Vancouver Animation Initiative Tackles Gender Disparity in Creative Leadership
While women often outnumber men in animation school enrollment, this promising 60-40 gender balance dramatically reverses in professional settings, particularly for senior creative positions. This persistent gap has prompted industry leaders in Vancouver to develop targeted solutions that are now showing measurable results.
The Genesis of Career Advancement Intervention
Rose-Ann Tisserand, a producer at Flying Kraken Creative Studios with over two decades of animation experience, observed this troubling pattern firsthand. "There are more women than men that go to animation school, and then we lose them," Tisserand explained. "We don't know why they don't follow through to become directors or art directors."
This concern prompted systematic investigation beginning in 2016, revealing stark statistics: women occupied only 6.5% of director positions, 0% of writing roles, and 10% of story supervisor positions across animation studios. These findings aligned with data from the Los Angeles-based organization Women in Animation, confirming a widespread industry challenge.
Building Collaborative Solutions Through Community
The concerning numbers mobilized Vancouver's animation community, with professionals connecting through Drawn Together Vancouver and later partnering with Women in Animation Vancouver. From this collaborative foundation emerged a concrete initiative: the Animation Career Excelerator (ACE) program, launched in 2018 under Tisserand's leadership.
The term "Excelerator" represents a deliberate fusion of "excel" and "accelerate," capturing the program's dual mission of skill enhancement and career progression. ACE specifically targets underrepresented mid-career professionals, providing comprehensive support to transition into more senior creative roles.
Comprehensive Support Structure for Professional Growth
The ACE program's mandate encompasses multiple dimensions of career development:
- Specialized training and continuing education opportunities
- Mentorship connections with established industry leaders
- Strategic networking events and professional relationship building
- Hands-on experience through short film production
This multifaceted approach addresses what Marge Dean, head of Skybound Animation and president of Women in Animation, identifies as a critical barrier: "It's like you almost have a catch-22. Studios are looking for people with experience, but you don't have experience, and can't get the job to get the experience to get the next job. That very first gig or opportunity is so critical, and that's the beauty of the ACE program."
Expanding Reach and Demonstrating Impact
With Netflix's support, the program expanded nationally in 2020, establishing itself as a formal non-profit society in 2025. This growth has enabled broader impact while maintaining the program's core mission of creating pathways to leadership positions that have historically presented glass ceilings for women in animation.
The results speak to the program's effectiveness. Tisserand reports that representation of women in key creative roles has increased to approximately 35%, marking what she describes as "a meaningful gain and a strong foundation for future growth." This progress represents more than fivefold improvement in some categories since the program's inception.
Industry Recognition and Future Prospects
Dean emphasizes the program's significance in addressing systemic barriers: "There's a point where women don't ever get to break through to a leadership role. And that's what the ACE program gives them." She adds that the short films produced through the initiative "have been pretty amazing," demonstrating both artistic quality and professional readiness.
The program's success illustrates how targeted intervention, community collaboration, and industry partnership can transform representation patterns in creative fields. By providing both practical experience and professional connections, ACE helps participants navigate the traditionally challenging transition from education to senior creative positions.
As the animation industry continues to evolve, initiatives like Vancouver's ACE program offer a replicable model for addressing gender disparities while strengthening the talent pipeline for creative leadership roles across Canada's growing animation sector.
