Insight shared into the worlds of animation and games
Industry experts from the worlds of games and animation shared special insight at Teesside University’s Animex Festival, which this year marked its 25th anniversary.
Animex celebrates the best of animation, VFX and computer games, with screenings, workshops, guest speakers and exhibitions.
Thousands of people attended this year’s event, held over five days in November at Teesside University and Middlesbrough Town Hall. Headline sponsors included Double 11 and Wacom.
Teesside University BA (Hons) Computer Animation graduate Lucy Kyriakidou, who is now working as a freelance character designer, brought her creative expertise to this year's festival by designing the Animex 2024 logo.
Lucy, who is originally from Greece, said: “When I was creating my design, I really wanted to show the flow and fluidity, which is a big part of animation and games. I wanted something playful, which has always been a big part of Animex mascot history.”
Lucy’s journey with Animex first started as a student when she attended Animex to hear from industry leaders. She later volunteered at an Animex event, before returning as a speaker, to share career industry as part of the community that shaped her career.
The University’s Animex global footprint also widened this year with the launch of Animex South East Asia, which saw the internationally renowned festival expand beyond Middlesbrough with the introduction of an event in Malaysia.
The inaugural two-day South East Asia Animex, which took place in Kuala Lumpur, was held straight after the week-long UK event ended.
South East Asia Animex continued the theme of networking opportunities, with the goal of bringing together thousands of students, creators, and professionals from the animation, games, and visual effects industries. Virtual access was also available for those unable to attend in person.
Dr Jo Noble, Principal Lecturer, External Events, in the University’s School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, said: “Teesside University has an exceptional reputation globally for animation, games and VFX, and we’re always delighted to welcome world-renowned guest speakers and audience members from across globe.
“Animex remains to be a destination event for fans, industry professionals and students who want to learn about the latest developments in the animation, games and visual effects industries.
“It’s amazing to think that Animex has marked its 25th anniversary while continuing to attract a diverse audience, from the next generation of animation, VFX and gaming fans, to future professionals seeking to start their own careers, along with experts who have worked on some of the biggest names in animation and games.”
