Frances Acton

Born in Belfast, Frances Acton is awarded the BAFTA Reuben Scholarship in preparation for the final year of their Computer Arts BA course at Abertay University. With a growing interest in gameplay animation, Frances aims to fully explore performance in locomotion and combat systems during their honours year.

Frances’ passion for animation developed during their time at Abertay. Wanting to create a space for fellow animators, they co-founded an animation society with a few peers, hosting weekly meet-ups focused on peer feedback and social connection. Eager to encourage space for a wider range of voices in games, Frances plans to continue growing this community in the coming year. They were also part of DARE Academy 2025, developing a game with the Bonny Bandits team. Ultimately, Frances hopes the honours year will set them on the right path toward employment in the competitive games industry.

They said: “I am incredibly grateful to have been awarded the BAFTA Reuben Scholarship, which will allow me to focus my efforts completely into my honours year. I am beyond excited to meet my mentor for the year and my peers on the programme. I look forward to receiving invaluable insight into the games industry and hope I can use my experience to give back throughout the coming year.

“Coming from a working class background this opportunity provides security for the upcoming academic year and not to mention the advice from a mentorship will certainly push me to develop my skills. Thank you BAFTA for this opportunity!”