I’ve been delighted to produce and host a series of creative workshop sessions for children, celebrating their creativity in drawing their own characters and bringing them to life through the magic of stop frame animation.
In a world that can feel increasingly digital, these workshops celebrate the tactile joy of picking up a pen and creating something from scratch.
Click the Image below to view a fun reel on Instagram!
Every session begins with a blank piece of paper. I guide participants through designing a character from their imaginations, focusing on bold shapes and expressive features, encouraging confidence and experimentation.
Using professional animation tools, I work with everyone in the room to animate their drawings. Workshoppers make their own characters spin/ leap/ fly across the screen, performing loop-the-loops, and traveling through their newly created digital world.
We build a short movie together, and everyone has a chance to share their ideas, and to watch eachother create a little stop frame with their drawings.
To ensure that the making feels as professiongal as a real movie production, providing children with a sense of lasting achievement.
One of the most exciting moments of the workshop is the Big Reveal!
I’m able to edit the sequences together with music in real-time, so that we can hold a premiere at the very end of the session.
Seeing their work presented as a finished movie with a soundtrack is a moment the children absolutely love, (and so do I!).
A high-definition digital reel is shared with the group after the workshops.
It’s a wonderful way for participants to see their work and to share their creations with friends and family.
The sessions are structured so that even within a short timeframe, everyone leaves with the pride of having created a piece of digital cinema.
I'm in the process of finding out how I can further develop the 'Illustrate & Animate' sessions to reach more children in the community.
The Workshops can be tailored to fit specific themes—whether celebrating a local landmark, exploring a favorite book, or responding to a community project.
If you’d like to find out more about hosting a workshop, or would like to see examples of films created in recent sessions, please do get in touch.
Further example video links via Instagram reels featured below, completed in 1 to 1.5 hour sessions with approximately 10-15 children.
