African animation studio Triggerfish chooses Bristol for UK base
Award-winning African animation studio Triggerfish has opened a new UK base in Bristol, expanding its international footprint and strengthening the city’s position as a major centre for animation and creative media.
The studio, known for productions including Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, Supa Team 4 and Star Wars Visions: Aau’s Song, has taken space in the Royal Talbot Buildings in Bristol city centre.
The new Bristol office joins Triggerfish’s existing bases in Cape Town and Galway and will provide creative and technical teams with a serviced facility including a screening room, meeting rooms and community space.
Triggerfish said Bristol was chosen because of the city’s long-standing reputation for animation, its creative talent base, its cultural scene and its proximity to London. Bristol is recognised by UNESCO as a City of Film.
Natalie Adams, senior vice president of business development at Triggerfish, said:
Establishing a base in Bristol was a natural choice given the city’s rich storytelling heritage and longstanding reputation for animation excellence.
The move strengthens our operations in the UK and reflects our ambition to build a premium animation facility that harnesses the exceptional creative talent based in the city and surrounding areas.
The Bristol office will be used as a hub for creative development and in-person collaboration, while Triggerfish continues to operate a flexible working model. Most of the studio’s UK-based employees will continue to work remotely, allowing the company to draw on animation talent from across the country.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:
I am delighted to welcome Triggerfish to the West of England, the country’s fastest growing regional economy. The creative industries are a key sector for our future, so an award-winning global studio choosing our part of the world for their UK base is a real vote of confidence in our Growth Strategy.
Bristol and the wider West are already world-renowned for animation and, with the support of Invest Bristol & Bath and partners across our region, this is a natural fit for Triggerfish. Working together with the wider cultural sector and investing our £25 million Creative Places Growth Fund, we will continue to create new jobs and opportunities for local people.
Alongside the Bristol opening, Triggerfish has confirmed its involvement in the BBC Ignite programme, the BBC’s initiative to discover and develop the next generation of UK animation creators.
As part of the programme’s second cycle, Triggerfish will work as one of a selected group of production partners supporting emerging creators through the final stage of development. BBC Ignite provides funding and development support through BBC Children’s & Education, with the potential for projects to progress to a full series commission.
The Bristol office also brings Triggerfish closer to UK clients and creative partners. The studio has a long-running relationship with Magic Light Pictures, having animated seven BBC One Christmas specials based on books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
Its work on the specials includes Stick Man, Zog, The Snail and the Whale, Tiddler and The Scarecrows’ Wedding. Across the slate, the productions have won multiple awards, including Children’s BAFTAs and British Animation Awards.
Triggerfish said the Bristol and Galway offices will strengthen its international network alongside its Cape Town studio and growing list of global collaborators and co-production partners.
