A Thriving Scene?

Animation in Wales. Saoirse O’Connor says Cardiff is awash with animation talent, but that more should be done to shore up the sector for the whole of Wales

When the pandemic caused live-action productions to halt in their tracks, at the same time as people were trapped in their homes consuming vast amounts of media, animation experienced a boom. And despite what the Oscars might tell you, animation is a medium that works for everyone, and during Covid, when adults in the UK spent a third of their waking time watching TV or streaming video, the form stepped in to fill the gaps left by live-action.?

It's not exactly a sphinx-like riddle: the pandemic forced live-action productions into a new normal of increased production risk, while animation barely skipped a beat. All you really need for animation is a half-decent computer, solid wi-fi and a good team behind you. So it's no wonder that now things are returning to normal, interest in animation has remained high.?

Every industry was affected by Covid, and here at Jammy Custard Animation, we had our own pandemic animation emergency when we were pulled into work with the Welsh Government on their messaging – to help the people of Wales understand how to stay safe and protect themselves against infection.?

Since then, we’ve worked on a range of public and third-sector projects, including helping Swansea Parent Carer Forum spread the word about their incredible work. Swansea is the only Parent Carer Forum in the UK with no age restriction. One of our specialities is using the power of animation to find creative ways of telling successful stories and getting across key messages.

Animation is ideal for cutting through the noise and grabbing people’s attention because you can use it in such a wide variety of ways; whether that’s driving sales, getting people to wash their hands, or – a project we’re currently working on –?helping young people share how it feels to grow up during a global pandemic.?

Cardiff has a thriving animation scene, with many companies proving that being small in size doesn’t mean you’re not full of talent. Studios like Picl are doing amazing work on-screen and off, including leading the charge to help studios and the whole animation industry reach Net Zero.

It doesn’t all happen behind closed doors either! Cardiff Animation Nights are bi-monthly and an excellent chance for anyone in Cardiff and beyond to meet the animation students, fans and professionals right on their doorstep. April 2022 also saw international animators travelling to display their work at the Cardiff Animation Festival.

The festival was an amazing opportunity to immerse in animation and experience the diversity of stories that can be told through the medium, from shows for kids through to Flee, the inspiring and heart-wrenching story of one refugee’s journey to safety and acceptance. The festival is a true celebration of the breadth and depth of animation as a medium that is simultaneously subtle and accessible.?

The animation scene in Cardiff also benefits from the students who come to study animation here. We were blown away by the talent at a recent screening for work by students at Cardiff Met and the Cardiff School of Art and Design, and the new approaches they bring constantly pushes the community, providing studios with new perspectives and new talent for their ranks.?

And it’s not just university students; animation has and always will welcome non-traditional paths into the medium. As with most creative industries, there’s an ongoing debate about the place of university versus other paths, but more than many other creative practitioners, animators have benefited from the wealth and quality of online tutorials, which has helped to make animation accessible regardless of university tuition.?

Animation in Wales is thriving, but it’s far from where it could be. As you may have noticed in this article, much of the industry is centralised around Cardiff and the surrounding area rather than spread across the country.?

The growing digital divide in Wales is cause for concern for multiple reasons, access to technology being one of them. While animation doesn’t need much equipment, it is reliant on technology, and even a basic computer is out of reach for some. Secondly, while online tutorials and courses help introduce animation to places without a vibrant animation community, they rely on the inclination of the learners to push themselves and be self-motivated, not to mention a dependency on high-speed and consistent wi-fi to regularly advance.?

People then face the difficult choice of whether to stay in the areas they’ve grown up in or move to places with an established animation industry. This can lead to a ‘brain drain’ of talented young people to places like Cardiff, Bristol and London to the detriment of smaller, less connected communities. Without creatives willing to return to these areas to work and create a new animation community, this sort of cycle will only continue.?

Even in Cardiff, there’s plenty still to be done to secure the future of animation in Wales. Despite the vibrant community packed with talented creatives, it’s still difficult for smaller studios to compete against the larger, established studios, particularly the ones just over the bridge in England. TV and film production has thrived in Wales; Doctor Who, Sherlock and major Netflix productions like Havoc starring Tom Hardy have all come here, but flagship animation productions have never arrived in the same way.?

For local industry to advance, we need to entice commercial talent to look to Wales to provide production or as a viable area for a permanent base. Similarly, there needs to be less focus on locality and more on international appeal; while fundings and initiatives for Welsh-based studios and productions are important for sharing and protecting Welsh identity, there is a risk of the industry becoming too insular and losing out on innovative ideas and perspectives as a result.??

Animation in Wales also suffers from some of the same problems as it does everywhere else in the world. Despite clear interest in the medium from women – in 2018, 69% of students enrolled in the top 5 US animation programs were female – the animation industry is still male-dominated. The USC reported in 2019 that women directed only 3% of animated films and 13% of animated shows, a number which rapidly decreases when looking at women of colour. Hiring practices have become more inclusive in recent years, but it is something the industry needs to be aware of if they’re going to stay in step with audiences that have a growing desire to see themselves reflected both on-screen and behind the camera.?

The animation industry in Wales isn’t just active, it’s thriving, but there’s still a lot of work to do to create a future for the medium that constantly evolves and pushes boundaries. As one of the most diverse methods of storytelling out there, animation is going from strength to strength and there’s plenty more to come!?

• Saoirse O’Connor is a producer at Jammy Custard Animation, an animation studio based in Cardiff Bay, helping businesses share their stories. She works with a range of clients like the Welsh Government, Cardiff University and Friends of the Earth, helping them to refine their messaging and connect with audiences.