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Animation students gain valuable industry insights from Aardman Director Sarah Cox

The renowned animation studio’s Executive Creative Director visited the School of Art & Design to host a guest lecture last month

    Aardman Executive Creative Director Sarah Cox outside the Waverley building
    Sarah Cox outside the Waverley building

    Students on our BA (Hons) Animation course and elsewhere in the School of Art & Design were last month lucky enough to get a guest lecture from Sarah Cox, Executive Creative Director of Aardman, one of the UK’s most successful and well-loved animation studios.

    Founded in 1972, Aardman are known for the iconic technique of stop-motion animation using clay models, as the creators of Wallace and Gromit, Morph and Chicken Run. Sarah joined Aardman as Executive Creative Director in February 2017, bringing with her an extensive amount of experience in the industry.

    Prior to joining Aardman, Sarah was the co-owner and Creative Director of film and animation company ArthurCox, building on her legacy as an award-winning animation producer, director and lecturer. It was therefore an incredibly exciting prospect for the students to hear from Sarah on her extensive experience in the industry.

    Sarah delivered an insightful lecture, and spoke in depth about the animation industry. Her presentation included an overview of the projects she produced at ArthurCox Studio, including the development and production process for her series 'Nina Needs to Go' for Disney.

    She also discussed the production process for the Children’s BAFTA winning Tate Movie Project  'Itch of the Golden Nit' which she directed through Aardman. She then gave advice to students on pitching their ideas to studios, and careers advice including how to present their work.

    Debra Moorshead, Course Leader for MA Animation, commented: “It is so important for our students to hear from industry professionals. Sarah Cox's presentation was full of studio production insights and useful tips for launching their careers. It is also very inspiring for students to see the variety of projects and roles that they can explore following graduation.”

    Published on 22 June 2018
    • Category: School of Art & Design