Connect with your industry peers

About

Step into a world where creativity thrives and connections are made. Our events bring together Animation and Games industry professionals from across Ireland and the UK. Whether you're here to network, collaborate, or simply be inspired, you're in the right place.

Join us at the next event and meet other local professionals!

Where it Began…

In post pandemic times we realised that with the majority of Animation and Games companies in Northern Ireland now working remote, we missed the real life connections with our colleagues and animation friends. We wanted to create a quarterly event for industry professionals to not only reconnect, but to also network and make new connections within a friendly, supportive and most of all fun environment!

By bringing together all the local talent, and those further afield, we also created a unique opportunity for hiring studios to target available talent for their crew! Today, we have an established, thriving hub of creatives who look forward to making Belfast a better-connected centre for professionals

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Welcome to the Network

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Follow the link below to our store to browse and buy tickets for our next events.

Meet the Team

Ash O'Brien

Co Founder
I discovered animation as a curious child, always tinkering and snapping photos to bring my ideas come to life with animation. Fast forward a decade, I picked up a degree in animation & design and have now spent the past 10 years working in the industry on shoes such as Pinkalicious, Bluey and I am currently a team leader on Peppa Pig.
Throughout the pandemic I felt that we were losing one of my favourite parts of being in the animation world. With many studios moving to fully remote productions we no longer had the face to face contacts that filled a studio full of energy and fun vibes. We drifted apart.
In 2022, Me and Craig put our heads together and brainstormed how we can pull us all back together without the use of zoom! Our dream for AniMates was to create a hub of super creative and talented people. To provide a place for contacts to be made, colleagues to reconnect, collaborations to be born, and to connect employers with employees. But mostly, to have fun and hang out with like minded people! I feel like we have been successful in this endeavour
Craig Fish

Co Founder
Craig is an Animation Director with Paper Owl Films, with over 20 years in the industry and experience in almost every stage of the animation production pipeline. His credits span 13 animated series, 1 feature film, numerous shorts and 10 illustrated books.
Craig noticed there was a constant demand for skilled talent that studios couldn’t reach, yet at the same time, the best professionals he knew couldn’t find any work! Something wasn't working. This disconnect is what Animates was designed to fix. By bringing all the studios, and all the creatives in Ireland together: Everyone under one roof, connecting work to workers.
“At AniMates…there is a pool of talent that can straddle Games, Animation and Live Action Studios. We encourage everyone to move beyond their bubbles and share their expertise. We can bring any level of Professional into the room for you.”
Coming soon..

Head of Promotions