Leeds Animation Workshop

Leeds Animation Workshop is a not-for-profit, cooperative company, producing and distributing animated films on social issues. The organisation began a group of women in Leeds came together to make a film about the need for free pre-school childcare - one of the demands of the Women’s Liberation Movement. After completing Who Needs Nurseries? We Do! in 1978, the group was formally established as Leeds Animation Workshop. Throughout its history the Workshop has been run by women, who have carried out all stages of the production process, from initial research to final distribution.

The films are all produced in consultation with organisations and individuals involved in the relevant field. The Workshop specialises in making complex or sensitive issues more accessible to audiences, and at times offering an alternative point of view. As well as production and distribution, the Workshop has been involved in many other activities, such as organising screenings of films by women and black directors, and providing workshop sessions in basic animation for adults and young people.