Aardman Academy Launches Global University Partnership Program

Aardman has launched the Partnership Program, a global initiative which will allow universities in the U.K. and abroad to offer services coordinated by the Aardman Academy.

Program details:

• Launched in 2013, the Aardman Academy was established to nurture talent and strengthen ties between the animation industry and education, providing development for animation professionals as well as outreach training and talent progression opportunities.
• Through the Partnership Program, five U.K. and 10 international university partners will have access to online and in-person training from Aardman Academy personnel. The academy will also provide portfolio feedback and host a suite of masterclasses for the partner organizations and their students. Those based in the U.K. will also be invited to visit Aardman and see the studio in action.
• The program is available in three tiers: Partner, Member, and Associate. The first Partner organization is The Northern School of Art and the first Member is New York’s School of Visual Arts. A detailed description of what is included with each tier can be found here.
• According to Aardman, the program is intended to build deeper relationships with universities and colleges which will lead to meaningful conversations across the animation industry.
• Mark Simon Hewis, head of the Aardman Academy, said: “We’ve been working incredibly hard to find a solution where we can support both students and universities alike while striving to get as close to an open-door policy as possible without diluting an industry-leading level of teaching and training. Our new partnership scheme allows us to plug directly into degree courses and collaborate with academics and heads of schools from across the world to offer an insight into the industry that so many current students are looking for from their chosen courses.”