“We keep hearing the word ‘corruption’ but we don’t fully understand its essence. Before Tales of Neto, I had no idea that there were so many different kinds of corruption and what each of them were,” says Karina Avdalyan. Together with Shushanik Yesayan, they have been involved in the anti-corruption project Tales of Neto for two and a half years.
With the support of the European Union in Armenia, 40 students at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies and their workshop leaders created Tales of Neto, the first social initiative of its kind in Armenia, a web series and smartphone game.
Shushanik Yesayan, who first got involved in the project as a student and, after the game was developed, joined the staff as a 2D animation workshop leader, notes, “I had never developed any games before Tales of Neto. The role of an artist in a game is very different from that of an artist in an animated movie, a comic book, an illustrator for a book and so on. There are many different issues that must be tackled. I have gained a huge experience and new knowledge over the past two years.”
Tales of Neto was launched in 2016. Through a mobile game and comics book, it presents different types of corruption that take place on a planet called Neto. This educational project makes it possible to gain a broad understanding of how corruption manifests and the ways in which it can be tackled.
“We managed to raise an issue through this project that is truly of concern to all of us. It seemed like an impossible task at first – presenting a complicated issue in a way that would make sense to children. But it worked. I think it was also important that we managed to show how games, comics, and music can be used to present and explain important issues,” says Karina Avdalyan, the concept artist for the Tales of Neto game and interactive comics.
The young women believe that working on this project was an excellent opportunity for them to gain useful experience.
“This was my first piece of professional experience. I was working and studying at the same time. It allowed me to dive deep into the work of a concept and comics artist and discover all the nuances it held. I learned to work in a team, to manage my work in a way that would allow me to deliver a product on time, to meet deadlines,” Karina says openly.
Shushanik Yesayan is confident that Tales of Neto is one of those rare projects that can serve as a wonderful educational guide. “The point of the game and the comics is to show the harmful and destructive impact of corruption, and how to combat it. I think that many issues can be addressed through the use of games, comics, and animations, leading to an even greater positive impact and changes among adolescents and young people than the standard educational approaches.”
European Union in Armenia
