KEITH Robinson, former BBC animator and creator of the Lyme Regis Town Map, will be hosting two unique animation events for this year’s Artsfest in the town.

He will run workshops and give an entertaining illustrated talk, uncovering the secrets of the animation greats, from the early Disney pioneers to modern favourites like Wallace and Gromit.

Animators in the 1930s and 1940s gradually established the classic principles of animation. The secrets of these old masters have since become the foundations of the craft.

Today’s hi-tec 3D animation studios, such as Pixar, still use techniques developed by these early pioneers to bring their memorable characters to life.

Keith said: “I’ve had a passion for animation ever since I was a child. Making things come alive on screen is the closest thing I know to real magic.

“I’m fascinated by that illusion of life. How is it we can empathise so much with characters that are nothing more than drawings, or models, or bytes in a computer?

“Did you ever watch Wallace and Gromit and think ‘Hang on, those are just lumps of plasticine!’?

“No, because we care about them, they’re national treasures.

“It’s that special magic that I’ll be exploring in these events: How do animators create the illusion of life?”

The workshops will be a fun, hands-on exploration of animation principles. Participants can expect to study cartoons, play with bouncy balls, learn silly walks and more, all of which will give a fascinating insight into how animators think.

The evening talk will be relaxed, with plenty of illustrated examples. It will also form the finale of the ArtsFest Art Crawl.

There will be a Q&A session with Keith afterwards in the marine Theatre bar.

The workshops are on Saturday, September 8 in the Langmoor Room, Marine Parade shelters at 11am and 2pm. Cost is £8 adult and £6 under 16s.

Booking is required and they are recommended for adults and children aged 10 and above.

For further details contact Keith by emailing info@graphicmotion.co.uk l The evening talk is in the Marine Theatre on September 13 at 8pm, followed by a Q&A session.

It costs £5 and tickets are available on the door or from the TIC on 01297 442 138.

For more information visit lymeregisartsfest.com