Animating Minds project receives UKRI funding at Queen Mary

Image courtesy of dusanpetkovic1

Professor Rachael Bedford at Queen Mary's School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences is co-lead on a new £1.16 million UKRI Cross Research Council grant to launch the ambitious Animating Minds project. This project is an international multi-site collaboration in collaboration with project lead Professor Tim Smith from the Creative Computing Institute, University of the Arts London. 

With children's screen time reaching an average of 9.6 hours per week in the UK alone, concerns are mounting about the potential impact of digital media on their cognitive development. Early-years agencies worldwide recommend screen time limits and advocate for "high-quality" content, but clear guidance for creators is lacking. 

The Animating Minds project, co-led by Professor Rachel Bedford, aims to bridge this gap by bringing together a unique team of researchers from children's animation practice, media theory, developmental psychology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Project goals 

• Understanding age-appropriate design: The project will develop a framework for understanding how animation design elements like pacing and animation style impact children of different ages. 

• AI tool for content creators: This framework will be used to create an AI tool that can predict a video clip's potential impact on children's neurocognition, specifically their executive functions (EF) – cognitive skills crucial for self-control and learning. 

• Collaboration with the animation industry: The project will involve close collaboration with the UK children's media industry, ensuring the created tool is not only effective but also aligns with creative practices. 

"The Animating Minds project is a unique opportunity to combine cutting-edge research with real-world industry expertise," says Professor Bedford. "Our goal is to create a future where children's screen time is not just entertaining, but also actively supports their cognitive development." 

The project benefits from the involvement of a distinguished Advisory Board and a Creator Panel comprising key representatives from the UK animation industry. 

Professor Bedford and the project team are excited to embark on this groundbreaking project and look forward to sharing their findings with the scientific community, policymakers, and the animation industry in the coming years. 

The Animating Minds project is led by a team of esteemed researchers. Professor Tim Smith, the project lead, hails from the Creative Computing Institute (CCI) at the University of the Arts London (UAL). Alongside him are co-leads Professor Rachael Bedford from Queen Mary University of London and Professor Mick Grierson from CCI. The team benefits further from the expertise of Dr Paul Taberham from Arts University Bournemouth, Dr Paola Pinti from the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development (CBCD) at Birkbeck, and Dr Sergio Benini from the University of Brescia, Italy.