Fancy spending an evening in the pub with Bob Godfrey, or taking a trip to the cinema with Ray Harryhausen?

Strangely both could be become reality this February, with the launch of Animation 2001 at the University of Teesside.

Animation 2001 will take place on February 1 to 2, 2001 on the multi-million pound redeveloped university campus in the heart of Middlesbrough. The two-day event will be hosted by the University's School of Computing and Mathematics, and will include workshops, masterclasses and seminars in brand new conference suites and newly equipped computer labs.

University animation lecturers, Chris Williams and Siobhan Fenton, are the people behind the event, which aims to examine the creation of classic and contemporary animation. Chris said: "Here at the University of Teesside, we decided that there weren't enough opportunities for animators, at any level, to get together and listen to some of the greats talk about their work. When you look at who we've invited to come and talk, we think that being in the audience for a line up of this calibre is an opportunity too great to turn down."

The guest speakers that the organisers boast of include representatives from Aardman Animation, Framestore, The Mill, Rushes, Dreamworks, Dudok De Wit Animation and Cosgrove Hall Films. To close the event on the afternoon of Friday 2 February, animation legend Ray Harryhausen will deliver a retrospective of his work in the state-of-the-art University cinema. Tickets are also available to hear Bob Godfrey in conversation with the University's own media professor, Paul Wells, at The Cornerhouse, just next to the University, in the town. Bob will be speaking on the evening of Thursday 1st February.

"In just one year, the animation industry has seen this festival at the University of Teesside grow from humble beginnings to an event of international acclaim", explained Siobhan. "It promises to be one of the biggest conferences of animation ever held in the UK. Our aim is to provide a much needed forum for practitioners and students to meet, review and celebrate all aspects of animation whilst listening to the views of the experts in the field." The interest generated by this, and last years events have meant that plans are already underway for Animation 2002.

---