About the Collective
The Animation Collective is an animation studio based next to a small water fountain in Furn el Chebbak, Lebanon
It was founded in 2023 by its four members: Mahmoud Korek, Ghassan Halawani, Fadi Syriani, and Alaa Fleifel. As part of the Cooperative of Cinema Professions, the collective aims to find alternative methods of producing animated projects in the country
The Cooperative Genesis
Following lengthy discussions among practicioners in the arts and culture sector, amidst the economic collapse, the Beirut Port explosion which severely affected the cinema sector and led to the migration of a large number of its workers, the idea of establishing the Cinema Professions Cooperative was born
“Cooperative” rather than “Association” because our primary mission is to strive to find alternative economic forms to the prevailing patterns in the film industry —forms that are more equal, independent, and open to participatory approaches without ignoring the economic dimension and the income of workers in the sector. On the contrary, it embraces it as a fundamental and foundational concern. “Cinema Professions” rather than “Cinema” emphasizes that there is no art without a craft and that film is an industry comprised of a long and intertwined chain of professions, and each has its own importance and challenges, with its own unique circumstances that vary from one profession to another within the sector
Organizational Structure
The cooperative’s structure was formed, spontaneously and almost intuitively, on two levels: the cooperative and the collectives. The cooperative is an official legal entity (in the process of being registered with the Cooperatives Directorate). It has written bylaws and an administrative body. It rents and manages the cooperative’s headquarters, purchases and secures equipment, arranges workshops in coordination with institutes and universities, encourages and motivates the formation of collectives, and provides them with support in terms of securing workspace, equipment, and expertise. The current board of directors includes the founding members, in addition to one or more members from each collective
The Animation Collective
The Animation Collective is a professional group of animators with a flexible structure, formed by four members from the Coop. The Collective’s team grows on an internship or a project basis. The Collective manages its own projects, whether collaborative, free, or commercial, by mutual agreement between its members, and without interference from the cooperative’s management, except in matters relating to their relationship with other members, other collectives, and the headquarters’ management