BACK TO TY JACYNTHA CADWELLIrish animators have punched above their weight this past year. Nonetheless, it remains an enormously competitive industry, with job opportunities few and far between. Jacyntha Cadwell is currently working on the animation series Garth and Bev, a new children's show by Kavaleer productions, to be broadcast on RTÉ and BBC.

After school, she undertook a portfolio preparation course in Stillorgan College before studying animation courses in Ballyfermot College of Further Education and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dún Laoghaire.

“Transition Year played a big part in helping me make my decisions,” Cadwell says. “For my Junior Cert art project, I had constructed a model of the witch’s house from Hansel and Gretel, enjoyed making all of the sweets, and all through school I kept up doing my own art projects.”

But animation was not Cadwell’s first choice. “I thought I wanted to be an interior designer,” she recalls. “For my work experience, I took on a job with an architect and interior designer. He brought me on jobs and to various different buildings. Although I enjoyed it, I knew then that interior design wasn’t quite the career for me, and decided to focus on art.”

Cadwell enjoyed TY because she had no exams at the end of the year. “You can take your time instead of being in such a hurry. It was a nice break and great not to worry about the future for a while.”

Since graduating from college, Cadwell has worked in Belfast, Manchester and the Netherlands. “School and college are important, but what’s more important is the experience you get in jobs after college and what you learn from the people you work long hours with. This experience gives you a great foundation, but luck and timing also play a big part,” she says.