March 20, 2023
Contact:
Edward Amador; eamador@council.nyc.gov; 212-788-7366
Mia Montalvo; mia.m@girlsclub.org; 212-982-1633
Council Member Carlina Rivera, the Lower Eastside Girls Club, and the Made in New York Animation Project Partner to Increase Access to Workforce Development Opportunities
Department of Probation’s Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NeON) offers the chance to learn professional animation software
New York, NY– The ‘Made in New York’ Animation Project will join forces with the Lower Eastside Girls Club, in collaboration with the office of Council Member Carlina Rivera, to offer a four-week workshop on video game design, made possible through the Department of Probation’s Neighborhood Opportunity Network program (NeON). Guided by a therapeutic workforce development approach, the Made in NY Animation Project’s digital animation provider, The Animation Project (TAP) runs workshops that will be led by licensed creative arts therapists and professional animators who will work with young people as they explore storytelling, character development, and the artistic and technical aspects of 3D animation and video game design.
According to Technavio, the global 3D animation software market size is estimated to grow by $8.17 million from 2022 to 2027, at a compounded annual growth rate of 12.47% during the forecast period. Participants in the Made in NY Animation Project and LES Girls Club workshop will be connected to further education and professional opportunities in this burgeoning Rield. This program is critical for New York City’s investment in next-generation digital skills development by expanding opportunities in growing industries, especially for those in historically underserved communities.
“The East Side is rich with talent, which is reRlected in our arts and culture and civic institutions. Animation is a captivating and creative way to tell stories, and I’m excited to work with local partners to expand the opportunity for young people to gain experience in this growing industry,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera (D-02). “It’s critical that New York City invest in next-generation digital skills development and focus on strengthening the tech workforce ecosystem. Expanding opportunities in growing industries, particularly for those in historically marginalized communities, is an important way to create a more equitable and fair economy. I’m proud to support the Made in NY Animation Project and Lower Eastside Girls Club as they work to increase opportunity for women and girls.”
“The Lower Eastside Girls Club is all about celebrating curiosity and connecting passions with employable skills. Through hands-on, experiential programs such as the Made in NY Animation project we aim to introduce members to the fascinating universe of science and technology and offer multiple entry points into creative careers that bridge STEM and the Arts. We are excited to partner with The Animation Project (TAP) and contribute to a growing pipeline of women in STEM- pioneering ethical solutions to real world problems. We are grateful to Council Member Carlina Rivera for investing in our young people through creative community-based initiatives such as this one,” said Ebonie Simpson and Jenny Dembrow, Co-Executive Directors of the Lower Eastside Girls Club.
“The Made in New York Animation Project is passionate about boosting career opportunities for underrepresented talent in the animation, VFX, and gaming industries. The current entertainment and educational complex only accesses individuals who can afford to participate in costly training programs and specialty schools. We remove the Rinancial barrier by providing therapeutic services and tiered, supportive, incentivized training in the animation pipeline at no cost to participants. Many thanks to Council Member Carlina Rivera and to our partners at NeON and Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment for collaborating with us to create accessible, enjoyable and meaningful workforce development opportunities for NYC’s untapped creatives. We can’t wait to see the creativity, skills and stories that come from our participants at the Lower East Side Girls Club and look forward to building this new relationship well into the future!” said Meredith Dean, Associate Executive Director at The Made in New York Animation Project.
“We are delighted to see this expanded engagement with The ‘Made in NY’ Animation Project to provide opportunities for underserved New Yorkers to develop careers in media and entertainment. Since we launched the program in partnership with the Department of Probation and The Animation Project, more than 800 students have been placed in internships and jobs throughout the Rive boroughs,” said the Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Anne del Castillo. “The introduction of this new workshop on video game design at the Lower Eastside Girls Club advances our efforts to build a more equitable and diverse talent pipeline to support our creative industries and make NYC a global hub for digital game development.”
The partnership is one facet of a larger initiative by the Office of Council Member Rivera to build safe communities by investing in resources that prevent the root causes of crime and create opportunities for young people. Diversion from the criminal legal system and Rinding programmatic alternatives help address public safety concerns. As Chair of the Committee on Criminal Justice, Council Member Rivera has advocated for nearly $30 million in funding for criminal justice initiatives, and through the Community Safety and Victims Services Initiative, four local community based organizations are being funded to divert people from the criminal legal system and support individuals to be on the road to fulRillment and stability through services, the arts, and mental health support.
In December, Council Member Rivera helped bring the Rirst gun buyback event to the Lower East Side in over a decade, and has introduced legislation to require the Police Department to establish a monthly gun buyback program, in coordination with community leadership. Gun buyback programs, in conjunction with policies like background checks, get guns off our streets and are part of a larger effort to reduce violence and improve quality of life in all communities.
In addition, Council Member Rivera has partnered with District Attorney Alvin Bragg on his new multi-million dollar investment through the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative to reach New Yorkers with deeply entrenched needs through housing assistance and treatment for mental illness and substance use. “Neighborhood Navigators” will work directly in areas with high levels of unhoused individuals with mental health challenges or substance use issues.
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The Lower Eastside Girls Club (LESGC) supports young women and gender-expansive youth of color throughout New York City in leveraging their inner power to shape a better future for themselves, their community, and the world. Through free, year-round, innovative programming LESGC connects young people with their passions, celebrates their curiosity, and channels their creative energy. Together, we are building a just and equitable future filled with Joy. Power. Possibility.
The Made in NY Animation Project is a program of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment in partnership with DOP’s Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NeON), which offers people in seven New York City communities the chance to learn professional animation software and to become animators. Services are provided by The Animation Project (TAP) to integrate creative arts therapy techniques with popular technologies,
building on the intersection between technology and modern job skills with an emphasis on the social component of group projects. Licensed creative arts therapists alongside professional animators work with young people as they explore storytelling, character development, environment and scene design, asset (object) design, music, sound, art, movement, and performance. Participation also offers the opportunity to progress through further tiers of learning, which include incentivized and stipend-based technical and professional opportunities.
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