark School of Dance’, an organisation that we’ve built up since 2016. Based in Basco House studios, South East London. Our charming building is also the place that ‘Silent N Gaming’ calls home.
Looking back on these experiences, I probably shouldn't be surprised that I've launched a project that's crazy about games and its potential to develop young people - promoting their wellbeing and cognitive development. My vision is to create an experimentation space for young gamers to play socially, safely and - if they dream it - professionally. I hope you can join us on this journey.
Liam Nwanze (Silent N)