The Animation Trainer’s Meeting is a dedicated event within the EU-co-funded project FAN – Festivals Animation Network, bringing together animation professionals, educators, and institutional representatives to present best practices and pedagogical methods. The programme features contributions from the partner festivals of the FAN network, the AWG – the educational section of ASIFA International (the International Animated Film Association), the Hellenic Centre of Audiovisual Media and Creation, and the Portuguese educational organisation ANILUPA, aiming to exchange knowledge and experiences on education through animation.

1. FAN – Festivals Animation Network: Educational Actions in Southern Europe

Cristina Novo- CINANIMA- educational programs project manager PT/EU

Coordinated by CINANIMA (Portugal) with partners in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus, FAN develops initiatives under the tagline To Watch, To Expand. Its activities include the Film Program Tour, the European Young Talent Award, the Perspectives on European Animation Symposium, the FRAME educational project, the International Trainers Meeting, the FAN.HUB platform, and a dedicated app. Together they promote European animation, foster collaboration, and highlight the educational power of the medium.

2. Cinematherapy by Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Center: From Cinema to emotional Understanding and education

Denise Nikolakou, Creator of the Cinematherapy Programme GR/EU

Cinematherapy by the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center– Creative Hub GR uses cinema as both a pedagogical and therapeutic tool, offering an innovative model that can inspire educators, students, and those working with vulnerable social groups. Through film screenings and guided discussions, participants cultivate empathy and self-awareness while strengthening social cohesion. The programme opens new pathways for integrating the art of cinema into education and creative learning.

3. ANILUPA – 30 Years of Educational Practice in Formal and Non-Formal Context

Carla Correia- CLIA ANILUPA of Associação de Ludotecas do Porto PT/EU

For three decades, ANILUPA has integrated animation into schools and community settings, empowering learners through participatory film-making and creative audiovisual practices. Its projects foster critical thinking and self-expression across generations. Recent initiatives include school collaborations and intergenerational workshops, highlighting the educational and cultural value of animation.

4. Animating the Margins: Building Communities through Imaginaria Experience

Beatrice Mazzone Animation Director, Coordinator of Educational Activities Imaginaria Animation Festival ΙΤ/EU

Imaginaria Experience, the year-round outreach programme of the Imaginaria Festival, has engaged over 3,000 children and teens from underserved areas with the power of animated cinema. Through workshops, school screenings, and residencies, animation becomes a tool for education, inclusion, and community building—where young people not only watch films but also create, evaluate, and grow with them.

5. Countryside Animafest Cyprus – Planting the seeds of animation in Cyprus

Yiorgos Tsangaris- Artist, Animator, Educator- Countryside Animafest Cyprus CY/EU

Countryside Animafest Cyprus team uses year-round workshops and trainings with children, teenagers, and adults to cultivate animation in Cyprus. In a country with a complex past, where the practice and culture of animation are still emerging, these initiatives aim to build a strong foundation for young artists—helping them understand the medium, embrace its expressive potential, and contribute to the growth of a new creative field.

6. The 3 Cs in Education: Creativity, Critical Viewing, Visual Culture

Eirini Andriopoulou, Director of Creative Hub at the Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Center, Executive Director CIFEJ GR/EU

As head of Creative Hub GR at the Hellenic Center for Cinema, Audiovisual Media and Creativity (E.K.K.O.ME.D.), Eirini Andriopoulou leads educational initiatives that merge creativity, critical viewing, and visual culture. With long-standing expertise in audiovisual education policy, she demonstrates how the “3 Cs” approach empowers educators, media professionals, and learners, fostering a vibrant culture of critical and creative engagement with audiovisual media.

7. Presentation of the Digital Movie Platform for Schools – CINEDU

Ilias Tasopoulos CINEDU Coordinator/ Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Center GR/EU

CINEDU is a digital platform that integrates cinema into education. It offers a diverse catalogue of short and feature films (fiction, documentaries, animation) with curriculum-linked resources, while best practices from its second year highlight its growing impact in regional schools.

8. Animation Workshop Group through the Decades - AWG ASIFA International

Anastasia Dimitra, President ASIFA International GR/EU

 Alkistis Tsikou, Secretary AWG GR/EU

Deanna Morse, animation artist, emeritus professor, past president of ASIFA US

Since 1971, ASIFA’s Animation Workshop Group (AWG) has involved children worldwide in creative animation projects. Through annual workshops on shared themes, it fosters artistic expression, cross-cultural dialogue, and collaboration. This presentation highlights AWG’s methodology, achievements, and challenges, showing how animation serves as an educational and communicative tool for children of all backgrounds.

9. ANIMASYROS Education: Art without Barriers – Workshops for People with Disabilities and Seniors

Elena Pavlaki, Director, Animator, Educator / Anna Oikonomou, Director, Animator, Educator / Margarita Simopoulou, Director, Animator, Educator

Through its ANIMASYROS Education programme, the Animasyros International Animation Festival has, for the past 18 years, designed and implemented informal education activities using animation techniques for diverse social groups, with a special focus on people with disabilities and seniors. Rooted in the principles of equality and respect, the workshops cultivate creative skills for the digital age and foster inclusion at both local and broader levels. The Animasyros trainers share their experiences.