Press Start

Open Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-5pm
Sunday 12noon-4pm
Closed Mondays
Admission free

Videogames are the dominant sector in the creative and entertainment industries with nearly 3 billion users worldwide and a projected market growth to exceed $200 billion by 2025.

Videogames are also a powerful storytelling and artistic medium that continue to inspire people around the world. For many, videogames are not just something they consume, but vehicles for telling their own stories and the canvases on which to express their art.

This exhibition focuses on three categories of artistic practice that involve the employment, manipulation and/or alteration of videogame assets to convey stories and emotions: ‘machinima’, ‘in-game photography’ and ‘gamics’. The image and screen displays in Press Start feature the artworks of 18 artists from different parts of the world who are active practitioners in the creation of films, pictures and comics within videogame worlds and through their assets.

Safety Information

The safety of our visitors, staff and students is our priority. Here's what we're doing to help keep everyone safe, and what you can do to help.

FACE COVERINGS

Although it is no longer mandatory, we continue to ask staff and visitors to a wear a face covering if you they can when inside our buildings. Read our list of exemptions. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. If no tissue is available, use your elbow.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

The number of visitors permitted in our spaces has been reduced. Although it is no longer mandatory, we ask that visitors give people space where it is sensible or requested.

IF YOU'RE FEELING UNWELL

Please do not visit Lakeside if you or anyone you live with is feeling unwell or have a loss of smell, temperature, consistent cough or loss of taste.

HAND SANITISER STATIONS

Hand sanitiser is available at regular intervals throughout our venues. We recommend that you make use of these upon entering and leaving our venue.

INCREASED CLEANING

The frequency of our cleaning throughout our venues has been increased, including toilets and other facilities.

CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS

We are currently only accepting contactless payments. Cash will not be accepted. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Protective screens are in place at key touchpoints throughout our buildings. Although it is no longer mandatory, we continue to ask staff to a wear a face covering when inside our buildings, except those that meet one or more of our exemptions criteria.

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More information about visiting Lakeside and the measures we have in place are available on in the Visit Us section of our website.

(Left to right: Narcissism - Artist: Menaria . Team Fortress 2 and Source Filmmaker used with permission of Valve Corp. © 2007-2021 Valve Corp.; Cyberpunk 2077 – Artist: Stephanie J. Based on Cyberpunk 2077 © CD PROJEKT S.A. All rights reserved.; Timeless Thief - Artist: Mark Palmer . Team Fortress 2 and Source Filmmaker used with permission of Valve Corp. © 2007-2021 Valve Corp.)

Featured Artists:
Artworks: Artworks: The Winglet; Jordy Veenstra; CrazyFox; Frans Bouma; Akumath; Megan Miller; Irregular Saturn. Music: Bensound.com

Featured Videogames:
Source Filmmaker and Team Fortress 2 © Valve; Quake III Arena © idSoftware; Minecraft © Mojang AB; Just Cause 3© Square Enix; The Last of Us Part II © Sony Interactive Entertainment; God of War © Sony Interactive Entertainment ; Sonic © Sega; Mega Man © Capcom.

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England