A First Look at GlitchHQ
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By Evva Kraikul
You may have noticed that our team has been a bit quiet this summer but we promise that we’re working hard on renovations, upcoming events in early August, and fine tuning the details for new programs launching this fall.
Let’s go ahead and get down to the nitty gritty of GlitchHQ. I’ll be tackling the programming, general operations, and answering the majority of questions that we’ve been receiving from the community.
LOCATION
GlitchHQ will be across the street from the Carlson School of Management on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank campus. Our address is 1829 Riverside Avenue Suite 200, Minneapolis MN 55455. The office is situated right next to great neighbors such as Hard Times, Town Hall Brewery, and The Republic – Seven Corners. The major perk (and my personal favorite) is that GlitchHQ is right off of the Green Line and only two blocks away from the West Bank station stop.
PROGRAMMING
Full and Part-Time Residency
Residency will be available for small start-ups, independent game studios, and freelancers working within the industry. Full-time residents will have the opportunity to work out of GlitchHQ five days (Monday – Friday) a week with unlimited access and a personal desk. Part-time residents will have access to GlitchHQ two days per week and have shared work space accommodations. Katie will delve further into the details, student incubator partnership, and rental rates later this week so I won’t spoil much more here.
Reception View
INCUBATOR PROGRAM
If you’re a young adult between the ages of 18-32 then this program was specifically designed with you in mind. We know that there are few opportunities to do paid part-time work or internships here in Minnesota for budding game makers and this incubator is the first step in our solution. Each cohort will participate in a five month long program working at roughly 10 hours per week at GlitchHQ on a project with a full-time resident. Projects will vary based on the studio’s needs but we anticipate a lot of diversity in openings for artists, marketers, programmers, audio designers, and data scientists. This program will launch in spring of 2016 and we’ll release more information as it becomes available.
RESOURCE CENTER & MAKER SPACE FOR GAMES
Equipment for game making can be expensive and we’re looking to break down this barrier to access. GlitchHQ will have a variety of tools available on-site such as development kits for major consoles and virtual reality, testing devices, and various software such as ZBrush, Unity Pro, and 3DS Max. Off-site, we’re securing access to a wood working shop, 3D printer, and a laser printer for full-time residents. This is all still in development so it’s possible that this list may be changed quite a bit between now and opening.
Conference Room
WORKSHOP SERIES & PUBLIC EDUCATION
Learning about games should be fun and accessible. At GlitchHQ, we’ll be hosting hands-on workshops on vital new skills for the digital age. The goal of these workshops is to provide attendees with skills that they can readily apply to their video game projects. Each series will focus on one topic over the course of two months and classes will be meeting twice a month for roughly 3-4 hours. Our team has some amazing instructors lined up for fall of 2015 and we are planning to launch the first series in September.
Full-time Resident Stations
Hours of Operation and Logistics
Quiet Work Hours – Weekdays from 9am – 5pm
These times are reserved for GLITCH staff, residents, and incubator program students.
Public Hours – Weekdays from 5pm – 9pm
During the evenings, GlitchHQ will act as a cultural center to the public unless noted for events. A few of our event series such as Co-Op Talk will be hosted during these times and also a new event on Fridays called PLAY/TEST will replace what was called “Weekly Lounge”.
Weekend Hours – Closed
GlitchHQ will not be operational on the weekends except for potential private events and workshops.
More updates and event announcements will be coming within the next few weeks. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter below or connect with us on social media for the most recent updates. Also a special thanks to Phil Rader of Nvizeon for creating these beautiful renderings of GlitchHQ. You can find him and his work online or contact him at [email protected].
