The progress the industry has seen for the past five years is not denied or ignored; when it comes to LGBT+ representation, it has jumped miles ahead. There is a reason why this particular industry is regarded as one where some LGBTQ+ creatives have felt most comfortable in. However, five trans writers, creatives, and artists, join us at Skwigly to tell their stories of an industry that remains afraid of truly pushing diversity.

Escape Studios has been supplying studio-ready talent in Animation, Games and Visual Effects since 2002.

Approved and endorsed internationally as a Rookies and Houdini certified school, their studio-like campus is equipped with industry-standard software taught by expert tutors to give students the practical experience and skills that the industries need.

They’re based in London’s Design District, in the heart of the Greenwich Peninsula, and surrounded by a vibrant student community with restaurants, shops, bars and pop-ups close-by.

Want to see for yourself? Book your place at one of their open days on Saturday 21st October or Saturday 18th November.

Can’t make it in person? Livestream options also available. 

The Disney Revolt: The Great Labor War of Animation’s Golden Age, by author Jake S. Friedman, has been summed up as “an essential piece of Disney history that has been unreported for eighty years”. That piece of history is commonly known as the Disney Strike of 1941, which took place over a nine-week period, Friedman has taken this chapter of the Disney studio and done a superb job of weaving facts and history into a compelling narrative which kept me reading. 

In the latest episode of Independent Animation, our companion podcast series to the Skwigly tie-in book Independent Animation: Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films (Taylor & Francis/CRC Press), we welcome back Signe Baumane to discuss her latest indie animated feature film My Love Affair with Marriage, which is about to embark on its US theatrical release following a multi-award-winning festival journey.

More than 200 representatives of animation industry – creators, producers and distributors – from Norway, Mexico, Japan and Nigeria. Discussions about the industry’s challenges: equality, ecological ways to produce puppets and education systems. And, most importantly, projects competing for awards that bring creators closer to realisation their touching, amusing, often socially engaged animations. The Award ceremony is one of the last program points of this year’s edition of ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum.

The Reset traineeship is aimed at people from all walks of life who are keen to transfer their skills, experience and knowledge to a new industry, and establish a future career in the animation, VFX and games sectors. Reset trainees will learn from the best with award-winning animation, VFX and games studios across Scotland taking part. Previous host companies include Wild Child Animation in Stirling, Interference Pattern in Edinburgh and Blazing Griffin, ISO FX and Revenant in Glasgow.