On 21 June 2021, ALICE’s partners had their third interregional meeting, followed by a steering committee. As COVID restrictions are still in force – despite being slowly lifted – the session happened online. Discussions focused mostly on the partners’ action plans for concluding the exploration phase of the project and preparing for the next phase, which will start in August 2021.
After two years of collaboration, it was very rewarding to see the project had inspired new initiatives and to note the participants’ desire to apply and adapt ALICE’s solutions to their realities. Depending on the case, the partner regions will prioritize developing the industry network, facilitating the access to funds for animation, or improving educational programmes. Regardless of focus, all are driven by the same desire to carry out actions that are compatible with each other and which move in the direction of greater integration and cohesion at a European level. On that note, the lead partner stressed the importance of continuing to work together on common actions within the framework of these action plans and beyond.
During the Steering Committee meeting that followed, the participants unanimously approved the work carried out by ALICE’s working groups:
- an industry mapping methodology
- the creation of the Wonderland label giving access to a database of animation studios’ key skills and competences and to an innovative funding tool encouraging collaborations during the development phase of animated projects
- the definition of complete training courses based on industry consultation.
The meeting ended with the validation of the structure of ALICE’s White Paper, a handbook of recommendations and turnkey solutions emerging out of the reflections of ALICE. This publication, to be released in the fall, is meant to help policy makers take appropriate action for improved competitiveness through the development of co-productions.
