Andrea Hayes is an award-winning video game developer and game studies academic from Johannesburg, South Africa. She recently completed her MA through the University of the Witwatersrand, which analysed power, gender and spatial practises in video games. In her dissertation, Andrea explored ways of applying queer theory to virtual spaces that video games produce, in order to break down and subvert damaging gender-based spatial practises. Andrea has a passion for creative coding, experimenting with digital art and making video games. She is a freelance website and video game developer and is currently working on multiple projects for The Ellipses Journal of Creative Research, put out by the University of the Witwatersrand. Andrea is passionate about diversifying the tech industry and empowering women in software development. She recently finished teaching at the African Developers Academy, a school focused on training young African women to develop and create innovative and engaging websites for clients. Andrea is currently working with Jonathan Cane on the design of the Monsoon Assemblages virtual exhibition.
Awards
Second place in the GirlCode Hackathon (South Africa) in 2018. Andrea and her team developed an app that investigates solutions for the UN environmental goal of water sustainability.
Accepted for the International Game Developers Association Scholarship for The Melbourne International Games Week in 2017, Australia.
Winner of the Diversity, Student and Art Awards for the South African Game Jam hosted by Free Lives in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Websites
andreahayes.co.za
ellipses.org.za