LIAF presents the 2024 UK Animation Industry Event – 8 panels giving insider access to some of the hottest topics of the year. We’ve gathered together some of the most passionate, honest and insightful experts from a wide range of different areas and backgrounds who are ready to cover all manner of vital topics to give you much food for thought.
Animation doesn’t stand still; and debates and discussions with animators and creative experts are the best way to get in touch with what’s happening. The panels will be chaired by Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire and Julian Scott, animation consultant at Film London.
For anyone currently working in the film and animation industry, thinking of working in the industry or just plain curious, these 8 events are indispensable. They are free to everyone and take place live and online on our streaming platform over the 2 days of Saturday November 30 and Sunday December 1.
Neurodiversity in Animation - What's Changed?
During LIAF in 2023, we sat down with a group of animators who identify as neurodiverse and the studios they work with. We discussed the challenges of being neurodiverse in an animated world and what studios could be doing to help neurodiverse talent deliver the best work they can. Over the last twelve months, public and professional awareness of neurodiversity has dramatically increased. But has anything changed in the world of animation? We talk to people who continue to work hard to make a difference and those who still face challenges, asking if awareness is enough.
Curated and Chaired by Julian Scott, BAFTA-nominated Executive Producer and Media Consultant.
Panellists
Chair: Julian Scott, BAFTA-nominated Executive Producer and Media Consultant
Julian is a BAFTA-nominated Executive Producer and Media Consultant; developing, financing, packaging and co-producing intellectual property internationally for over 25 years. He is the animation consultant for Film London, the Capital’s screen agency, and a business consultant for Creative England, where he provides bespoke one-to-one support to creative and cultural practitioners, freelancers and organisations from any creative field or artistic discipline.
Alex Davies
Alex is a Greek-British designer turned filmmaker, focusing on themes of mental health and expressing different states of mind. Alex started his career as a service designer after studying Product Design at the Glasgow School of Art. Following a late in life ADHD diagnosis, which reframed his lifelong struggle with mental health he became intimately aware of how crucial representation is. Driven by his belief that animation can be uniquely impactful in expressing how consciousness is experienced, he pursued a Master’s degree in Animation at the Royal College of Art. While there he produced his first short film A Perfect Morning Situation which aims to showcase how ADHD is experienced internally, as opposed to how it is most commonly represented. Alex has now started the film’s festival run and is working on new projects.
Ari Atack
Driven by curiosity and a passion for creative problem-solving, communication and storytelling, Ari has worked across disciplines in the Creative Industries. In classic “Neurospicy” style their career is diverse, including: model-making, illustration, colour grading & restoration, voice acting, production and ‘generally useful all-round adaptor to whatever’s needed at the time-er’! Working both in-house and freelance for TV & Film, Product and Game Development. Currently fulfilling a long-held dream in learning the craft of character animation through apprenticing with Blue Zoo Productions and loving every minute of it!
Heloise Beaton
Heloise Beaton is Project Lead at the TV Access Project (TAP) and freelance Inclusion trainer and consultant. Prior to TAP, Heloise was Disability Lead at thinkBIGGER! where she had the opportunity to work closely with organisations such as BAFTA & ScreenSkills to develop disability inclusive practices. Glasgow based Heloise freelanced as an unscripted TV Producer for ten years and has worked on productions such as Question Time, Ready Steady Cook and Dispatches. Heloise was named as a One to Watch at Edinburgh TV Festival 2023 and sits on the Board of Disability Arts Online.
Simon Taylor
Simon is an animator and director whose most recent work includes animating on The Smeds and The Smoos and series directing Numberblocks for CBeebies. He has also worked on Sarah and Duck and Tree Fu Tom for CBeebies as well as Disney’s John Carter. He also runs the YouTube channel Autism & Animation – talking about navigating the animation industry from a neurodiverse point of view.
Sophie Johnson
Sophie is a neurodiversity consultant and educator with BDF, supporting many of its members to develop a deeper understanding of what Neurodiversity really is and how to become more neuro inclusive. She is also a certified coach with her own private practice, working mainly with neuro diverse adults in creative/leadership roles. Sophie’s training as a professional classical musician has enabled her to perform with most of the UK’s leading orchestras, play in West End shows, teach at the Royal Academy of Music, and to become a member of the BBC Concert Orchestra, a role which she currently still holds. Sophie identifies as being neurodivergent having discovered she is Autistic/ADHD at the tender age of 49.
LIAF presents the 2024 UK Animation Industry Event – 8 panels giving insider access to some of the hottest topics of the year. We’ve gathered together some of the most passionate, honest and insightful experts from a wide range of different areas and backgrounds who are ready to cover all manner of vital topics to give you much food for thought.
Animation doesn’t stand still; and debates and discussions with animators and creative experts are the best way to get in touch with what’s happening. The panels will be chaired by Saint John Walker, Postgraduate Media Programme Leader, University of Hertfordshire and Julian Scott, animation consultant at Film London.
For anyone currently working in the film and animation industry, thinking of working in the industry or just plain curious, these 8 events are indispensable. They are free to everyone and take place live and online on our streaming platform over the 2 days of Saturday November 30 and Sunday December 1.
Neurodiversity in Animation - What's Changed?
During LIAF in 2023, we sat down with a group of animators who identify as neurodiverse and the studios they work with. We discussed the challenges of being neurodiverse in an animated world and what studios could be doing to help neurodiverse talent deliver the best work they can. Over the last twelve months, public and professional awareness of neurodiversity has dramatically increased. But has anything changed in the world of animation? We talk to people who continue to work hard to make a difference and those who still face challenges, asking if awareness is enough.
Curated and Chaired by Julian Scott, BAFTA-nominated Executive Producer and Media Consultant.
Panellists
Chair: Julian Scott, BAFTA-nominated Executive Producer and Media Consultant
Julian is a BAFTA-nominated Executive Producer and Media Consultant; developing, financing, packaging and co-producing intellectual property internationally for over 25 years. He is the animation consultant for Film London, the Capital’s screen agency, and a business consultant for Creative England, where he provides bespoke one-to-one support to creative and cultural practitioners, freelancers and organisations from any creative field or artistic discipline.
Alex Davies
Alex is a Greek-British designer turned filmmaker, focusing on themes of mental health and expressing different states of mind. Alex started his career as a service designer after studying Product Design at the Glasgow School of Art. Following a late in life ADHD diagnosis, which reframed his lifelong struggle with mental health he became intimately aware of how crucial representation is. Driven by his belief that animation can be uniquely impactful in expressing how consciousness is experienced, he pursued a Master’s degree in Animation at the Royal College of Art. While there he produced his first short film A Perfect Morning Situation which aims to showcase how ADHD is experienced internally, as opposed to how it is most commonly represented. Alex has now started the film’s festival run and is working on new projects.
Ari Atack
Driven by curiosity and a passion for creative problem-solving, communication and storytelling, Ari has worked across disciplines in the Creative Industries. In classic “Neurospicy” style their career is diverse, including: model-making, illustration, colour grading & restoration, voice acting, production and ‘generally useful all-round adaptor to whatever’s needed at the time-er’! Working both in-house and freelance for TV & Film, Product and Game Development. Currently fulfilling a long-held dream in learning the craft of character animation through apprenticing with Blue Zoo Productions and loving every minute of it!
Heloise Beaton
Heloise Beaton is Project Lead at the TV Access Project (TAP) and freelance Inclusion trainer and consultant. Prior to TAP, Heloise was Disability Lead at thinkBIGGER! where she had the opportunity to work closely with organisations such as BAFTA & ScreenSkills to develop disability inclusive practices. Glasgow based Heloise freelanced as an unscripted TV Producer for ten years and has worked on productions such as Question Time, Ready Steady Cook and Dispatches. Heloise was named as a One to Watch at Edinburgh TV Festival 2023 and sits on the Board of Disability Arts Online.
Simon Taylor
Simon is an animator and director whose most recent work includes animating on The Smeds and The Smoos and series directing Numberblocks for CBeebies. He has also worked on Sarah and Duck and Tree Fu Tom for CBeebies as well as Disney’s John Carter. He also runs the YouTube channel Autism & Animation – talking about navigating the animation industry from a neurodiverse point of view.
Sophie Johnson
Sophie is a neurodiversity consultant and educator with BDF, supporting many of its members to develop a deeper understanding of what Neurodiversity really is and how to become more neuro inclusive. She is also a certified coach with her own private practice, working mainly with neuro diverse adults in creative/leadership roles. Sophie’s training as a professional classical musician has enabled her to perform with most of the UK’s leading orchestras, play in West End shows, teach at the Royal Academy of Music, and to become a member of the BBC Concert Orchestra, a role which she currently still holds. Sophie identifies as being neurodivergent having discovered she is Autistic/ADHD at the tender age of 49.