Because no South West artist covers injustice, class and punishment, Animated Exeter has asked internationally acclaimed US artist Rose Bond to create an animated light show highlighting the themes for her piece Broadsided, which will launch the event at Exeter Castle.
Broadsided will run at the Castle for three evenings from Thursday, February 11 to Saturday, February 13.
The festival, which started in 2000, includes workshops and exhibitions, as well as a careers fair for securing jobs in the industry plus master-classes from the Spielbergs of the animated world, including Bill Plympton and Aardman Animations. And an awards ceremony will showcase emerging talent, with awards given during the festival (and after, in the case of the British Animation Awards).
The festival was plagued with screening issues last year, but it’s all new for Animated Exeter. It is its own company and is no longer run by Exeter City Council – although it does get support – and still gets cash from Devon County Council, South West Screen and the Arts Council.
• Should publicly funded festivals support home-grown talent? Comments below please
(Image: Broadsided! Exeter Castle Animation by US artist Rose Bond)
Animated Exeter in February does support home-grown talent and supports it very well. Animated Exeter should be applauded for reaching out and bringing to the city artists and films from all over the world that people simply would not have the opportunity to see. This year’s festival is already creating a real buzz and if it is anything like previous years should be one to remember for all the right reasons; great films, people, workshops and networking opportunities.
Hi Ruby
You’re right. Maybe the question would have been better phrased. How about:
Should the Arts Council commission already established overseas artists to the tune of between £10,000 to £20,0000, or should it take the opportunity to use the money and prestige surrounding an event like Animated Exeter to promote homegrown artists or to develop the work of early or mid-career artists?
We’re sure there would be plenty of opinions on that – hence the question.
We’re also sure that opinion would be undivided on how important Animated Exeter is for the city, the region and the filmmaking community.
I think there is a misunderstanding here of what the Arts Council grants are for. Arts Council England grants are for arts activities that engage people in England, or that help artists and arts organisations carry out their work.
There is no stipulation or requirement to keep it local nor why should there be?
The grants are to engage people in art and artists and if this means focusing on and celebrating overseas talent then we are all the richer for it.
As I said, Animated Exeter is doing a superb job of widening our knowledge and experience of animation and by commissioning Rose Bond we are all being offered a great opportunity to look beyond our own regional boundaries. I hope people in Exeter, Devon and Cornwall use this fantastic opportunity to show their appreciation of international animation art and artists.
Hi Ruby
Thanks for the response.
That there’s no stipulation about locality/nationality for Arts Council grants is worthy of revisiting, and is indeed part of the debate. And that both the Arts Council and Animated Exeter didn’t feel that there were artists in England who would be able to engage an Exeter audience is noteworthy too.
Opening up people to art, animation and moving image from other cultures is indeed worthwhile. But as we champion digital artists and filmmakers from Devon and Cornwall, and our ArtsCulture site focuses on artists of the South West, it would be remiss of us not to raise concerns that an opportunity has been missed to demonstrate the skills and ability within these shores, if not the region.
These considerations need to be given to the curation of an event like Animated Exeter, with the pots of public money that support it.
I think you are being a bit unfair to the Arts Council, Animated Exeter and all local artists.
It is a rather narrow and parochial argument that bemoans a missed opportunity here. The conclusion of arguing the grant stipulation should have geographical limits is precisely that – limiting; limiting our exposure to other good art and artists. Animation and the moving image is a truly international artform. Local animation artists know this and can only benefit from seeing international work.
Regional skills in digital arts and animation have other opportunities for exposure and commissions(and this includes future inclusion in Animated Exeter) and should always be judged individually and meritocratically.
The opportunity that has been realised here is a fantastic opportunity to see a unique artist at Animated Exeter regardless of where they come from. Most artists appreciate that exposure to new talent (no matter where they originate) generally results in positive development for themselves and the exhibiting artist. It would surely be a shame not to widen our horizons and embrace artists from further afield when given such an opportunity? That is, surely, the main rationale of film and animation festivals.
To say that the “Arts Council and Animated Exeter didn’t feel there were artists in England able to engage an Exeter audience” is frankly ridiculous, unfair and misrepresents the desire of both of these bodies to promote talent and engagement with art; whether it is regional, national or international. I cannot agree with your obvious disappointment and disapproval of this commission just because it wasn’t awarded locally. Artists everywhere learn and grow from exposure to other artists and their works.
I do agree that funding for the Arts and artists everywhere is constantly under attack and requires fierce defending. We should not however misplace this defence and criticise organisations that fundamentally support the arts, artists and animation just because they didn’t showcase, on this occasion, our own backyard produce.
Festivals like Animated Exeter struggle to survive. They and their audiences all benefit immensely from public money that enrich their lives and our culture. Festivals need money to survive and we(including local artists)would all be much poorer as a region and country if they should fall as a result of belt-tightening or other penny-pinching measures based on the works or artists not being ‘one of ours’. Let’s show our support to animation artists (wherever they’re from) and their promoting organisations rather than criticise them – and the best way to do this is through getting together and celebrate, in other words, “festival” = 11 – 20 Feb, Exeter. See you there, I hope.
Surely it’s a question of balance, Ruby. Presumably the festival isn’t purely there to inspire – it’s there to shine a light on local talent, too.
It’s safe to assume the likes of Wes Anderson and Hayao Miyazaki won’t suffer unduly from being excluded (Fantastic Mr Fox had a wide UK release very recently and Spirited Away is almost 10 years old) so why not uncover fledgling filmmakers of the same calibre from the West Country?
I mean, bloody Wallace And Gromit?! Again?!! Really?!!! Surely this slot could’ve been better utilised.
I appreciate you’ve got to argue your corner but aren’t you being a little disingenuous?
Hi Hans, thanks for your comments.
Yes I agree it is about providing a good balance of events and programmes. Animated Exeter provides a rich mix of these.
Sorry if I appeared disingenuous to you, that certainly was not my intention, on the contrary; I am sincere about what I’ve said.
The festival is offering a ‘Careers Day’ on the Friday (12th) for aspiring West Country animators. This provides valuable opportunities to learn about getting into the industry. It include a ‘One Minute Pitch’ session where West Country talent get to show their work to established professionals and receive constructive feedback. It will be interesting to see the uptake of this opportunity.
The festival also has a ‘Best of the West’ film programme that shines a light on local talent. Perhaps we might just discover West Country talent of the same calibre of Anderson and Miyazaki here? We can but hope!
Aardman, as we all know, is a West Country company. I agree W&G is over-exposed but the Aardman session isn’t about Wallace & Gromit. I’m sure there’s plenty more to learn from Aardman.
David Bull – an excellent Scriptwriter from Bristol is also providing a session that can only help local talent.
On balance, with the special guests Rose Bond and the hilarious Bill Plympton from New York, I think this is a good balance that fairly represents the region in amongst the internationally recognised talent.
Maybe if the West Country had greater productivity over the last 12 months then this would have justified a greater level of visibility in the mix? The educational events and workshops that Animated Exeter provide goes some way to raising the West’s productivity and talent pool.
I think I’ve said enough on this now.
Perhaps this discussion could help frame a panel discussion at next year’s festival?
As a long term supporter of this festival, I think it’s my duty to defend it against some of the above comments. I imagine that if you have a project which does not have any financial need to sell tickets, you could take countless risks, but I presume Animated Exeter has to sell tickets and therefore has to programme that which is known to sell, i.e. a bit of aardman. Also, I don’t think its appropriate that confidential information about budgets has been shared here, and I wonder how you’ve come by this information? I’ve submitted films to the competitions before – as a local filmmaker this is your perogative. Film like any arts form, is a scene, an ocean even – you’ve got to be broadminded about it, not exclusive. There’s nothing stopping home grown artists from coming forward, and plenty of opportunities – that’s what it has always been about.
I rather thought that the name of this web site gives a clue as to its objectives, one of which is to promote local (Devon and Cornwall) art and artists. Therefore a bit of bias is to be expected.
As to Johnathan’s comments about sharing of information; I hadn’t realised that everything was so secret.
Screening work by local filmmakers is hardly a risk, Jonathan. It’s surely more of a risk pinning your hopes on people wanting to see Fantastic Mr Fox (wide cinematic release in October and due on DVD in March), Spirited Away (almost 10 years old), and Wallace And Gromit (shown many, many, many times over Xmas). Are these film really ‘known to sell’ tickets? I’d be flabbergasted if anyone showed any interest in these films.