The huge growth in our consumption of media on small-screen mobile devices is changing the landscape for visual content creators. Programme makers and advertisers are hungry for imaginative, entertaining work, especially moving-image and animation. This course responds to this demand and embraces the natural link between illustration and animation.Our students engage with traditional and experimental illustration and animation processes that offer alternatives to a pervasive digital aesthetic. This includes illustration that moves, animation that isn’t led by drawing, and short, sharp, witty film-making that doesn’t require lengthy and expensive production. You will share a studio space with the specialist illustration students, and work closely as a group to discuss ideas and support each other. You will become adept in the creative cycle of research, planning, developing, shaping, making and finishing, for a wide range of outcomes. The final year allows you to experiment with more ambitious projects in either illustration, animation, or both, defining your own specialism and preparing a distinctive portfolio and showreel.

A range of expert visiting practitioners contribute significantly to the course. These have included award-winning Illustrators: Clive Hicks-Jenkins, Jonny Hannah, Alice Pattullo, Geoffrey Grandfield, Mark Hearld, Martin Ursell and Rebecca Gibbon and Animators: BAFTA winning director Jonathan Hodgson and Sandra Salter of Salty’s Animation. Our students have taken part in seminars at Hay Festival with Quentin Blake, Oliver Jeffers and teamed up with HCA honorary fellow Nick Sharrat. You will meet professional practitioners on inspiring local, national and international visits. In the past students have met Creative Director Barbara Ryan in Amsterdam, and Animation Oscar-nominated Javier Mariscal in Barcelona.

You will be able to use your showreel to begin your career as a freelance illustrator-animator, or to work in-house for related media and design houses or multi-media production companies. Graduates are also equipped for a broad range of roles in the creative industries as technicians, demonstrators and teachers, or may progress to further study as part of an MA programme.

1. Boost your employability with flexible skills across illustration and animation. 2. Explore expressive, innovative, creative animation.3. Small group teaching in a friendly studio environment with exceptional access to tutorial and technical support.4. Inspiring invited practitioners and visits.5. Develop your own visual language and evolve a unique style