Helen Brunsdon

With over thirty years experience, Helen has worked extensively in the animation industry, firstly joining the BBC as a production co-ordinator and then as an assistant for the Cardiff International Animation Festival. Joining Aardman in 1993, she established herself within production and was approached by S4C to produce two ‘World Faith’ animated films. She then worked as a production co-ordinator on ‘Wife of Bath’ directed by Joanna Quinn and produced by Les Mills, Beryl Productions, which received an Academy Award nomination and a host of other awards at major International Animation Festivals.

In 1999 Helen, returned to Aardman Animations where she played an important part in developing new projects for Aardman’s Broadcast production slate and heading up the short film content, executive producing the Bafta winning THE PEARCE SISTERS. Since December 2008 she has worked as a freelance animation producer and consultant for clients including ArthurCox, Brothers McLeod, Kindle, The Foundation, Sesame Street, Wonky, Snapper-Films, South West Screen, North West Vision, Childrens Media Conference, Creative Skillset and CBBC. The Brothers McLeod series QUIFF & BOOT which Helen produced won a Kids Bafta in 2012. Both NINA NEEDS TO GO and CHILDREN OF THE HOLOCAUST were nominated in 2014 for Kids Bafta. Between October 2014- November 2016 Helen became the animation associate for Creative Skillset, working across the Animation, VFX and games sectors. Throughout 2017-2018 she remained an associate with Creative Skillset (newly named ScreenSkills), working across Animation.

In Dec 2016 Helen became the Director of Animation UK and left in March 2018 to become the Director of the British Animation Awards (BAA).

In addition to her busy work schedule she finds time to programme animation and moderate sessions for festivals, has sat on the board for South West Screen (2006-2012), Animated Exeter, the British Animation Awards and is a visiting lecturer in animation at UWE (Bristol) and Univ College Falmouth. She has been on the advisory board for Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival and Animated Encounters and was a special jury member for SICAF, Seoul Animation festival in 2004, Trickfilm festival, Stuttgart in 2007 and Supinfocom 2008 and currently sits on the Advisory group for Aim18. She has been the visiting lecturer at La Pouderie school in Valance. She also co-founded the network SHOWMETHEANIMATION.