Tate and Legacy Trust UK announce today the first ever Tate movie. Tate is collaborating with Aardman, the animation company behind Wallace and Gromit, and Fallon, the creative agency that originated the concept. The Tate Movie will be the first of its kind – an animation film made by and for children across the UK.
Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity established to support a wide range of innovative cultural activities which celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has committed £3m to this project.
Showcasing the vivid imaginations of kids, The Tate Movie project will use great artworks to inspire 5-11 year olds nationwide to contribute their ideas to an animated movie. Primary-school aged children will create every aspect of the film, from the hand-drawn characters and plot twists, down to costumes and comic sound effects. Tate and Aardman will run production workshops around the country. Children will also be able to contribute their ideas on an interactive website. The vast bank of material will be brought together by Tate and Aardman in the most impressive way possible using the latest animation technology.
From conception to completion, Tate will work in partnership with a national network of museums and galleries, teachers and children’s services, to offer as many children of all abilities and from all backgrounds the chance to showcase their creativity on this high-profile platform. Tate and Aardman will provide the creative and practical tools for kids to engage with great art from the Tate collections and share their vision with the world.
Nicholas Serota, Director, Tate, said:
This is a uniquely ambitious national project and I am delighted that Legacy Trust UK is supporting it. Over the next two years we will collaborate with the best creative minds, professional and children’s, on an unprecedented scale. Every child in Britain can be involved in The Tate Movie and we will help them to draw on their imaginations, lives and communities whilst developing their visual literacy, and inspiring the artists of the future.
Dugald Mackie, Chair of Legacy Trust UK said:
Legacy Trust UK is delighted to announce Tate as our preferred partner for our national programme aimed at primary-school-aged children. We are keen to enable children to participate in the London 2012 experience by taking part in new creative opportunities, and The Tate Movie project will play a key role in building a sense of enthusiasm and relevance of the 2012 Games for the young participants.
The Olympics are not just about sport, and The Tate Movie project can help not only to engage children in cultural and creative activities in the run up to London 2012, but also to give creative professionals the opportunity to play an important role in placing the UK on the world map as a cultural leader.
Dave Sproxton, Co-Founder and Chairman, Aardman Animations said:
In this age of the creative economy where ideas are the driving force, discovering and nurturing creative ideas in children is of vital importance. This project will encourage school children to design characters and backgrounds, record sounds and voices and contribute individually to this exciting prospect. We want children to be involved at every level and believe that the spontaneity and creativity of the children combined with our professional film making team will create a film that is as inspiring as it is entertaining.
Katrien De Bauw, Group Account Director, Fallon said: ‘We are delighted to work with Tate and Aardman to see this concept come to life. It is a pioneering and future-facing project that will allow every child in the UK the chance to participate and show their creativity.’