Introduction
Every other year we ask comic artists from all over the world to share their ideas and visions about Europe with us. And of course, since we are in “comic country” Belgium it only seemed logical to us that they should do it in the form of a comic.
Animate Europe is more than just a competition: we showcase our finalists’ works in numerous exhibitions every year, integrate them in workshops and include them in our political education initiatives. We maintain a close relationship with our finalists and co-operate with them in different follow-up projects on a regular basis.
We created Animate Europe to enable a diverse discussion and bridge political divides through culture: Animate Europe is a call to think Europe in a multi-dimensional, out-of-the-box approach. It is about the freedom and creativity of thought and expression, education, contemplation, and critical thinking, all enclosed in our artists’ passion to convey their messages and visions through graphic art. – And of course, it’s also simply about the joy of reading a good comic!
On these pages you can follow all developments and latest news on Animate Europe, find information on past competition rounds and travelling exhibitions.
Don’t forget to show our artists some love by checking out the comics and our animated short films!
For any questions you might have regarding Animate Europe, feel free to to get in touch our office at: brussels@freiheit.org.
All winner comics of our past comic competitions are now available as animated short films!
Seeing the Bigger Picture - Animate Europe 2019 Winner David Shaw
The animation "Seeing the bigger picture", adapted from the graphic novel by David Shaw (2019), addresses the Northern Ireland conflict and the EU peace process while telling the story of a homosexual couple. Hereby, David Shaw meets the political situation in Northern Ireland, which has once again become a sad reality with Brexit and the violent conflict in Londonderry.
The Old Lady Gives No Answer - Animate Europe Winner 2017 Magdalena Kaszuba
“What can I do for Europe?” “How can we personally contribute to society?” We are not the only ones asking these kinds of questions. The protagonist of the animation of the comic by Magdalena Kaszuba is also seeking answers on these questions.
The Union - Animate Europe Winner 2015 Nicole Krcmar
Nicole Krcmar draws a dark vision of the future: The EU risks to break apart into North and South. Some hope remains that the states will reconcile again. However, could this grim vision of our society become reality?