Arts Factory 5: Animation

We were able to run Arts Factory 5: Animation as a result of some impressive fundraising efforts by the group and our supporters. 

We raised £2500 in a week which was doubled by Stoke Creates and the Big Give Campaign.  This enabled us to run two sessions every Friday for nine weeks between June and August 2024. 

At the start of the process, each group was introduced to animation and learned how to create short stop-motion animations using their mobile phones. They then engaged in discussions about what makes a compelling story, exploring different genres, character archetypes, and settings. After some voting, the group had solidified their ideas for the story they wanted to tell. They were then tasked with bringing their vision to life by creating a short stop-motion animation made entirely with paper.

The groups created all elements of the animation, including the story, script, characters, backgrounds, character voices, and sound effects.

As a result, two brilliant animations were created in such a short amount of time. The group worked exceptionally well as a team and handled the pressure of the deadline with great success - even though it felt quite hard at times!

The morning group created the animation "Hotel Banane - An Inspector Calls".

The afternoon group created the animation "Capture".

Both animations were shown on a big screen at B arts building in November 2024. Feedback from the audiences was terrific.

"Fantastic animation and story. Really enjoyed the voice acting and the enthusiasm that was portrayed through it. And of course the animation it self. The stop animation is such an art form. A genuine joy to watch."

"Loved the films - they were so professional looking, funny, great characters and set pieces."

"Just thought it was a brilliant job in such a short time . Well done all."

We are hoping to submit both animations to the Oska Bright Film Festival. Oska Bright is the world’s leading festival for films made by or featuring people with learning disabilities or autism.

We will be sharing the animations with you soon, in the mean time, here are some photos from the workshops and the animation screening.