09.06.2026

Creative Start programme brings together young people from 12 regions of Kazakhstan to develop games, music, videos and comics with support from industry mentors.

Karaganda has hosted the final stage of Creative Start, the first creative industries incubator designed for teenagers and educators from across Kazakhstan. For many participants, it was their first experience working with mentors from the creative sector, pitching their own ideas in public, and completing a creative project of their own — whether a computer game, video production, music track or comic book.

According to David Tuganov, President of the Kazakhstan Creative Industries Alliance, the programme has demonstrated that talented young people can be found in every region of the country, while access to modern knowledge and professional communities enables them to unlock their creative potential quickly and confidently.

Today, creative industries are among the fastest-growing sectors of the global economy. Game development, digital content creation, animation, music, design and illustration have long evolved beyond hobbies and become fully-fledged professions. For many Creative Start participants, the programme provided a unique opportunity to explore these fields from the inside, receive feedback from industry professionals and develop their own creative products.

Over an eight-week period, participants studied the fundamentals of creative entrepreneurship, design thinking, career guidance, emotional intelligence and project development. Dedicated learning tracks focused on game development, mobile video production, music creation, comics and digital illustration. Participants worked closely with mentors from the creative industries, attended online expert sessions and received individual mentoring support.

The educational initiative was implemented by the AYALA Charity Foundation in partnership with the TransForNation Public Foundation, with the support of Cummins Kazakhstan. Participation in the programme was entirely free of charge for both teenagers and educators.

The first Creative Industries Incubator brought together 129 participants, including 106 teenagers and 23 educators from 12 regions of Kazakhstan. The programme welcomed school students not only from urban areas but also from rural communities, including children from state care institutions and families requiring additional social support.

Following the completion of the programme, 18 teams advanced to the final Demo Day, held in Karaganda on 6 June. Participants presented their own computer games, video projects, music compositions, graphic design works and comic books to the judging panel.

The largest number of finalists competed in the Game Development category, with six teams vying for the top prize. Five teams participated in the Comics & Publishing category, four teams competed in Mobile Video, and three teams reached the finals in Music & Beatmaking

The finalists competed not only for recognition from the judging panel but also for financial awards. The total prize fund amounted to nearly KZT 3 million. Winners and runners-up across all four categories received grants to support the further development of their projects. First-place teams were awarded KZT 300,000, second-place teams KZT 200,000, and third-place teams KZT 120,000. In addition, the jury awarded several special prizes and an Academy Special Award.

Creative Start 2026 Winners

Game Development

🥇 Without Testing Function (Petropavl)
🥈 Imperium (Almaty)
🥉 MetaDream (Shymkent)
⭐ Special Grant: 727 (Petropavl)
⭐ Special Grant: Grey Sparrows (Karaganda)

Comics & Publishing

🥇 Mainstream (Almaty)
🥈 Creeper (Karaganda)
🥉 Forest Frame Team (Temirtau, Karaganda Region)
⭐ Special Grant: 2Wings (Karaganda Region)
⭐ Special Grant: SF25 (Karaganda)

Music & Beatmaking

🥇 YungCreatorCrew (Atyrau / Petropavl)
🥈 Fuego (Karaganda Region / Shymkent)
🥉 Oreshki (Karaganda Region)

Mobile Video

🥇 Common World (Karaganda Region)
🥈 MVP Squad (Karaganda Region)
🥉 New Wave Crew (Karaganda Region)

“Supporting teenagers and young people is one of the key areas of Cummins’ social investment strategy. For several years, together with the AYALA Foundation, we have been implementing projects in the Karaganda Region that help young people gain practical skills and better understand their professional interests. While our previous initiatives focused on vocational careers through career guidance workshops, Creative Start became the next step — an opportunity to introduce young people to modern creative professions. It is important to us that teenagers, regardless of where they live or their life circumstances, have the opportunity to explore different career paths before making decisions about their future profession,” said Michael El Akiki Tanous, Director of Cummins Kazakhstan.

Creative Start became part of the Career Guidance Programme of the AYALA Charity Foundation, aimed at supporting teenagers and expanding modern educational opportunities for young people. The knowledge gained, professional connections established and projects developed throughout the programme will remain with participants long after the training has ended. For many teenagers, the incubator has become the first step towards making an informed career choice, while several teams are already planning to continue developing their projects beyond the programme.

“For AYALA, it is important to help teenagers discover their strengths and gain experiences that may influence their future career choices. Creative Start has shown that talented and highly motivated young people live in every region of Kazakhstan. When experienced mentors, modern educational programmes and the support of responsible business come together, they create opportunities for young people to develop projects they can truly be proud of,” said Aidan Suleimenova, Founder and President of the AYALA Charity Foundation.

Further information and participants’ projects are available at:

https://creative-start.kz/
https://www.instagram.com/creativestart_kz/