Summer 2026 Teen ANIMATION/ANIME Course | 5 Week or 3 Week Options

Join us for our famed Summer Teen Animation Program in Washington D.C.!

Get ready to unleash your creativity and learn the art of stop-action motion and 2D drawn and digital animation, including how to make a short film. This in-person course offers a fantastic opportunity for teens to explore their passion for storytelling through art, drawing, collage and film. You will have a unique chance to meet interesting professionals and see how they work. Our instructor is a trained animator with a wealth of knowledgre and proven teaching skills.

This is an intensive program: 5 hours a day, 5 days a week.

3 week course: June 29-July 17 - Introduction to stop-action motion, claymation and 2D digital animation. You get a delicious taste of animation but without a final finished piece.

5 week course: June 29-July 31 - The Whole Works --- and we celebrate with a wonderful showcase at the end.

Includes:

• Learn essential tools and techniques – flip books and intro to character animation
• Anime character drawing and animating
• Stop Motion and Claymation
• Producing a final short film
• Equipment: Provided, but if you have a laptop or tablet / pencils and paper for drawing, do bring!
• For ages 14-17 (we will accept 12/13 year old if interested).
• Requirements: NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED! - WE WORK WITH YOU AT YOUR LEVEL. We ask participants for 75% attendance and we give Certificates of Completion to those who do. Taking a one week vacation is fine but this is not a drop-in experience, so please commit to really benefit.
  Meeting schedule: June 29-Aug 31, Mon to Fri 12.30-5.30pm, in-person. August 31st afternoon is the showcase of all the final work.

Venue is two blocks from Dupont Circle Metro Station in a safe and secure facility.
Cost: FREE for all the participants after a required, non-returnable $75 (DC residents) / $95 (non DC residents) registration fee to cover incidentals. Once you have signed up here, we will get in touch to have you fill in our form. Once admitted, you will be asked to pay the registration fee to secure your place in the program.

Maximum Participants: 18 slots
If you have any further questions, please contact Director Deirdre E-P at [email protected] with Animation Program in the subject line.

Photo by BP Miller on Unsplash

and Emmanuel Acua on Unsplash

and FRANCESCO TOMMASINI on Unsplash

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Host or Publisher DC Independent Film Festival (DCIFF)