Check out which Animation UK members are winning awards, growing their business, taking on new staff or winning new commissions…
17 January 2020
After an increase in participation in 2019 (12,300 badge-holders), Annecy have decided to improve access into the theatres to guarantee the best possible experience.
15 January 2020
Aardman and Greenpeace have launched a powerful new animated film to highlight the plight of the world’s oceans.
14 January 2020
The Camden-based independent production company reflects on a successful 2019; from a new series launch, to a number of new additions to the senior team.
13 January 2020
The nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards have been announced, the ceremony for which will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby® Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood.
9 January 2020
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL and THE LION KING Garner Most Feature Film Nominations.
7 January 2020
BAFTA has announced the nominations for the 2020 EE British Academy Film Awards.
17 December 2019
The 92nd Oscars® Shortlists in nine Awards have been announced, with categories 'Animated Short Film' and 'Visual Effects' among them.
16 December 2019
Participants will become part of the Equal Access Network and we will help facilitate further work opportunities and on-going support.
Cinesite announced today it has secured investment from Gryphion Capital Investments along with new banking facilities from Barclays and NatWest which amount to US$112m
12 December 2019
The new studio in Brixton bolsters Jellyfish Pictures’ capacity to 350 increasing staff numbers by 40%.
Leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE has signed a deal with CITV in the UK for TeamTO’s maverick slapstick comedy Mighty Mike.
With the theme ‘Right Here Right Now’, the Children's Media Conference in 2020 will run from 7-9 July in Sheffield
11 December 2019
This month Axis Studios’ Director & Creative Head of Development Stephen Donnelly discusses his career journey, creative process and the company’s development of original IP.
10 December 2019
Channel 4 to air animated Christmas special of Judith Kerr’s children’s classic produced by Lupus Films on Christmas Eve.
Winners to be revealed at a gala event on February 11 during Kidscreen Summit 2020 in Miami, Florida.
6 December 2019
The music video for Christmas single 'Let's Not Go Away' by Scouting For Girls, has first-time director Katie Gascoyne taking the reins in Blue Zoo’s innovative shorts programme.
2 December 2019
Kate Winslet Narrates This Must-See Festival Special, animated by Lupus Films, coming to screens this Christmas.
28 November 2019
Howard Jones is among the prestigious recipients of The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) craft award winners for 2019.
26 November 2019
Aardman has announced its new animated holiday special, Robin Robin, coming to Netflix in 2020.
Following the successful debut of Bing in cinemas last year, Acamar Films have developed a new feature-length cinema experience, “Bing’s Christmas”, which will run exclusively in 105 cinemas across the UK from Friday 29th November.
20 November 2019
Ben Whishaw returns in the title role of the series, set to air in March 2020 on Nick Jr., with a brand-new theme song “Paddington Bear” written and performed by Gary Barlow.
15 November 2019
Aardman has announced its music video for Coldplay’s forthcoming album track, ‘Daddy’, with the release of a teaser across social media.
13 November 2019
New PixStor secure multi-tenancy capabilities allow leading VFX and animation house to meet exacting security standards whilst delivering collaborative workflows.
12 November 2019
Multi Oscar-nominated and Bafta Award-winning production company Magic Light Pictures has announced an animated adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s children’s book, 'Zog And The Flying Doctors', is set to premiere on BBC One for Christmas 2020.
UK GDP monthly estimate reveals screen industry key in supporting the economy and preventing a recession.
11 November 2019
Axis Studios announced the appointment of David Townsend as new Head of Business Development.
5 November 2019
The animated spot is Kong Studio’s third Collaboration with IMAX for the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
1 November 2019
Dedicated feature CG Animation Studio Locksmith Animation has signed a multi-picture deal with Warner Bros. Pictures.
30 October 2019
The event, free for attendees and tailored for animation and kids’ content TV/digital production communities, distributors and media freelancers, was an opportunity for a range of industry experts to present invaluable information on how the sector can prepare for various Brexit outcomes.
29 October 2019
A consortium of industry bodies representing key stakeholders and employers in the creative industries have issued a 10-point manifesto outlining statements of intent.
24 October 2019
The British Animation Awards (a.k.a. the BAAs), has announced the categories for its 2020 awards. One of UK animation’s landmark events, this will be the 13th awards to be held since their introduction in 1996.
18 October 2019
Last night in London the inaugural Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards were held, revealing the talented winners from across TV production and broadcast in VFX, VR, Post Production and more.
14 October 2019
The shortlist for the 2019 Europe shots Awards has been announced, with a plethora of talented companies and individuals shortlisted for this year's Euro-centric award show.
10 October 2019
At MIPCOM this year, leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE, has announced it will be bringing new Netflix Original Legend Quest.
7 October 2019
Leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE and Amsterdam-based The Dreamchaser Company have teamed up to develop a brand new Woozle & Pip animated series.
5 October 2019
Animation industry representatives from Animation UK members Aardman Animations, Blue-Zoo, Magic Light Pictures, and Acamar Films, joined the panel at Brand Licensing Europe for an insightful discussion on storytelling.
4 October 2019
The popular pre-school series is to be refreshed for a new generation of fans.
3 October 2019
Leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE, has signed a number of deals for ground-breaking pre-school animated series Pablo.
2 October 2019
The 25th Edition of the Film Festival Hosted the Awards Ceremony at Colston Hall in Bristol.
25 September 2019
Today a public statement has been released on the merging of the Creative Industries Federation and Creative England to become a part of the same UK-wide organisation.
24 September 2019
Leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE, has announced the international launch of CBeebies’ hit series Biggleton at MIPCOM.
Animation UK Executive Chair Kate O'Connor gives an update on the fund in relation to submissions from the animation sector.
19 September 2019
Aardman announced today the successor to David Sproxton, who is stepping back from the MD role after 43 years at the helm of the studio.
16 September 2019
The hugely popular trading card game Magic: The Gathering goes viral with cinematic trailer developed in partnership with Axis Studios.
14 September 2019
Leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE, France’s La Cabane and Belgium’s Thuristar have announced the launch of CGI series Mush-Mush & the Mushables, set to launch with two new episodes at MIPCOM.
13 September 2019
Acamar Films has signed a significant new content deal with the BBC for a new series of their award-winning pre-school property, Bing.
11 September 2019
UK Screen Alliance welcomes Government announcement to reinstate post-study work visas, but questions why it can't be introduced sooner for international students currently studying in the UK.
10 September 2019
Leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE has announced that Total Dramarama, the prequel to the original Total Drama series, will roll out in multiple territories this year.
9 September 2019
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has opened entries for the British Academy Games Awards, with a series of new categories including 'Animation'.
5 September 2019
‘Inclusion and diversity’ study results published today reveal positive industry gains and highlight areas of future focus.
20 August 2019
Axis Studios recognised in sixth edition of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain report.
15 August 2019
Over 150 key figures from across the creative industries and beyond have signed a letter urging government to recognise the value of creative education.
Caspar Lee & Snoochie Shy kick off new video series highlighting our shared love of creative content and the true cost of piracy Creative industries initiative encouraging fans to value the creative process and to access content legally
9 August 2019
According to our recent UK Screen Alliance survey data, more than 50% of European workers in UK Visual Effects, Animation and Post production have yet to apply to settled status.
7 August 2019
HM Treasury has revealed new figures on how much Britain's Film, High-end TV, and Animation sectors have benefited from government tax reliefs.
For this month's Spotlight feature, we talk to Jamie Badminton, co-founder of Karrot Animation, the BAFTA & Emmy award-winning entertainment company specialising in the creation, development and production of children’s and family entertainment.
6 August 2019
We welcome our newest Animation UK members Kong Studio to the fold as Bill Elliott, Co-founder of Kong Studio, introduces the East London-based animation and illustration studio and what they're all about.
Animation UK are delighted to report that the BFI has today announced their new Short Form Animation Fund, offering support for higher-budget animated work from teams based in the UK.
5 August 2019
Of the nine AHRC funded programmes to support Creative Clusters across the UK last year, Animation UK formally supported the successful Yorkshire and Humber Screen Industries bid, XR Stories.
29 July 2019
Award-winning animation specialist production company Lupus Films have announced the stellar voice cast for Channel 4, Lupus Films and HarperCollins’ The Tiger Who Came to Tea which is set to air this Christmas.
16 July 2019
The renovated 195 Piccadilly headquarters for BAFTA will open in summer 2021 with doubled capacity to support charitable work and emerging talent.
12 July 2019
The move comes as part of eOne's planned expansion of non-scripted business to bolster the company's position in the UK.
11 July 2019
There is very little data about ethnicity, disability, or social mobility in VFX, animation or post production. To understand the impact of any new initiatives we will need credible statistics so we have launched a new survey.
4 July 2019
Secretary of State for DCMS, Jeremy Wright has announced £100k of funding to launch a pilot scheme to boost the uptake of apprenticeships in the Creative Industries.
3 July 2019
Regulatory body Ofcom has published their updated repsonse to the commerical PSBs' plans to iprove children's television content.
2 July 2019
Plans for the Animation Skills Fund will be discussed at the Children's Media Conference in Sheffield on Thursday the 4th of July.
CAKE has announced a deal with ABC in Australia for 52 episodes of preschool series Kiri and Lou.
Award-winning animation company Blue Zoo launches new brand rights company and hires Alison Warner as Managing Director.
11 June 2019
Salamandra, a creative visual problem-solver with studios in Eton and St Andrews, is celebrating its fifth birthday and looking back on it's many animation and design successes over the past five years.
The first ever UK Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board (CITIB) strategy has been published today, pledging to boost creative industries goods and service exports by 50 per cent by 2023.
6 June 2019
Leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE has unveiled brand new character designs ahead of its much-anticipated Angry Birds series.
3 June 2019
BAFTA and multi-award winning VFX and animation studio, Jellyfish Pictures, has announced the opening of a new virtual animation facility in Sheffield.
24 May 2019
Aardman has partnered with global retailer Animation Toolkit, to create a bespoke 'Armature Kit' aimed at supporting stop-motion animation enthusiasts and students with the process of creating puppets for film, and the small screen.
21 May 2019
Axis Studios, the leading animation and visual effects studio behind the recent Netflix series 'Happy' and 'Love, Death and Robots - Helping Hand', has announced the appointment of Tracey la Cour as Head of Communications.
14 May 2019
Non-Executive Director of ACCESS: VFX Amy Smith sheds some light on the cross-company initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in the VFX & animation industries.
2 May 2019
Ten parents and carers have successfully completed paid placements within the Post Production and VFX sector as part of ScreenSkills Return To Work Scheme in association with Film London, concluded today with a networking lunch in partnership with UK Screen Alliance.
30 April 2019
Lupus Films today announced that, in partnership with Universal Content Group, it is in development with a new animated feature film based on the life and work of iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, with award-winning filmmaker Paloma Baeza on board as director.
26 April 2019
Wallace & Gromit and hit drama Peaky Blinders will be part of Ambitious new projects by industry leaders in immersive entertainment putting fans in the thick of the action to be part of modern Industrial Strategy in action to ensure home-grown talent remains world-leading for the next generation.
8 April 2019
UK Screen Alliance talked to Director of UK operations at Brown Bag, Sarah McQuire, who gave an insight into the company's growth, some of her personal favourite achievements, and what’s on the horizon.
Leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE and TT Productions have announced their partnership on brand new CGI action comedy Treasure Trekkers, a 52 x 11 minute series launching at MIPTV with five episodes.
2 April 2019
The UK Settlement Scheme for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens is now open for applications.
31 March 2019
The hunt for the next big thing in radio and young people’s television has begun, as applications opened today for a share of a Government financed £60 million fund set up to provide a boost to the UK’s Radio and Television sector.
13 March 2019
Creative industries leaders have joined forces to launch a new Creative Careers Programme designed to help 2 million teenagers discover the breadth of jobs on offer in the UK’s fastest-growing sector.
19 February 2019
The 38 date tour will feature live orchestral accompaniment from a professional orchestra drawn from members of the Hallé and BBC Philharmonic orchestras among others.
14 February 2019
The famous Peruvian bear is set to feature in new television series for pre-school audiences around the world, brought to life by London animation studio Blue Zoo.
7 February 2019
The voice cast for the animated feature Kensuke's Kingdom to be directed by Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry from a script written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce has been announced, with main animation production taking place at Lupus Films.
5 February 2019
Integro’s Entertainment division has announced an innovative product created to provide protection against piracy.
Oscar nominated Magic Light Pictures has announced a raft of sales for its Christmas 2018 half hour animated special Zog to major broadcasters across Europe and in Australia and Japan.
30 January 2019
Channel 4 to air a special animated adaptation of the much loved classic children’s book The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr, co-produced by Lupus Films and HarperCollins Children’s Books.
London-based CG feature studio Locksmith Animation has appointed Dónall Crehan as Chief Business Officer.
29 January 2019
UK government has recently announced more information on plans for EU citizens desiring to enter and work in the UK following a March 29th No-Deal Brexit.
17 January 2019
Magic Light Pictures makes imaginative entertainment for audiences, families and children worldwide, Oscar nominated and responsible for creating content beloved worldwide, the BAFTA award winning company specialises in family entertainment and brands, managing production, distribution, licensing and marketing,
Over 170+ UK business leaders respond to the defeat of the Brexit deal by calling on both main party leaders in Westminster to support the campaign for a People’s Vote.
16 January 2019
Jackie Edwards has been named Head of Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF), a new pilot being delivered by the BFI as part of the UK Government’s support for content for children and young audiences to be broadcast on UK PSB channels and platforms.
19 December 2018
The Animation Skills Council with ScreenSkills is set to re-launch in the new year.
The long-awaited Immigration Bill white paper has been published, which sets out the Government’s plans for the post-Brexit visa system, following the recommendations made by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) earlier this year.
13 December 2018
Acamar Films, the London-based production company behind the hit children’s entertainment show Bing, have added to their senior management team as they look to capitalise further on the appeal of the most popular pre-school show on CBeebies.
7 December 2018
Multi-million boost for England's creative industries aims to help attract more talent. £20 million fund to boost creative industries throughout regions with additional support for games sector.
6 December 2018
UK Screen Alliance CEO Neil Hatton, spoke at the Westminster Media Forum this week on encouraging the growth of skills, and inclusion of different genders, abilities and backgrounds, behind the camera as well as in front of it, in the visual effects, animation, and post production sectors.
28 November 2018
UK Screen Alliance is announcing today its Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Fund, to be known as the ALT Fund. This pot which will be at least £100,000 is to be made available for apprenticeship training in small and medium sized VFX, post and animation companies. Applications are welcome from member and non-member companies.
New figures reveal Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s sectors are now worth £268 billion, having contributed a record-breaking £101.5 billion to the economy in 2017, new figures show.
16 November 2018
Animation UK has published a skills analysis of the UK Animation industry, which highlights skills gaps and workforce shortages in the sector.
13 November 2018
Nine Creative Industries clusters across eight UK cities to bring creative hubs together with researchers and businesses
10 November 2018
Peter Lord and David Sproxton of Aardman announced they are preparing for the company's long-term future success by transferring the company into Employee Ownership.
8 November 2018
The 2018 Emile Awards 90 Nominees have been announced, featuring a host of UK talent among the jurors and nominees.
6 November 2018
New boost to showcase ‘best of British’ creativity abroad with Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board consisting of representatives from across the sector including Animation UK.
1 November 2018
Ian Liddell of Manchester-based Animation studio, Studio Liddell gives his thoughts and insights into Immersive storytelling skills, and partnership with Immotion Group.
31 October 2018
Leading UK production studio enters VR market, blending real-time prowess with narrative expertise, in a seven-minute experience transporting the viewer to the fantastical forests of LuKara
21 October 2018
As active and early supporters for introduction of a new Contestable Fund, Animation UK argued strenuously and with strong evidence for a focus on children and young adults, including new first run UK orientated animation content.
9 October 2018
Magic Light Pictures, the multi Oscar-nominated production company, has been providing festive family treats to BBC One for over a decade. This Christmas it’s bringing much-loved children’s picture book Zog to BBC One.
8 October 2018
The BFI has released important new research today demonstrating the positive impact of tax reliefs on production across the Screen Industries.
An independent new report published today demonstrates the huge value of the government tax reliefs across the UK’s screen industries, seeding unprecedented levels of production, creating thousands of jobs, growing businesses and infrastructure, generating record levels of inward investment, boosting exports of UK productions and services internationally and creating spillover benefits for other industries.
1 October 2018
Andrew Chitty, Challenge Director for Audience of the Future, and Creative Economy Champion at AHRC, spoke to UK Screen Alliance on the potential of immersive media.
23 September 2018
Kieran Argo has been working in animation for over 25 years. In recent years Kieran has been responsible for delivering a number of professional development events including the Encounters Producers Courses and a number of training events for the Random Acts (Channel Four/Arts Council England) film-makers in the South West of England.
Following a long, hot and eventful summer, it looks like we are in for an even more eventful Autumn season. Whatever happens with the wider context, our focus will remain firmly on securing the best conditions for growth of the animation sector through policy, advocacy and influence.
17 September 2018
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has today (18th Sept 2018) published its final report into EEA Migration in the UK and has made recommendations to government about the shape of the UK’s immigration policy following Brexit.
16 September 2018
NextGen Skills Academy (or NextGen for short) was set up by Government and the Games, Animation and VFX industries in 2014 in response to the NextGen Report, which highlighted skills shortages in the creative industries.
6 September 2018
Cardiff is one of nine creative clusters in the UK awarded research funding, as screen industries based in and around the Welsh capital are set to benefit from new research and development opportunities.
22 August 2018
NextGen Skills Academy (or NextGen for short) is an organisation which brings industry and educators together, to develop the next generation of digital talent in the Games, Animation and VFX industries
UK Screen Alliance has confirmed in an extensive new survey of the VFX workforce, that one in three people working in VFX comes from Europe.
14 August 2018
Creative Skillset set for October re-naming and merging with Indie Training Fund
5 August 2018
Jellyfish handled the visual effects and animation work on the second series on this kids’ hit.
11 July 2018
UK Screen CEO Neil Hatton, comments on the Brexit White Paper released today
9 July 2018
Tiger Aspect productions, part of Endemol Shine Group UK, has been commissioned to make a one-off Christmas special of Aliens Love Underpants AND....
3 June 2018
Last Thursday the BBC News Channel featured a day of stories about the Creative Industries and Brexit.
3 May 2018
The Royal Television Society’s Scottish branch, RTS Scotland - part of Britain’s leading forum for television and related media – has announced the winners of the RTS Scotland Television Awards 2018.
23 April 2018
The members of the UK Screen Alliance in partnership with Animation UK have elected new representative councils.
26 March 2018
The U.K. has a dedicated high-end CG animation feature studio after Locksmith opened its new London complex Monday.
25 March 2018
The nominations have closed for both the Animation UK Council and the UK Screen Facilities Council elections.
23 March 2018
AT VENUES ACROSS THE UK | APRIL TO NOVEMBER 2018 FILM HUB WALES AND CHAPTER (CARDIFF) LEAD MAJOR ANIMATION CELEBRATION
7 March 2018
It's time to turn your attention to the most important vote you'll take part in this year...probably. That's right, it's time for the UK Screen & Animation UK elections!
22 February 2018
Film education charity, Into Film, will be hosting a number of Spring screenings across the UK under the theme of ‘Women in Animation’ commencing 5 March, in celebration of International Women's Day on 8 March.
14 February 2018
New Set of Principles and zero-tolerance Guidance developed with organisations across the film, television and games industries including BFI, BAFTA, BECTU, Directors UK, Equity, Pact, The Production Guild, Women in Film & TV, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, UK Screen Alliance, UK Interactive Entertainment
13 February 2018
UK animation powerhouse Blue Zoo launches innovative new training program designed to prepare animators for a role in the industry and close the skills shortage gap.
8 February 2018
The Royal Television Society (RTS) - Britain’s leading forum for television and related media, and an educational charity whose purpose is to promote the art and science of television – has launched its Undergraduate Bursary schemes for 2018, once again investing over £75,000 to support UK students from lower income backgrounds.
VFX and animation house aims to build up own IP.
7 February 2018
Blue-Zoo spent the last few months of 2017 been beavering away making a festive animation. From creating immensely furry CG creatures to recording a 40-piece orchestra - it's certainly something to be proud of.
6 February 2018
From day one, Animation UK has picked up the baton and worked with key partners to promote the need for funds to support development and production of short animated films and content.
Always part of our mission, shaping skills has become one of increasing concern; issues surrounding mobility of labour has brought this into sharp relief.
If 2018 wasn’t already shaping up to be the year of animation, ‘Anim-18’ will celebrate the genre in the UK and provide a reminder of what our fantastic, iconic and world-beating sector has to offer.
As we move into our second year we will be re-examining governance in the light of our expanding membership and looking at how we can build our reach and get more people involved.
It almost goes without saying, that plans and decisions regarding Brexit over the next year will critically impact on our sector.
5 February 2018
Animation UK was launched at a reception at 10 Downing Street in December 2016. The first Animation UK Council in its new guise met in January 2017 and since then, it’s been quite a year.
1 February 2018
The Royal Television Society’s hugely popular event, the RTS Futures TV Careers Fair, will return in 2018 and will this year be in partnership with Edinburgh International Television Festival Talent Schemes, National Film And Television School, and Sky One.
31 January 2018
Animation UK’s campaign to secure additional money for children’s TV programming received a boost following Culture Secretary Karen Bradley recently announced plans for a £60m Contestable Fund for Children’s TV content.
23 January 2018
Blue-Zoo's animated short has been nominated in two categories at the BAAs.
17 January 2018
London-based animation and film production company Lupus Films has had a strong start to the year with five nominations for its hand-drawn animated films Ethel & Ernest and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt at the 12th edition of the British Animation Awards (BAAs) 2018.
