A Saint Lucian-led initiative aimed at using animation as a tool for climate advocacy has concluded, having brought together emerging artists from across the Caribbean and Africa for six months of training in storytelling and animation production.
The “Climate Voices” 2D Animation Training Project was produced and executed by Malfinis Film and Animation Studio Inc. for Youth IRIE and the Caribbean Climate Justice Project.
Funded by SOLORICON and led by Saint Lucian scientist and climate justice advocate Dr James Fletcher, the programme was designed to teach young creatives how animation can communicate the urgency of climate action and tell stories about the environmental challenges facing their communities.
The six-month training programme followed a regional outreach campaign and portfolio-based selection process. Forty participants from across the Caribbean and beyond took part, including artists from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica and Nigeria.
The project was spearheaded by Milton Edison Branford, manager and creative director of Malfinis Film and Animation Studio Inc., along with a team of facilitators and technical specialists who guided participants through the full animation production process, including scriptwriting, storyboarding, character design, animation production and post-production.
As part of the programme, participants were divided into production teams and tasked with creating original animated short films focused on environmental advocacy and climate change awareness. Three teams presented final animated projects that used visual storytelling to explore the effects and urgency of the climate crisis.
Fletcher praised the quality of the work produced by the participants.
“The animations were smooth, professionally executed, and of a quality comparable to professional studios, even though many of the participants entered the program with little or no prior animation training,” he said.
The completed animations are expected to be featured on organisational websites and social media platforms, where they will serve as advocacy tools to raise awareness of climate change.
The training was delivered in a hybrid format, combining in-person sessions at Malfinis Film and Animation Studio in Saint Lucia with online participation from artists across the region through the studio’s licensed training platform. Toon Boom Animation software was used as the primary production tool throughout the programme.
At the programme’s closing ceremony, trainees received certificates recognising their successful completion of the training. Participants expressed pride and gratitude for the opportunity, noting that the programme helped demystify complex animation concepts while providing valuable professional development and creative confidence.
