An international animation and gaming project that engage young students from the global North and South in climate change debate.
Climate crisis, environmental degradation and political polarization with anti-democratic tendencies – are all trends that highlight the urgent need for action on nature and democracy in Brazil. Young Brazilians are the best hope to promote new activisms for political renewal, who can give nature a voice. The PoN project strives to support young people in expressing their full potential for local change through new partnerships (SDGs 13 & 17), and to strengthen education in sustainability in Brazil (SDG 4). It addresses a need, expressed by partner climate organizations, to engage 13-15-year-old Brazilians in the climate/biodiversity cause.
“Animated Engagement” is the name of a new collaboration between The Animation Workshop in Viborg and the Danish Cultural Institute in Brazil. Together, they have developed a teaching and exchange program for Danish and Brazilian students. The purpose is to engage young people in the fight against climate change through gaming, self-produced animated films and the use of animation in educational contexts. The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by DKK 1.2 million through GLOBUS – the Global Engagement, Education, and
Cooperation fund.
South America is at the center of the world’s climate debate. With COP16 in Columbia this year and COP30 in Brazil in 2025, the continent is very much in focus when it comes to the future handling of the climate crisis. And here the young people play a big role. Therefore, the epicenter of the project “Animated Engagement” is set in Brazil. The project is led by The Animation Workshop in Viborg and the Danish Cultural Institute. Together, they have developed a teaching and exchange course where young Brazilians and Danes will collaborate on and be taught about climate, the environment, biodiversity and green transition. However, the heavy reports are replaced with games, animated films and gaming.
Danish and Brazilian young people join forces for climate action
“Animated Engagement” will connect educational institutions, students and pupils from Brazil and Denmark to nuance our common understanding of the climate crisis and climate action across the South and North. As part of the project, Danish students will travel to Brazil in the autumn of 2024, where they, together with Brazilian students, teachers and film students, will create short animated documentaries and campaign films that focus on climate, environment and biodiversity. In addition, animation-based teaching methods are introduced in the project and these have been thoroughly tested in Viborg and its Brazilian partner city Santos’ municipal school system.
The fight against polluting robots
In addition to the physical meeting between the young people, an online platform will also be established, where approx. 40 school students from Denmark and Brazil will participate in gaming sessions, reflection and discussion about their roles in the fight for the climate. The focal point is the smartphone game “PoN! Armadillo Island”, where players in the role of armadillos fight against polluted robots that want to destroy nature. The ambition is that together they find suggestions on how we as individuals and society can create a more sustainable world, and communicate this to their peers.
About the Danish Cultural Institute
Since 1940, the Danish Cultural Institute (DCI) has worked internationally with the development of art and cultural projects. It is DCI’s vision to show that the exchange of art, culture and knowledge can contribute to the handling of global challenges and strengthen international relations and mutual trust. DCI is headquartered at Vartov in Copenhagen and has branches and operations in China, Brazil, India, Turkey, the EU’s eastern neighbours, as well as in the Baltic Sea region and the Baltic countries.
About The Animation Workshop
The Animation Workshop (TAW) is Denmark’s center for animation, visualization and digital storytelling. TAW offers three undergraduate programs, which rank among the best in Europe, as well as a number of professional courses, workshops, artist residencies, and a visual high school. In addition, TAW works with research and development within the field. TAW’s research and development center works for quality and commitment to natural, cultural and social issues.
The project is supported by: GLOBUS – the Global Engagement, Education, and
Cooperation fund
Contact and info about the partners:
Hanne Pedersen
Project manager, Animated Learning Lab, The Animation Workshop
Hanne Pedersen is a trained animator from The Animation Workshop, and has many years of experience in working with animation as a didactic and dialogue-creating tool – both in Denmark and in the most remote corners of the world. In her work, she makes animation with people of all ages and from different backgrounds – from children and teachers in primary schools to refugees who are creating a life in Denmark. Hanne works with teaching materials and development projects. On a daily basis, she sits at The Animation Workshop in the department the Animated Learning Lab.
Contact: HAP@via.dk
Anders Henze
Country Director for the Danish Cultural Institute (DCI) in Brazil
Country Manager for the Danish Cultural Institute (DCI) in Brazil since 2020, musician, born in 1968 in Denmark. Resident in Brazil since 2012. Graduated from The New School for Social Research / Mannes College of Music, New York, 1997 (Fulbright fellow), and from the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, Copenhagen, 1992. Anders is the initiator and coordinator of the PoN project, and since 2012 has led dozens of intercultural projects in music, performing arts, architecture, audiovisual media and literature for DCI, including as curator and leader of the cultural program in the Danish pavilion during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Contact: ah@danishculture.org.br
Morten Thorning
Project manager
Morten Thorning works with animation and XR as a scriptwriter, creative producer, director and artistic consultant. He leads the ERASMUS+ Innovation Alliance PANEURAMA for Creative Viborg. Morten started his artistic career as a musician, composer, writer, producer and director of radio drama, comedy and documentaries at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. In 1988, he founded The Animation Workshop, where he was principal until 2019. Over the years, Morten has carried out a large number of international cultural cooperation projects, including some in Latin America. In collaboration with Anders Hentze and Hanne Pedersen, Morten has developed the concept, content and course of the project Animated Engagement.
Contact: mortenthorning@outlook.com
Laura Søndergaard Isaksen
Project manager - researcher, Animated Learning Lab, The Animation Workshop
Laura is a trained pedagogue with a master’s degree in philosophy. On a daily basis, she sits at The Animation Workshop in the department the Animated Learning Lab.
Contact: LASI@via.dk
Anne-Marie Sølling Kristensen
Project coordinator and teacher, Animated Learning Lab, The Animation Workshop
Anne-Marie Sølling Kristensen graduated as a character animator from The Animation Workshop in 2013, and has since worked on several international animation series, films, commercials and applied animation. From 2017, she has also been involved in teaching children and young people in animation as well as the production of teaching materials. On a daily basis, she sits at The Animation Workshop in the department the Animated Learning Lab.
Contact: ANMS@via.dk
Naná Janus
Producer
Producer of the projects Animated Engagement and PoN at the Danish Cultural Institute in Brazil. Graduated in Fine Arts from Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP) in 2009. As a cultural producer since 2008, Naná has extensive experience with art fairs and international art projects in Brazil, China, Dubai and the United States. Naná has been in charge of numerous projects through her production company Stadium Generale, including “The Rotating Collection”, a collection of contemporary art in miniature formats that is currently touring Brazil.
Contact: producao@danishculture.org.br
Denis Chapon
Animation Director - Animated Documentaries
Denis Chapon graduated from Emile Cohl’s School in Lyon (France) and La Poudrière in Valence (France), he went to Denmark to develop different projects such as TV series, experimental film at The Animation Workshop. He’s been teaching there as well as longer training in South America and Africa. In 2017, he is at the initiative and drives the Andimation Program with the support of the Unesco. In 2021, he moves back to Annecy, France teaches animation in various schools and works as Animation Director on independent animated shorts, or as Animator on feature length, tv series or short.
Contact: denichapon@gmail.com
