For the past few weeks I’ve been running an animation project for the wonderful Misfits Theatre Company, here in Bristol, along with Max Simpson and Sam Owen of Birmingham-based band Pram. It’s going excellently, and everyone’s very excited about it all – making up their own characters and stories, puppetmaking, as well as getting to play and record sounds on the amazing retro electronic instruments brought in by Sam and Max. Just two weeks left to go, and then it’s time to edit it all and dub on the sound ready for a special premiere at Aardman Studios special screening room on April 27th! We’re all terribly excited about that too, as you can imagine.

As usual, I’ve been too busy to remember to take any photos of the sessions so far, but the Misfits are doing their own blog, so click here if you’d like to have a look at some pics and read what the participants think of it all!!

I spent a brilliant morning at the amazing Gigglefest in Birmingham Centre for the Child (part of Birmingham Central Library) last week (take a look at their blog here). Around 40 children dropped in during a three hour period, and here’s what they did below – very quickly!! Big up to Amanda Cadabra and her team for a wonderful event.

Happy New Year Everybody from Small World!

2011 was a big year in lots of ways here on Small World Island (in Bristol, in case you were wondering..), and we made some great animations with lots of fantastic people, including the lovely  and talented Year Ones at Upton on Severn and Great Barr primary schools, some wonderful grown ups at Change the Record, more lovely children at Shambala and the always extraordinary kids and staff at Acorns Children’s Hospice in Birmingham. If you want to see the films we made they’re all on here, either on the Showreel page or scroll down through the News section below.

2012 is looking very creative already, and I’m very excited to have been commissioned to run an animation project for the brilliant Misfits Theatre Company in February. Sam Owen and Max Simpson of Pram will be working on the sound & music, which will be fantastic.

Small World is also extremely chuffed to be working for Welsh National Opera‘s Max team (WNO’s outreach and education dept) later this year on a community animation project- more about that to come soon..

Other new projects include animation workshops at Gigglefest at Birmingham Central Library, and projects for Acorns and the CBSO; an animated music video for the amazing Dog Face Sockets, and my own animation “The Library”, which I’m very excited about (go to http://clairesianevans.tumblr.com/ for more info)…

Wishing everybody a lovely New Year and a happy and creative 2012!!

Vernon the Sweet-toothed Vampire

Here’s the latest brilliant offering from the animation whizzes at Acorns Children’s Hospice in Selly Oak, Birmingham!! It was all made (including figures and background) and filmed over two afternoons in October – thanks to all the children involved and the brilliant contribution of staff and volunteer helpers! The project was funded by Starlight children’s charity, go to www.starlight.org.uk for more information about their great work with seriously and terminally-ill children.

Here’s the animation we made in the Kids Field at Shambala this summer!! Well done everyone, and see you all again next year!

Here’s the animation we made in July at Access Events’ Change The Record shindig at the Trinity Centre in Bristol, a brilliant inclusive event held for people with learning difficulties. Thanks to everyone who took part in making the wonderful characters and animating them, and big thanks also to Hubert for helping out, to DJ Rubbish for supplying the track ‘Good Good Times’ by Mr Rigsby, to Peter Dixon for supplying electricity and to Sophie, Fran and Bunny for putting on such an amazing event!!!