CFA | IADT | Animation Lab: Producers as Entrepreneurs | ESF+ 2026

Overview

The Animation LAB: Producers as Entrepreneurs course is supported by Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet and the National Talent Academy Animation and will be delivered by industry experts via masterclasses, seminars and tutorial support.

The philosophy of the course is to educate creative and entrepreneurial producers, to preach art but teach commerce; not how to make animation but how to get animation made. To build a community of practice and network of emerging talent with the skills to create the projects and companies of the future. The central focus of this course is the 3-day residency programme in Carrick on Shannon (County Roscommon) and the Industry Day in Dun Laoghaire on April 15th.

Learning Outcomes

This course will provide you with the skills required to perform the role and analyse the responsibilities of the creative animation producer in terms of company and production finance, entertainment and media law, as well as animated project development and production. Indicative content includes:

• The role of the creative producer in project development.
• Financial and business structures in the Irish, European and global screen industries.
• Sources of finance: co-production partners, funding agencies, and private/commercial investors.
• Marketing, sales agents, promotion, distribution, exhibition.
• Co‐production agreements, distribution, and contracts.
• Principals of copyright, intellectual property, literary properties, underlying rights & clearances.
• Music copyright: performers’ rights, synchronisation rights, publishing rights, music returns.
• Union agreements, basic employment law, relevant to film and television production.

You will take part in a series of lectures, workshops and seminars with relevant industry bodies, legal and accountancy experts.

Dates and times of the course

Classes take place online, 1 evening per week.

Intro Session: 10th November 2026 at 6.30pm (online)

Thursday evenings | online | 6.30pm – 9pm:

• 26th November
• 3rd and 10th December
• 21st and 28th January 2027
• 4th and 11th February
• 11th and 25th March

3 day residency in Carrick On Shannon, Co. Roscommon:  22nd – 24th February

Industry day | in person | Carnegie Library, Dun Laoghaire: 15th April

Tutor information

Delivered by Damien Byrne, IADT in association with Producer Stephen Fagan, Managing Director of Studio Meala.

Who This Course Is For

Designed for aspiring and early career producers who want to creatively lead animation projects with confidence, creativity, and strategic foresight. 

Applicants should have an Undergraduate qualification of 2nd Class Honours or higher at Honours Degree level in design or a related discipline. Applicants may also be considered provided that they can demonstrate Honours Degree equivalence, which can be verified through our RPL [recognition of prior learning] process.

Venue Information

IADT & Carrick-on-Shannon

Costs/fee

Course fee €750 per person. (Normally this workshop would cost €1600 per person without CCIS support)

Important: To avail of CCIS Membership Support, all registrations and fee payments must be made before the course commences. Applications for membership support for this course after this date can no longer be processed.

CCIS Membership Support

Who Qualifies:
INDIVIDUALS

• Sole traders or Freelancers who are Resident in the ROI are eligible as Member Companies.
• Private company (SME) or Enterprise employees.

COMPANIES

• Private Enterprise & SMEs based in the Republic of Ireland.
• Commercial semi-state companies providing that income contributed to a Network is not sourced from the public purse (must provide a letter).
• Social enterprises that trade as commercial social enterprises, and are companies registered with the CRO

Who Does Not Qualify:
INDIVIDUALS

• Applicants who are not Resident in the Republic of Ireland
• Applicants who are Unemployed and in receipt of Unemployment Benefit
• Applicants participating on a CE Scheme
• Applicants in receipt of a BURSARY, SCHOLARSHIP OR GRANT AID toward fees for this course from another government agency or programme.

COMPANIES

• Skillnet Ireland funding is not available to public sector bodies or organisation that are publicly funded such as community-based not-for-profit companies or charities.
• Social enterprises that are solely constituted as charities do not currently meet the eligibility criteria.

All programmes are provided without discrimination. This includes discrimination based on gender, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation. An inclusive environment that welcomes participants from diverse communities is

Application

This is a 3-Step Application.

1. Complete the Special Category Data Participant Questionnaire below (See below for the QR Code or Link)
2. Fill out the Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet membership application form below (Green ‘Apply’ button)
3. If your CCIS Membership application is successful, you will be notified and given access to the IADT Course application link. You may also access this link via the IADT website. Complete your IADT Course Application.
   
   If your Course Application is successful you will be notified by IADT and given access to a CCIS Registration/Payment Link.

CCIS membership application deadline

CCIS Membership Application Deadline: Rolling but before course commences.

If you experience any questions about support or difficulties with your CCIS membership application please contact creativeskillnet@furthr.ie with a Subject Heading of: IADT | CCIS Application | [Course Name]

Important: All Course Applications To Be Made Separately via IADT/CFA.
IADT Course Application Deadline: July 24th 2026

This course is part funded by ESF+.

ESF+ stands for European Social Fund Plus. It is a European fund that focuses on lifelong learning through improving employment and education opportunities.

In addition to the CCIS support application, Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet is required by Government to collect ‘Special Category Data‘ from those who wish to avail of ESF+ supports for this programme. Given the sensitive nature of this data, strict controls over access have been implemented.

Your Rights and Choices
The mandatory form will ask for general and special category data about you. You can choose if you want to share the special category information in questions 13 to 18. If you do answer these questions, we will handle answers with utmost care.

You have the right to access your data, get us to correct it if we get your details wrong, and ask us to delete your data. You can also choose to opt out or withdraw at any time (*I Do Not Consent). However, if you withdraw, we will not be able to provide you with access to the Animation Lab: Producers as Entrepreneurs course until you reapply.

At the end of this questionnaire, we will also ask you to declare that the information you have provided is true. If you would like to take part in the ESF+ course, you must answer all the questions even if they do not apply. 

Further data will be collected at the following milestones.

• the course certification date
• 6 months post certification

If you wish to use your rights to access or change your information, or are concerned about anything on your participant form, please email dpo@skillnetireland.ie. 

For more information on ESF+ data processing and your rights, please see the ESF+ Data Privacy Notice.  You can find this on the Skillnet Ireland website.

Special Category Data

Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet is required to collect Special Category Data from those who wish to avail of supports for this programme.

In addition to the support application (green ‘Apply’ button below) please access the mandatory questionnaire via this link or via the QR code below.