Animation UK’s Oli Hyatt has called for declarations of interest in joining a proposed new industry body for animation.

In its eight years, Oli has acheived very real successes leading Animation UK, in particular the tax breaks for animation for television. But as he points out, it remains an informal organisation. There’s no official trad body for animation. And animation isn’t even officially counted as an industry at all, which makes it all but impossible to get its voice heard. As Lindsay Watson’s review of policy and children’s animated series has highlighted, “at policy level Britain’s animation industry is severely under represented.”

So, as Oli says, ‘it’s time to get serious about our industry. It’s time to invest and get the support and recognition we deserve.”

This isn’t news to AAUK, and it’s encouraging that whilst Animation UK’s focus has been on children’s television, the ambition is that the new organisation would address business, culture and skills in equal measure.

You can read Lindsay’s report on the Animation UK website here.

Oli has outlined his proposals in a letter here – and he’s asking for feedback and expressions of interest by 25 March 2016.