It is a pleasure to be moderator of the Studio Views panel. This session brings together three experienced executives who have built UK studios/companies respected at home and abroad.

As a part-time screen consultant for the recently merged Department of Business and Trade (DBT), my/our department’s job is to support UK companies in the international arena. This is achieved in a variety of ways; from in-market and delegation support (e.g. funding for the Children’s Media Conference (CMC) international business exchange, Animation UK at Annecy, CMC at Kidscreen), to wider bilateral activity, including a recent trade mission to China; from reporting to Government on market barriers/obstacles, and the sharing of market intel/access to ‘soft power’ activities through the network of DBT offices in all major territories and across the UK, to clarification of funding opportunities (such as the Global Screen Fund and application of tax credits).

While the UK animation sector continues to deliver high quality content and services valuable to the UK economy, it faces growing competition from other countries keen to wrestle the business away. As most new projects cannot be fully funded from a single territory, the UK sector has to fight smart to remain a market leader. New forums like Get Animated offer the community a chance to debate the major issues. Our expert panel will identify the issues confronting UK animation and share their views on what it takes to survive and prosper in the current climate.