Noel Goin, a Media Arts & Animation instructor at The Art institute of California – Orange County, is one of two Americans invited to teach animation workshops to local Caribbean artists, as a part of Animae Caribe 2004, Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 2004, in Trinidad.

Goin, a native of the region, will lead workshops that give a Caribbean perspective on studying animation as a career for beginner and professional graphic designers, illustrators and animators as well as school arts students and young people interested in animation as a future career. “This is a land seeped in oral traditions and storytelling,” said Goin, “The next logical step, and a wonderful one, is to teach people how to translate those incredible stories into animation.”

Now in its third year, Animae Caribe 2004 is the Caribbean film and new media festival in Trinidad that celebrates and exhibits animators and filmmakers from the Caribbean. The festival provides a global stage for animators and filmmakers in the region and increases the knowledge and the technical know-how of Caribbean artists through exposure to internationally renowned and talented professionals in the fields of filmmaking and animation. In addition it provides young people in the Caribbean and the Diaspora with the opportunity to experience the creativity, innovation and development of the animation, film and new media industry.

The Art Institute of California-Orange County is a design and culinary arts school providing bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interactive Media Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, and Culinary Arts. Located in the heart of Orange County’s South Coast Metro region, in Southern California. The school is one of The Art Institutes, www.artinstitutes.edu, a system of 29 education institutions located throughout North America.