Leeds Animation Workshop (with Terry Wragg)
From Fantasy/Animation by Fantasy/Animation
March 9, 2026 · 1h 13m · Episode 169
About this episode
This episode features an interview with Terry Wragg, a founding member of the Leeds Animation Workshop, discussing the collective's history and key works.
Episode 169 marks the Fantasy/Animation podcast’s first engagement with the work of the Leeds Animation Workshop, a pioneering women’s animation collective formally established in 1978 to produce and distribute animated films on a variety of social, cultural, and educational issues. A not-for-profit, grassroots cooperative, the Workshop has been at the forefront in developing animation’s role as a tool for activism and action, not just organising screenings and providing workshops for adults and young people, but working “in consultation with organisations and individuals” to specialise "in making complex or sensitive issues more accessible to audiences, and at times offering an alternative point of view.” Chris and Alex are delighted to be joined in this episode by one of the Leeds Animation Workshop’s founding members, Terry Wragg, who recounts the often-tumultuous history of the Workshop and its desire to provoke discussion and debate through the study of three of its key works: Gives Us a Smile (1983), which depicts the daily harassment of women and includes quotes taken from real police cases and interviews; Bridging the Gap (2001), an examination of tensions between parents…
People in this episode
Hosts: Chris, Alex
Guest: Terry Wragg
Topics covered
- Leeds Animation Workshop
- women's animation
- social issues
- cultural issues
- educational issues
- activism
- animation history
Keywords
- Gives Us a Smile
- Bridging the Gap
- They Call Us Maids
- animation activism
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Gives Us a Smile, Bridging the Gap, They Call Us Maids
Places: UK
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