Kilkenny animators concerned for their futures issue plea to Government ahead of Budget 2024

It is understood that animators in Kilkenny, along with the rest of the animation workforce in Ireland, are genuinely concerned for their futures.

They’ve issued a pre-Budget submission, through Animation Ireland, calling on Government to take action for the industry here in Kilkenny and across the regions.

One of the key issues being brought to Government is the fact that a hugely successful Regional Film Development Uplift initiative was created in 2019, with the aim of supporting broader regional development of the audio-visual sector in Ireland.

The initiative worked by enhancing the standard Section 481 Tax Credit by 5% initially, before reducing it down to 2% up until December 2023, when it came to an end. 

According to sources in the industry, there has been little to no talk about it being relaunched and that losing such a vital investment, entirely focused on regional development with Kilkenny as a core part of it, makes little sense at a time when a strategic all-island plan is needed to ensure the successful future of a sustainable and thriving animation industry in Ireland.

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The Animation Ireland pre-Budget 2025 submission to Government asks for investment to uplift the animation sector here, so it can thrive and grow. 

Key to this is that Government take steps to re-imagine and re-launch the Regional Film Development Uplift at 8% ring fenced for a minimum of 10 years.

The reintroduction of a regional tax incentive may take time to implement, so in the meantime Animation Ireland and their members would like to see the establishment of an Interim Regional Audiovisual Development Fund of €10 million and the funding of a Regional Department within Screen Ireland.

Claire Finn, CEO at Lighthouse Studios in Kilkenny explained that Lighthouse Studios specifically based itself in Kilkenny to help create an animation hub with Cartoon Saloon.

"Situated in the beautiful Kieran's College, it not only gives this iconic old building a totally modern purpose," she said.

"It brings talent from all over Ireland, and indeed the world, to create and execute some of the world’s most well-known series, for providers like Netflix, Apple, Amazon and others, winning multiple awards including a BAFTA.

"It also now is developing multiple projects of its own IP. Animation is a slow process and it involves large numbers of artists. It is vital to attract talent to the studios who will consider staying in Kilkenny and creating a life and home here, to train and mentor young upcoming talent, and indeed many of our crew have done that.

"Creating a hub allows the studios to offer more consistent work to crew and ensure the sustainability of talent and employment in the region. 

"As all creative industries are subject to the foibles of the content market, and considering how much has changed with the introduction of the streamers and now AI, it is imperative that we be able to survive the down periods as well as the up times.

"We must be competitive with our foreign friends in the industry and having extra incentives to help innovate new pipelines will promote sustainable and new ways of working to keep us known as a centre for excellence in animation and enable us to thrive in Kilkenny long into the future."

Focused on Kilkenny, Galway, Clare, Louth and Roscommon, the Regional Film Development Uplift proved to be of enormous benefit in driving the Irish animation industry forward, and some of those benefits are listed below:

It enabled the animation industry to expand studio presence into regions across the island of Ireland;
It created jobs in animation beyond the greater Dublin area;
It drove regional talent bases, creating work opportunities for animation professionals;
It grew regional skills, creating learning opportunities for students in those regions;
It provided long-term continuous employment in the regions;
It delivered an understanding of Ireland’s regions as highly viable locations for remote and hybrid work in animation;
It brought people from all over the world to live, work and lay down roots in the regions;
It increased opportunities for participation;
It helped revitalise local communities and uplift local economies;
It fed into other domestic and European strategies such as the Smart Specialisation Strategy for the Digital Creative; Industries, the National Broadband Strategy and Regions of Enterprise initiatives.

See the full Animation Ireland pre-Budget 2025 Submission at animationireland.com

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