Arc & Beyond launches animation production program in collaboration with two African production studios

Arc & Beyond Launches Animation Production Program in Partnership with Two African Studios ​
Arc & Beyond General Incorporated Association Press Release: October 24, 2025 Arc & Beyond launches animation production program with two African studios ~Crowdfunding to promote the development of African animators also begins today~ Arc & Arc & Beyond (hereafter, Arc & Beyond) is pleased to announce that it has partnered with two African animation production studios, Animax FYB Studios (Ghana) and CR Motion Plus Ltd (Nigeria), to launch the TAIDO African Animation Challenge 2026 (hereafter, the Program)—an animation production program to nurture local animators. In addition, a crowdfunding campaign was launched on October 23rd to raise part of the funds needed to operate the Program. This program is part of the TAIDO Project, which aims to create jobs for young people in Africa through animation production. The TAIDO Project recognizes the difficulty young people in Africa face in finding stable employment as a social issue, and aims to create employment opportunities through animation production while also sharing African stories with the world. As a step toward achieving this goal, this program will create a forum for African animators to meet with the Japanese animation industry and provide expert mentoring, further honing their talent and creating an opportunity for them to take to the world stage. The two participating studios will receive mentoring in animation production from Professor Koji Yano of the Kyoto University of Arts’ Faculty of Art, Visiting Professor Kenichi Watanabe, and freelance animation production manager Emi Okawa (artist name: gamegame), while working on story creation, character design, and short animation production. The program will also conclude with a critique session*[1], providing an opportunity for interaction and feedback on the short animations produced by studios in the Japanese animation industry. This program will run from today through the end of March 2026, with a public critique of the works planned for spring 2026. ●Animation Production Program “TAIDO African Animation Challenge 2026” Overview ・ Event Details: During the event, African animators from participating studios will receive mentoring and work on story creation, character design, and short animation production. Afterwards, a public critique of their works will be held in the spring of 2026. ・ Event Period: Thursday, October 23, 2025 – End of March 2026 ・ Participating Studios: “Animax FYB Studios” (Ghana), “CR Motion Plus Ltd”
​​(Nigeria) ・ Production Mentors: Professor Koji Yano, Faculty of Art, Kyoto University of Arts, Visiting Professor Kenichi Watanabe, and freelance animation production assistant Emi Okawa (artist name: gamegame) ● About the Crowdfunding Campaign To raise some of the funds needed to run this program, the TAIDO Project will be conducting a crowdfunding campaign through the crowdfunding service “For Good※[2]” with a goal of 1 million yen. The campaign will run from 11:00 AM today, Thursday, October 23rd, until 11:59 PM on Monday, December 22nd. URL: https://for-good.net/project/1002578

● About the Arc & Beyond TAIDO Project Through animation production in Africa, this project aims to spread local culture and stories to the world, further develop the local animation industry, and thereby create employment opportunities. The project name “TAIDO” embodies our desire to spread the heartbeat (stirring) of Africa’s vibrant animation culture like ripples around the world, turning it into a major tide (tide). The project will be led by Arc & Beyond, in collaboration with partners Kenichi Watanabe, visiting professor at Kyoto University of the Arts and XPJP Inc., Joji Sato of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Nairobi Office, and freelance animation production assistant Emi Okawa (artist name: gamegame). From Arc & Beyond’s official note:The TAIDO Project, which aims to bring African stories to the world through anime production, has begun! |Arc & Beyond and Friends ●Comment from TAIDO Project Leader, Kitabatake Miki (Producer, Arc & Beyond General Incorporated Association) The TAIDO Project connects the rich stories of Africa and the animation production expertise cultivated in Japan in an equal partnership, transforming the passions of young people in Africa into dream jobs. Together with passionate colleagues, we will carve out a new future for anime that delivers inspiration to the world. ●Comment from Francis Y. Brown, CEO/Creative Director of Animax FYB Studios Through the TAIDO Project, Animax FYB Studios will combine Africa’s creative capital with Japan’s advanced animation technology to jointly create a new frontier in animation. This collaboration is more than a cultural endeavor; it will also be a catalyst for market expansion, redefining global narratives as global intellectual property from Africa. ●Comment from Jide Martin, CEO of Comic Republic / CR Motion Plus Ltd For 10 years, we have been crafting authentic African stories for audiences around the world. “As an organization with a long history of nurturing African talent, we are proud to partner with the TAIDO Project to address the challenge of youth unemployment in Africa. There is a growing passion for animation in Africa, and this program will provide a bridge for African talent to connect directly with the Japanese anime industry, receive guidance from world-class mentors, hone their skills, and showcase their unique creative vision to the world. We couldn’t be more proud of what this initiative means for us and for Africa’s creative future.” Arc & Beyond aims to expand people’s potential through the power of everyone and technology, and will continue to promote the TAIDO Project together with our partners. For media inquiries, please contact: Arc & Beyond General Incorporated Association, Social Liaison Department, Email address:
sl@arc-beyond.org [1]: Details of the review session will be announced later this fall. ※[2]: For information on how to participate in this service, please visit the For Good service website.
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