Triggerfish, a well-known animation studio in Cape Town, has partnered with UNESCO to launch The Creator Labs, a breakthrough program to combat gender disparity in Africa’s creative sectors. This program seeks to support and elevate women in animation across the continent.
This project is critical for Africa’s film and audiovisual industry, which contributes over $5 billion to the continent’s GDP and employs over 5 million people. Despite these remarkable figures, women, particularly women of colour, are substantially underrepresented in industry leadership roles.
The Creator Labs will provide a specialized capacity-building program for female animators. It brings together Triggerfish’s industry experience with UNESCO’s educational materials. The program has two major components: a Director’s Lab and an Animation Art Lab. Participants will benefit from master lectures, mentorship, and important networking opportunities.
“Empowering African women in animation is critical,” stated Carina Lücke, Director of the Triggerfish Foundation. “Our relationship with UNESCO aims to promote gender equality in animation. By focusing on leadership roles, we stimulate creativity and innovation while breaking down barriers to a more diverse industry.”
Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, highlighted the significance of this project. He stated, “UNESCO’s research on the African film business revealed major inequalities in education and training, which disproportionately impact women. We can improve women’s job chances in TV and film by providing technical and vocational animation training.”
The evening will feature a strong lineup of industry specialists, including Ng’endo Mukii, Tshepo Moche, and Caroline Vos from the renowned Disney+ series Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, as well as international talent like Cinzia Angelini and Nadia Darries.
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Aspiring participants can apply from today until January 5, 2025. Online seminars and mentorship sessions will be offered between March and May 2025. Furthermore, training materials will be freely available online via Triggerfish Academy, ensuring a broader reach and impact.
This effort relies on Triggerfish’s extensive animation experience, including noteworthy film works like Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire for Disney+ and Supa Team 4 for Netflix and other short films for international production companies.
