Ten animation companies receive Screen Ireland funding to develop immersive projects

A total of 10 Irish animation and interactive content companies will share a €350,000 fund distributed by State development agency Screen Ireland in partnership with trade association Animation Ireland.

The successful projects and concepts selected for the Animation Innovation and Immersive Development Fund 2022 include an immersive experience from the studio Algorithm that follows storms across the Atlantic Ocean, an educational app introducing younger children to the periodic table and science concepts from Turnip + Duck and a virtual reality project from EZ Films that tells the history of Dublin’s demolished Theatre Royal.

The other recipients are Out Left Productions, Little Moon Animation, Emily Aoibheann/1iing heaney, Emagine, Calico Media, AdventurVerse Studios and the studio And Maps and Plans.

Screen Ireland said the fund, which is also supported by Immersive Technologies Skillnet, was part of its ambition to highlight Ireland as a centre of excellence in animation. It is designed to help Irish animators explore the opportunities offered by emerging technologies and support the development of intellectual property (IP).

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“Screen Ireland is committed to driving creative development across all screens, and these original and exciting concept proposals will allow companies to explore new immersive technologies and technical ambitions. We’re looking forward to seeing these projects come to life,” said Screen Ireland chief executive Désirée Finnegan.

The announcement was made at Furthr Festival, which took place in Dublin on Friday.

“Animation is at the cutting edge of new technology in the XR and immersive space and the breadth and quality of the applications is very encouraging. We look forward to the delivery of the projects over the coming months and to seeing them showcased in 2023,” said Animation Ireland chief executive Ronan McCabe.

XR, or extended reality, is an umbrella term for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology.

The Irish animation sector has been in rapid growth for the past decade, with Ireland now boasting several commercially successful and critically acclaimed studios including Brown Bag Films, Boulder Media, Giant Animation and Cartoon Saloon.