The Scottish Animation Group
By the turn of the new millennium, Scotland’s small animation sector was growing in size and in confidence. We were all involved in exciting projects across the country, but there was no channel through which we could communicate with each other and with the outside world.
In 2001 the first Projector festival was held in Glasgow, showcasing animation and providing a rare opportunity for animators, producers, students and educators to get together and share their experiences. The festival was sold out.
The following year, a paper was prepared promoting a Scottish Animation Forum, and circulated to PACT, Scottish Screen, Scottish Enterprise and other bodies. In London the PACT Animation Group was already transforming itself into a formidable lobby on behalf of animation producers, playing a part in the establishment of the Skillset Animation Forum.
Inspired by the increased dynamism of Scotland’s animation industry, PACT Scotland started an Animation Group in 2003, which met regularly to discuss issues, share information, and invite speakers to address the group informally on topics of interest. The group was chaired by Ken Anderson (Red Kite).
Over the past few years, public bodies have taken a close interest in the burgeoning animation sector, and networking events have been organised by Scottish Development International, Scottish Enterprise, MEDIA, Skillset, Scottish Screen and PACT. The Projector festival has continued to grow, establishing itself as a vital date in the Scottish animation calendar.
In 2004 the chair of the PACT Scotland Animation Group passed to Catrìona Black (Am Bocsa). Within a few months, PACT was restructured, its Scottish section merging into PACT Nations and Regions. Keen to retain our Scottish profile, the animation group chose to continue on an independent basis.
Now called the Scottish Animation Group (SAG), we took the opportunity to broaden our membership to include a wide range of practitioners, students and educators from across Scotland, as well as representatives from public institutions. Though operating without a budget, our meetings have been generously supported by PACT and by Scottish Enterprise.
In March 2006, animation producer Sueann Smith was elected as third convener of the Scottish Animation Group, and the long-awaited SAG website was born. Freelance Animator Iain Gardner has convened the Group since October 2007. We hope you find it useful, and if you have any comments or questions, we would be delighted to hear from you.