The Academy of Animated Art has teamed up with leading US studios such as Framestore, Foundry, The Mill, Ghost VFX/Streamline Media and Zoic Studios to improve diversity in the animation industry.
The animation industry has a diversity problem. The USC Annenberg report from 2019 showed that women held just 19% of key roles in top animated films from 2014-2018. Women of colour held even fewer of those key roles at just 7%.
To fix this diversity issue the Academy of Animated Art has teamed up with the non-profit ACCESS:VFX as well as leading animation studios, such as Framestore, Foundry, The Mill, Zoic Studios, and Ghost VFX, to found its Diversity Action Initiative.
The Academy of Animated Art Diversity Action Initiative provides training and resources to children and teens interested in exploring animation regardless of their background, race, gender, or economic situation. As the industry lacks diverse role models, it hopes the new programme will introduce animation to children with diverse backgrounds.
PROGRAMME FOR UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS
The Diversity Action Programme will open up the world of animation to underrepresented groups and make animation accessible to children who have limited resources to learn animation on their own. Animation is expensive and requires hardware and software but this programme offers those tools to participants.
The initiative also aims to fight prejudices and bias that still exists in the industry. So far, close to a hundred students in Brooklyn, Harlem, Washington Heights, and the Bronx have been sponsored through the initiative and we’re looking forward to many more thanks to our sponsors.
“We are excited to bring new creative outlets to a younger generation and want to thank our sponsors for seeing the big picture vision and long-term impact that this programme creates,” shared Jasmine Katatikarn, founder of the Academy of Animated Art.
For more information about the Academy of Animated Art Diversity Programme click here.
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