Four artists selected for the inauguration of the FLAMIN animation program

Four artist-animators have been selected from Film London and Arts Council England's FLAMIN Animations, a new program of commissions for early career artist animators that identify people of African descent living in the UK. This first wave of creators are Toby Cato, Mothy Muyobo, Ezra Myers and Zainab Sanyang. The four new animation commissions will be premiered on the Film London website in winter 2021, and the artist-animators will receive support to gain additional exposure for their work.

Part of FLAMIN (Film London Artists' Moving Image Network) and as part of Film London's increased commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, the program aims to support artist-animators aged 18-25 as they take their first steps into a career working with the moving image, providing development support, bespoke mentoring and £ 2.500 to create a new one- to three-minute animation.

Chosen from a high level of applications, the selected artists follow both non-traditional and traditional animation paths to create works, using and combining techniques ranging from photography, hand drawing, collage and digital to explore identity and heritage, social structure and lived experience. Past works have included creating dream realities, blending animation with experimental music, reflecting on historical events, and simply capturing the everyday world around us.

“We are delighted to announce the four animation artists selected for the first FLAMIN Animations program. Toby, Mothy, Ezra and Zainab brilliantly explore crucial issues through bold and innovative work and we look forward to showcasing the content they create later this year, ”said Adrian Wootton, OBE, managing director of Film London and British Film Commission. “This program is a thoughtful recognition of the under-representation of artists who identify blacks within the art, film and animation industries and we hope it creates a network of next-generation artists - not just for those commissioned, but for all who have applied - highlighting the incredible skills the country has to offer in the ever-growing animation industry ”.

FLAMIN 2021 animations:

Toby Cato (Instagram)
“I am a self-taught animator living in South East London and working as a freelance. I am fascinated by the magic of animation and started learning from a Richard Williams book when I was 18. My main interests are experimenting with physical media to create the illusion of life and movement. My first love is drawing, but I work with photography, painting and digital animation to find new and interesting styles. I also make music and infuse my animation work with experimental hip-hop and funk soundtracks. My father is of Jamaican descent and my sisters and I find history to be a huge source of inspiration in our work. I am influenced by Jamaican cinema and the work of experimental animation artists such as Frank Lebon, Lotte Reiniger and Ralph Bakshi. I am particularly interested in creating dream realities where I can live in the world of the imagination, my only nation. My recent animations are about finding my identity as a young black man and challenging the roles that black and female characters play in films and animation ”.

Mothy Muyobo (website)
“I have been doing animation for some time, after changing my training path to 16 on average. I've always liked to get things moving. In my youth I liked flipbooks and kept the corners of my school notebooks for my art. I immediately understood that this was my calling. Being able to work on such a large task and create a narrative from one's imagination from start to finish is so rewarding that the result becomes secondary. The troubleshooting that comes with animation helps me see not just art, but life through slower. Although a lack of resources may hinder some, I accept this challenge! If I have a vision, one way or another it will be done. And I always want to send a bigger message. Black shemales, black women, black men and black children are all on my agenda ”.

Ezra Myers
“My work often alludes to social misunderstandings of cultural practices, with psychological bases. I make conscious efforts to represent the cultural values ​​and practices of my Caribbean heritage, which reflect my experiences and the desire to gain a deeper insight into my identity. During my youth, I always had a strong involvement in the Steel Pans and Notting Hill Carnival in London. This allowed me to draw on both authentic Caribbean experiences and my experiences of fusion of Caribbean and British cultures. As part of my approach, I reflect on historical events, people and music to draw parallels between processes and a range of social outcomes. This helps to express my human experience and consequently opens a "gray zone" for a greater understanding of the differential perception between different classes and cultures around the world. "

Zainab Sanyang (website)
“I am a multidisciplinary artist specializing in illustration and animation, currently based in Plymouth, England. I create because I am curious and excited about the world around me and I want to know more, so I can create more dynamic pieces. I really like to bring to life static images and mundane moments of everyday life. For example, bring movement to a clothesline or draw the passing of time. When I create, I love to explore textures which leads me to mainly use simple materials such as pencils and markers which allow me to explore sharp lines and fine details to try to imitate organic textures and subjects, such as people, flora and fauna and the world. around me. In the future I would like to experiment with the search for a combined way of working to unite my traditional voice and my digital voice ”.

Visit filmlondon.org.uk/resource/apply-to-flamin-animations for more information.