ACMI in partnership with Ludo Studio announces $10,000 animation residency at ACMI X

ACMI in partnership with Ludo Studio announces $10,000 animation residency at ACMI X

ACMI has partnered with Ludo Studio, the Emmy-award winning production company behind Bluey, Robbie Hood and The Strange Chores, to establish a 3-month $10,000 residency giving local animators the opportunity to create the next global hit from the creative incubator housed at Australia’s national museum of screen culture.

The ACMI X + Ludo Studio Residency will support an emerging animator or animation team with up to two professional credits through $10,000 of project funding, regular mentoring from Ludo Studio animators and a fully subsidised residency at ACMI X, to develop a project ready for pitching in the Australian and international marketplace.  

First opened in 2016, ACMI X is a hub for creative practitioners, startups and businesses working with creative technology across film, television, videogames and screen-based art, supported by Major Research Partner RMIT University. Now housed above the museum in Fed Square, this creative incubator has fostered collaboration and partnerships between ACMI X residents and ACMI’s own employees across a range of disciplines.

The ACMI X + Ludo Studio Residency has been set up to facilitate insights into the creative practice and career pathways of the Ludo Studio team, which made history when Bluey became the second most streamed show in the US for all of 2023, amassing 43.9 billion minutes watched (Source: Variety).

The winning recipient will also be invited to showcase their project at an ACMI X Screen Industry Works-in-Progress night, supported by RMIT University, and participate in the one-day Animation Symposium, presented in partnership with Ludo Studio. This full-day event, to be held at ACMI in late 2024, will deliver an unmissable opportunity for screen practitioners and animation fans alike to hear from the Ludo Studio team and other key voices in Australian animation.

The Symposium will address a range of topics that connect the dots between artistic practice and building a sustainable animation workforce in Australia – providing an understanding of the formal and alternate pathways animators and studios can take when creating and distributing work. More Symposium details to be announced soon.

ACMI Director & CEO Seb Chan said: “We’re ecstatic to partner with Ludo Studio on this residency program and symposium to grow and nurture local animation talent. As the hub for screen culture, ACMI is committed to supporting our screen practitioners to thrive – and maybe even inspire the next locally made global hit animation!”

Ludo Studio Producer Sam Moor said: “Ludo Studio are really honoured to be asked to be involved in this residency; ACMI is such an important window into our industry and it’s great that we are able to give a real-life opportunity to the next generation of animators in Australia.”

Submissions for the ACMI X + Ludo Studio Residency are open now until 20 May 2024. The winning recipient will be selected by ACMI and Ludo Studio and announced in late June. For further information and submission guidelines, visit acmi.net.au

NOTES TO EDITORS:
Download media assets here.

About ACMI
ACMI is Australia’s national museum of screen culture. The museum reopened in February 2021 after a two-year, $40 million redevelopment – an architectural, programmatic and technological transformation. Navigate the universe of film, TV, videogames and art with ACMI. The museum celebrates the wonder and power of the world’s most democratic artform – fostering the next generation of makers, players and watchers. ACMI’s vibrant calendar of exhibitions, screenings, commissions, festivals, and industry and education programs explore the stories, technologies and artists that create our shared screen culture. More at acmi.net.au

About Ludo Studio
Ludo is an independently owned three-time Emmy®, BAFTA, Logie, AACTA, Rose d'Or Award and Asian Academy Award winning studio and Screen Producers Australia, Business of the Year. Ludo creates and produces original drama, comedy, animation and digital stories for the world from Australia. Ludo now makes the most popular series on Australian TV and the No. 1 show on Disney+ in the US. Ludo recently created the concept for the highest grossing horror feature release in A24's history. More at ludostudio.com.au