Our History
Founder + Executive Director, Brian Austin (bottom right), with participants, partners, and staff at TAP’s Annual Film Festival in 2019.
The seed to create The Animation Project was planted when our Founder and Executive Director, Brian Austin, was working as an art therapy intern with foster care youth. He applied his skills as a professional animator to nurture the social, emotional, and cognitive growth of his young clients by teaching them animation as the medium by which they could express their personal narratives and learn transferable technology skills.
TAP has grown exponentially since Brian’s first group of 3 young artists in the Bronx. Today, TAP's program operates in the most underserved neighborhoods of New York City, helping thousands of young artists express their creativity, improve their technical and professional skills, and grow within a supportive community.
TAP has partnerships with over twenty NYC-based service organizations. Our longest-standing partnership is with the NYC Department of Probation. What started with one studio relationship has scaled to dozens. We are proud to collaborate with some of the biggest names in animation who provide internships, studio tours, presentations and advice. They include Blue Sky Studios, The Mill, Titmouse Studios, Sesame Workshop, Take-Two Interactive, Cartoon Network, Avalanche Studios, and Fox Studios. Our education partners include the School of Visual Arts and FIT SUNY.
Watch one of the first TAP films, Cookout, created in 2008 by participants in the Choices ATD Program at CASES.
Participants creating concept art with Animator Nailah at a school in Queens.
Graduates of TAP’s Intensive Training Internship.