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AUB Animation Competition 2026

Animation still of school kids around a table in a canteen.

AUB Animation Competition 2026

The BA (Hons) Animation Production team at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) is hosting an animation competition for young creatives.

This is a great chance to showcase your animation work at the recently opened state-of-the-art South House Cinema at AUB. All successful animations selected by a panel of experts will be screened in Autumn 2026 at an event that all participants are welcome to attend.

Any method of animation can be used.

Prize: One animation will be awarded a Hobby Craft voucher worth £100.

Submit your work before 17.00 on Thursday 10 September 2026.

Submit as individual Submit as school/college

Theme

The theme for this year’s competition is Finding Your Flow.

The brief for this animation is quite open; it could be character-based or abstract. The animation can be very connected to sound or it might be totally silent. Whatever you choose to make, ensure it has a little bit of joy in it!

Eligibility

  • Any pupils attending school in the UK aged between 11–18 years of age.
  • Animations can be made by individuals or as groups.
  • Each member of the group must be of age 11–18 years old.
  • The animation must have been made in 2026.

Animation specifications

The animation must have a maximum run time of 30 seconds (excluding credits).

The video files submitted must be exported as:

  • MP4 or MOV file
  • 25 fps
  • 1920 x 1080p (16:9 aspect ratio)

Please name your file with the lead animator’s surname and the name of the school they attend, e.g. Turner_ArtsUniversityBournemouth.mp4.

Audio and sound effects may be included but aren't required.

No copyrighted imagery, character likenesses or audio can be included.

All films require a credits list. All people who've worked on the animation must be listed in the credits at the end of the video.

The AUB logo, initials and/or name mustn't be featured in the submitted video.

Audience considerations

The audience will be a wide demographic, but will be predominantly families with children. The content should have this in mind.

Selection criteria

Judges will consider:

  • Technical merit
  • Content and composition
  • Imagination and style
  • Relevance to the theme

Submitting your animation doesn't guarantee screening. The judges won't enter any discussion or correspondence regarding their decision; the decision of the judges will be final and not subject to any appeal.

Contact details

Completed animations must be submitted to schools@aub.ac.uk before 17.00 on Thursday 10 September 2026.

For submitting larger files, we suggest that you use wetransfer.com.