BAF award for Bricknell Primary School!

Congratulations to everyone at Bricknell Primary School who are celebrating after their animated documentary of school life was awarded the Young Animators Award at Bradford Animation Festival, beating films made by children and young people around the world.

Me, pupils and teachers and the BAF judges

A child’s view of life at primary school, from the first day to the last, “My Bricknell” features interviews across each school year, stop motion and flipbooks to illustrate the children’s’ individual journeys. From fears of exams, to the wonder of childhood, My Bricknell reveals what it is like to grow up through school in 21^st Century Britain. The professional BAF jury, said, “The clever balance between the children’s voices and mixed media creates a moving and personal portrait of this school.”

Remarkably, this is the 3^rd BAF award Bricknell Primary School have won, a feat never achieved in the festival’s history, in a special partnership with professional animator David Bunting. The collaboration has resulted in a series of internationally celebrated films and a total of 14 awards in just five years that has put Bricknell Primary School in Hull on the animation map. Their last film, “I wish I went to Ecuador” (2011), was screened at the worlds largest Environmental Film Festivals, the U.N. climate change summit, won the support, praise of Al Gore and a Hollywood award.

The film’s tutor, animator David Bunting, who this year worked on Children’s TV favorites, “Shaun the Sheep” and “Chuggington” said, “Bricknell Primary School is a very special place. The school’s ethos of using animation as an educational tool for learning, and the commitment and recognition of the value of that art is unparalleled. With schools finding it harder to engage and finance creative work like this in the curriculum, the BAF award is a timely reminder of how innovative creative excellence and risk taking in education can make a lasting impact on school children. Everything in this film was made by the pupils. Flipbooks felt the perfect medium for children to independently visualise these memories in a unique and personal way. In many ways, I feel My Bricknell is the most pupil centered film we’ve ever made.

Bradford Animation Festival is the country’s biggest and longest running animation Festival which this year celebrated it’s 20^th anniversary. Deb Singleton, Director of the Bradford Animation Festival said, “BAF Kids and The Film by Young Animators Award have become an important feature of the BAF programme, with the number of submissions increasing each year along with the quality and variety of styles. Our Films by Young Animators Award encourages and recognises the development of new talent and we hope young film makers will continue to make their films and submit them to BAF in the years to come. Congratulations to all the pupils at Bricknell Primary School.”

Currently celebrating it’s 80^th Birthday, Bricknell Primary School is a large primary school home to over 600 pupils, serving a culturally diverse community close to the University of Hull. The school’s headteacher, Tim Attwater, said, “We are so proud to have received this award. It is a real credit to the hard work of our talented pupils and staff. This film is really special to us as the entire project was led by the interviews and comments from our children and the lovely things they have to say about our school."