Information for Schools & Colleges

Outreach Initiatives

Higher Education Outreach Network (HEON)

Kent and Medway Collaborative Outreach Programme (KaMCOP)

If you are looking to make your mark as an animator, illustrator or computer animation artist, our BA and MA animation degrees will help you get there.

You might see your future as a director, storyboard artist, book illustrator or character designer – whatever your ambitions in this dynamic field, our courses will give you the tools and confidence you need.

As you study, you'll link up with students on other courses to collaborate on exciting projects and competitions, and benefit from the knowledge and wisdom of visiting lecturers and industry experts. Working in our state of the art suites and studios , you'll use the latest software and innovations to create your work.

Over the years we are proud to say we've taught some of the biggest names in the industry, including BAFTA-winner Grant Orchard, Golden Globe winner Chris Butler and the creators of Peppa Pig and the Compare the Meerkat characters.

Every year Animation students welcome all creatures great and small to the UCA for a life drawing session.

This year, we welcomed the animals back to see their pawtraits for themselves...

For her final project, Izzy chose to create a hand-drawn 2D animation film, called Changing Room, based on her own experiences with body image.

The film shows a character who Izzy describes as having “hip dips, leg hair, saggy boobs and fat,” who goes swimming.

With this project, I'm proud of myself for leaving my comfort zone and making something personal... [The film] does seem to resonate. People who’ve watched it tell me they've tried on their swimsuit and twisted and turned in the mirror and thought of my character, and I love that. I hope they remember the ending where the character is at peace with her body.

One of life’s great questions – where DO all the socks go? is answered in wondrous ways by BA (Hons) Computer Animation Arts graduate Kimberley Davis, who is one of hundreds of graduates exhibiting their work at this year’s Graduation Shows.

Her charming short film entitled “Where do all the socks go?”, sees hidden creatures steal odd socks for comfort while occupants sleep.

David Hulin graduated in 1998 with a degree in Animation, which at the time was the only degree of its kind offered in Europe.

Since then, he’s gone on to become a powerhouse in CGI animation and VFX for hundreds of commercials for the US market and has worked on a number of films and television shows too, including Harry Potter and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

There’s still time to apply for this September! We have places available through Clearing right now – get in touch and we can help you to find a course you’ll love.

Clearing at UCA Call: 01252 918 240

What’s it like being a student at UCA?

That’s a big question. Get some answers from people who are studying right here, right now.

Chat to a student

Animation is one of the most significant and rapidly expanding media fields, with an enormous range of career opportunities. Some of these include:

Directing

Producing

Animation (for commercials, films, broadcast, online media and games)

Editing

Character design

Model making

Production design

Pre-vis artistry

Compositing

Storyboard artistry

Post-production

Many well-known studios have been set up by our alumni, including:

Animade

Astley Baker Davies (makers of Peppa Pig)

Film Fabrik

Honeycomb Animation (makers of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids)

Mackinnon & Saunders

Moth Collective

Slurpy Studios

Tandem Pictures.

This gives our course very solid links to a vibrant industry, and we enjoy connections with a range of creative talent, studios and potential employers.