Abstract
The animation industry in Northern Ireland has flourished remarkably in the two decades after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. The sector has benefited from a more stable environment, increased regional and international collaborations, and enhanced government support and initiatives. This led to the establishment and rapid development of numerous animation studios, which have produced a wide array of animated TV series, shorts, and even feature films.
This paper begins by providing a brief overview of the animation sector’s development in Northern Ireland during the pre-Good Friday era. The challenging political climate at the time resulted in minimal investment in the creative industries, leading to a very limited animation production. Most animation work from this period consisted of commissioned advertisements or amateur shorts.
The core of this paper investigates the transformative impact of the Good Friday Agreement on Northern Ireland’s animation industry, examining the following three key areas. Firstly, the paper examines the significant NI-based animation studios, such as Flickerpix, LTL Production, RedRay Films, Sixteen South, ALT, Jam Media, and their landmark animation productions. Secondly, the paper analyses the funding and financial investments in the animation sector in Northern Ireland, including government-provided tax relief and tax credits, alongside the crucial role played by the organisations such as NI Screen for their financial support of animation projects. Thirdly, the paper highlights the educational opportunities in Northern Ireland driven by the thriving animation industry. Institutions such as Ulster University, Queen University Belfast, Belfast Metropolitan College and other Further Education Colleges, have begun offering animation programmes and modules, fostering a new generation of talent within the sector.
Finally, this paper explores the opportunities and challenges Brexit presents to the animation industry. This includes the increased international investments and partnerships, shifts in local animation studios, and a redefinition of the characteristics of Northern Irish animation, opening a new chapter for the animation industry in Northern Ireland.
This paper begins by providing a brief overview of the animation sector’s development in Northern Ireland during the pre-Good Friday era. The challenging political climate at the time resulted in minimal investment in the creative industries, leading to a very limited animation production. Most animation work from this period consisted of commissioned advertisements or amateur shorts.
The core of this paper investigates the transformative impact of the Good Friday Agreement on Northern Ireland’s animation industry, examining the following three key areas. Firstly, the paper examines the significant NI-based animation studios, such as Flickerpix, LTL Production, RedRay Films, Sixteen South, ALT, Jam Media, and their landmark animation productions. Secondly, the paper analyses the funding and financial investments in the animation sector in Northern Ireland, including government-provided tax relief and tax credits, alongside the crucial role played by the organisations such as NI Screen for their financial support of animation projects. Thirdly, the paper highlights the educational opportunities in Northern Ireland driven by the thriving animation industry. Institutions such as Ulster University, Queen University Belfast, Belfast Metropolitan College and other Further Education Colleges, have begun offering animation programmes and modules, fostering a new generation of talent within the sector.
Finally, this paper explores the opportunities and challenges Brexit presents to the animation industry. This includes the increased international investments and partnerships, shifts in local animation studios, and a redefinition of the characteristics of Northern Irish animation, opening a new chapter for the animation industry in Northern Ireland.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 29 Nov 2024 |
| Event | Animtion and Ireland Symposium - Dun Laoghaire Institute Of Art Design + Technology, Dublin, Ireland Duration: 29 Nov 2024 → 29 Nov 2024 |
Conference
| Conference | Animtion and Ireland Symposium |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Ireland |
| City | Dublin |
| Period | 29/11/24 → 29/11/24 |
Bibliographical note
Dr. Yuanyuan Chen, a lecturer in animation history and theory at Ulster University. Her scholarly contributions have appeared in peer-reviewed journals including Modernism/Modernity, Journal of Chinese Cinemas, Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media, and edited books such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: New Perspectives on Production, Reception, Legacy, World Cinema on Demand, and The Frozen Phenomenon, and etc. She is currently authoring a monograph titled Shanghai Animation Film Studio: History, Transformation and Aesthetics of Chinese Animation, with Edinburgh University Press, and co-authoring a monograph Ireland: Legacy, Identity, and Practice, with Alec Parkin for CRC Press.Alec Parkin is a lecturer in computer animation at Ulster University. He is deeply involved in the local animation & games industry within Northern Ireland and is actively helping to grow the sector. As an artist he has worked in the creative hubs of London and Belfast on broad range of digital productions such as TV shows, such as Roy, an Irish animated children's television, and Games such as Her Majesty’s Spiffing for consoles and PC, as well as various VFX roles for TV Commercials. Co-authoring a monograph Ireland: Legacy, Identity, and Practice, with Dr Yuanyuan Chen for CRC Press.
Keywords
- Animation
- Ireland
- history
- northern ireland
- industry
- Good Friday Agreement
- studio
- funding
- Education
