Aardman/RCA Animation (Taught)

The two-year Aardman RCA Animation MFA is a new programme, with its first intake in September 2027. The programme is a collaborative programme between the RCA and Aardman designed to develop your authorial voice across any animation technique, medium or genre. Students create their own animated project while benefiting from studio space, technical facilities, mentorship and support from both institutions. The programme combines a year of practice-based, academically rigorous study at the RCA in London with a year-long professional residency at Aardman’s world-renowned studios in Bristol, preparing graduates to become confident and innovative leaders within the animation industry.

About RCA:

The Royal College of Art is the world’s leading postgraduate art and design university, providing students with unrivalled opportunities to develop their practice, build their networks, enhance their career and to deliver art and design projects that transform the world.

For 12 consecutive years, the RCA has been ranked as the world’s number 1 art & design university in the QS World University subject rankings (2015-2026) - attracting artists, designers and communicators from across the globe.

Course Modules

Term 1

In Term 1, you will study Serious Play, exploring a wide range of creative practices and their cultural, historical and critical contexts. Through rapid prototyping and experimentation, you will develop ideas and receive feedback from tutors and peers. You will also present a poster at the Animation Autumn Symposium, with a focus on inventive approaches to form and concept.

Term 2

In Term 2, you will study Development and Exploration, refining the ideas and skills developed in Term 1 into a plan for a sustained animation project. Through experimentation and research, you will develop your creative process and articulate the influences that inform your practice. Alongside this, you will take a College-wide Elective, working with students from other disciplines on cross-disciplinary challenges.

Term 3

In Term 3, you will study Independent Research Planning, focusing on the development of your main animation project. You will refine your concept, create proofs of concept and production materials, and critically position your work through research. Working with tutors from the RCA and Aardman, you will also develop a production plan for the next stage of the programme.

Term 4 & 5

In the second year, terms 4 & 5, you will undertake a residency at Aardman Academy in Bristol through two units: Animation Professional Residency One and Two. During this period, you will bring your MFA project into full production, working with Aardman staff to deliver a professional animated work. The residency will be completed in a finished animation ready for public screening, along with a distribution plan.

Please refer to the programme webpage for the most accurate and up-to-date information about the programme, its structure, modules and any updates or changes.

https://www.rca.ac.uk/study/programme-finder/aardman-rca-animation-mfa-professional-residency/