Netflix Launches Animation Mentorship Program For Underrepresented Communities

Netflix’s in-house animation studio will mentor young artists, chiefly from underrepresented communities, as part of a new initiative.

Netflix Animation Foundations Program launches in September with a first intake of artists, who come from the Latinx and neurodiverse communities. Each will be paired with a mentor.

Over four months, the mentees will receive “mentorship on the industry, career advice, and guidance with editing and curating professionally-styled portfolios, writing samples, or resumes.” The idea is to prepare them for a career in animation, helping them compete against those with industry connections or a top degree.

The mentees were selected in collaboration with LatinX in Animation, which helps develop Latinx talent in the industry, and Exceptional Minds, which provides digital arts education for the autistic community. Netflix’s program is not open to general applications: for now, only people associated with its partner organizations will be eligible.