The University of Manchester School of Computer Science launched the UK Schools Computer Animation Competition in 2008 as part of Digital60 – celebrating the 60th Anniversary of “The Baby”, the world’s first stored-program computer, designed and built at The University of Manchester.

The Competition, held annually, is designed to enthuse schoolchildren aged 7-19 about Computer Science. To enter, children create an original computer animation, up to one minute in length, using any of a number of eligible packages including: Alice, Flash, Scratch and Serif Draw. Children can enter as individuals or in small teams, and win prizes for the best work in four age groups: 7-11, 11-14, 14-16 and 16-19.

Our summer Awards Festival is held at The University of Manchester, when winners receive their prizes, and over 300 guests attend talks and spend time in activity rooms exploring the fun side of computing.

The Competition is open to all UK schoolchildren aged 7-19, and is completely free. Teachers: register here.

In a nutshell…

• We invite UK schoolchildren aged 7-19 to create an animated film using their computer, and submit it to the competition. On-line submission is now open!
• The competition is for key-frame animation. Stop-frame animation is not eligible.
• Entries can be from individuals, or groups (of up to 4 members).
• All entrants will receive certificates, and winners will receive prizes ranging from laptops to gift vouchers.
• Winners will be invited to the exciting Animation Festival and Prizegiving day at  the Martin Harris Centre, at The University of Manchester.
• Entries are submitted in 4 age categories (KS2, KS3, KS4 and 16-plus).
• The maximum required duration of a submitted animation is one minute.
• Animations must not be interactive – they must run as standalone animations. Interactive games are not eligible.
• Animations must be created using one of a number of approved software packages. You can find the full list of approved software here. We regret we cannot accept entries made using other programs.
• Read the full rules for the competition.
• For further inquiries please see our FAQ.