What is a Good Animation Programme and Who Decides?

What is a Good Animation Programme and Who Decides? Criteria for Assessing the Quality and Standards of an Animation Programme

Abstract

In the 1990s, as part of the UK government’s effort to bring education to a larger section of the population, there was a sudden increase in animation courses. From less than 5 BA animation courses in 1992, there are now 40 universities and colleges offering animation at BA level.

With the additional number of animation courses on offer, and in response to students finding it progressively difficult to choose the right animation course for them, a number of rating systems have been created through which animation programmes are assessed.

This paper will examine the assessment criteria that various assessing bodies such as the QAA and NSS set for rating animation programmes.

The paper will also investigate other mechanisms from within the world of animation, such as festivals and professional animation associations, and the roles that these other systems might have in directly or indirectly influencing and determining the quality and standards of established animation programmes.

Through a series of interviews with representatives from established and newer animation programmes within the UK, the paper will be an investigation into the relevance of the criteria used to assess UK-based animation programmes.