WE SHINE COMMUNITY: ANIMATION WORKSHOPS ILLUMINATE YOUNG TALENT

As part of the We Shine Portsmouth, Splodge Designs and Fratton Together have been working closely with local secondary school students, guiding them through a series of hands-on animation workshops. Held at The Portsmouth Academy and The Madani Academy, these workshops invited students to bring their creative visions to life through the medium of stop-motion animation, centered around the theme of fossils.

Over the course of three sessions, 16 Year 9 students from The Portsmouth Academy and 11 secondary school girls from The Madani Academy participated in the creative process. Working in small groups, these budding animators embarked on a journey to transform their ideas into visual stories.

1. Storyboarding: In the first session, students were introduced to the basics of storytelling and animation. Each group developed a storyboard, mapping out their ideas and planning the flow of their short animations.
2. Set and Character Creation: The second session saw students dive into hands-on creativity as they designed and constructed 2D sets and characters. These elements served as the foundations for the visual narratives they envisioned, inspired by the textures and shapes of fossils.
3. Animation Filming: Finally, students used industry-standard stop-motion equipment to bring their creations to life. Through careful positioning and frame-by-frame filming, they animated their characters and sets, creating unique short films that capture their imaginative interpretations of the fossil theme.

The project was supported by Claire and Paul from Splodge Designs, who guided the students throughout the workshops. They will also add original music to each film, adding an extra layer of depth to the final products. These completed animations will be displayed at St Mary’s Church during the We Shine from 21st to 24th November 2024, providing students with a public platform to showcase their work.

This initiative not only allowed students to learn the technical and creative skills involved in stop-motion animation but also gave them an opportunity to express themselves and work collaboratively. The animations will become part of the city-wide We Shine celebration, giving these young creators a chance to see their work projected as part of Portsmouth’s cultural landscape.

Event details available on the We Shine website