Susan Young is an animator and artist based in London.
While studying graphic design at Liverpool Polytechnic Young was introduced to the idea that animation could be an extension of drawing into time and space, a vehicle for the expression of personal thoughts and emotions, and a medium for political commentary. Inspired by this, Young made Thin Blue Lines, a film that describes the Liverpool 8 uprising of 1981 from a semi-documentary, observational perspective.
Young continued to study animation at the Royal College of Art. Carnival, her RCA graduation film, features the calligraphic line, fluidity and metamorphic movement that came to define her work.
On leaving the RCA she was commissioned by the United Nations to direct The Doomsday Clock, a film about multilateral disarmament, with co-director Jonathan Hodgson. Subsequently Young focused on the combination of music and animation, collaborating with musicians including David Byrne (Beleza Tropical: Umbabarauma), record producers such as Alan Douglas (Jimi Hendrix: Fire), and record labels including Island Records and Island Visual Arts (Time Will Tell and Island 25 documentary titles). She has also directed title sequences for major sporting events, such as the World Cricket Series and American Football (The Big Match/Blitz), and classical music series and titles, including Orchestra and the launch film for Classic FM.
Young has exhibited at galleries including Tate Britain and the Barbican. She is the recipient of the John Moores and Princess of Wales scholarships, is a BAFTA nominee, and has received many awards for her work. Her films, titles, promos and commercials have been screened extensively at international film festivals and she has regularly been called on to judge films in competition at animation festivals worldwide.
Young is currently exploring the therapeutic potential of animation in relation to psychological trauma at the Royal College of Art as part of a practice-based PhD.
While studying graphic design at Liverpool Polytechnic Young was introduced to the idea that animation could be an extension of drawing into time and space, a vehicle for the expression of personal thoughts and emotions, and a medium for political commentary. Inspired by this, Young made Thin Blue Lines, a film that describes the Liverpool 8 uprising of 1981 from a semi-documentary, observational perspective.
Young continued to study animation at the Royal College of Art. Carnival, her RCA graduation film, features the calligraphic line, fluidity and metamorphic movement that came to define her work.
On leaving the RCA she was commissioned by the United Nations to direct The Doomsday Clock, a film about multilateral disarmament, with co-director Jonathan Hodgson. Subsequently Young focused on the combination of music and animation, collaborating with musicians including David Byrne (Beleza Tropical: Umbabarauma), record producers such as Alan Douglas (Jimi Hendrix: Fire), and record labels including Island Records and Island Visual Arts (Time Will Tell and Island 25 documentary titles). She has also directed title sequences for major sporting events, such as the World Cricket Series and American Football (The Big Match/Blitz), and classical music series and titles, including Orchestra and the launch film for Classic FM.
Young has exhibited at galleries including Tate Britain and the Barbican. She is the recipient of the John Moores and Princess of Wales scholarships, is a BAFTA nominee, and has received many awards for her work. Her films, titles, promos and commercials have been screened extensively at international film festivals and she has regularly been called on to judge films in competition at animation festivals worldwide.
Young is currently exploring the therapeutic potential of animation in relation to psychological trauma at the Royal College of Art as part of a practice-based PhD.
