Mapping the UK Animation sector

The Animation sector is currently under-served in terms of national data sources.

In addition to our ongoing advocacy, Animation UK works hard to gather the data and ensure we can provide the most accurate estimates of size, outputs and impacts.

The Animation sector, in terms of national data sources, is not captured separately by SIC or SOC codes and is often therefore embedded in broader sector classifications.  Referred to sometimes as animation genre, a skill/role the sector is subsumed with broader areas such as film, TV or “children’s” content. However, the Animation sector is an economically distinct group of studios, production companies, distribution companies, producing content aimed at different demographics and distributed as cinematic releases, TV formats and shorts used in advertising and corporate productions.

Animation UK successfully informed the BFI Value of the Screen Sectors report in 2018, although the focus was on the productions and value that fell into the scope of the tax relief.

Animation UK has begun work with The BFI’s Research and Statistics unit (funded by the National Lottery) to commission a new piece of research to ‘map’ the size, value and importance of the UK’s animation sector. The mapping aims to fill an evidence gap for investors and policy makers identified by Animation UK. We will be working with a leading economics consultancy, and artificial Intelligence specialists in reading the web and mapping sectors, to identify the business critical issues facing the sector.

More updates to follow.

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