Sparkle The Dark Up

Date: 4 December 2009 | Location: Design Museum, London

An evening of screenings and performances curated by Ranko Andjelic, Sparkle The Dark Up will celebrate experimental animation of all sorts while spreading a little off-key Christmas cheer.

Screenings will run throughout the Design Museum as well as the outside of the building, and will feature recent and brand new work by some of the top UK based animators and artists, including Max Hattler, Susi Wilkinson, Dave Anderson and We Like Nice Things.

Various other events will be taking place too: Sculpture will present a very special audiovisual performance; JBT will fill the air with his powerful music to which Noriko Okaku will offer live visual accompaniment; Melissa and Dom from We Like Nice Things will be providing a aural backdrop with their DJ set; Laura Weston will run a direct animation workshop on 16mm film.

There’ll also be the chance make handmade Christmas cards, buy presents from the Design Museum Shop and wrap them with a twist – and there’s even talk of a very special confession booth inhabited by a rude Santa. For more details, check the Design Museum website.

Mariscal - Drawing Life, 'Shower Tunnel', Photo: Timothy Davey

Just a few days left to catch this delightful retrospective of Spanish designer and artist Javier Mariscal, one of the world’s most innovative and original designers, with a rich and diverse body of work that spans cartoon characters, interiors, furniture, graphic design and corporate identities.

And best known for giving Barcelona its graphic identity as it emerged from the Franco era, and introducing the world to Cobi, the official mascot of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games.

The exhibition at the Design Museum ends on 1 November. Then on 2 November, Mariscal performs his live animation Conference, at BFI Southbank. Info and tickets here.

Win tickets in our competition.

Conference: animated conversations created live by Javier Mariscal

On 2 November renowned Spanish designer and artist Javier Mariscal will be performing at the BFI Southbank in London. By creating and controlling animation film footage in real time, Mariscal has devised his ‘Conference’ which is the spontaneous and instantaneous application of his creative thinking onto the silver screen. In this energetic live performance Mariscal manifests the images, voices, narrative and content that transport his characters, the Garriris, from the universe of his imagination onto the screen.

Javier Mariscal is probably best known for the creation of the adaptable and versatile mascot for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, as well as iconic designs for company identities, interiors and products. His first UK retrospective at the Design Museum ‘Mariscal Drawing Life‘ runs until 1 November. Catch the exhibition and then see this stunning event finale brought to you in partnership with the BFI and the Design Museum.

Thanks to the BFI we have a pair of tickets for each of the events happening on 2 November. To win a pair of tickets to see Javier Mariscal on 2 November, send us your answer to the following question: what is the name of the Olympics mascot that Javier Mariscal designed? To be in with a chance to win, email your answer to engine@animateprojects.org by 30 October and tell us which event you would prefer to attend.