Anyone can animate. We are all innate storytellers, and animation is one way to combine a love of visual art, language, narrative, and music to create a story, especially for those looking to tell stories that are often overlooked, and misrepresented. We do not need fancy equipment, degrees, or extensive background to create meaningful, beautiful work. 

Students will learn the fundamentals of stop motion and narrative construction. Each week, students will learn a different technique used by the teaching artist in the process of creating an animation, culminating in a final project no longer than a minute by the end of the class. Students will take time after each demo in each class to work on their projects, and end with a low pressure group collaborative feedback session. Elements covered include but are not limited to: Writing for animation, storyboarding, using found materials, constructing a paper puppet, animating using a phone, play and physicality in animating, and tips for editing. 

Bio Statement: 
                  Trina Sanyal is a writer, and producer for TV, Live Shows, and Radio. Trina believes storytelling in all its forms has the capacity to connect communities, create safety, and cultivate celebration especially for marginalized peoples. Trina is thrilled to bring animation to Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, and hopes to impart this practice to students who may go on to use it to craft meaningful narratives of their own lives.  

You can find Trina's work on PBS, WNYC,WXPN, and anywhere with a good mic set up in Philadelphia and New York City.