Sharjah International Book Fair is not merely an event that offers plenty of reading options for all age groups, but also provides platforms that help unleash the imagination and creativity of youngsters. At one of the many workshops held at the 12-day cultural extravaganza, a fun and imaginative class on animation enabled children aged 6 and above to try their hand at being animators and graphic motion designers for the day.

The workshop's participants learnt the art of creating and animating movies using picture cutouts and the Stop Motion Studio app on their tablets.

Noor Emad, a STEM coach and robotics trainer who led the workshop, said: 'Children have the opportunity to learn about the concepts behind an animated movie just through taking pictures and using the Stop Motion Studio app.  The young attendees are shown how to place each photo on their desired background or setting, and by running these photos one after the other, it acts like a moving object.'

The workshop was divided into four main segments: ‘The Future of the UAE’, which centred on the nation's history and its vision for the future; ‘Hazza, the first UAE astronaut’, a source of inspiration for children; ‘Claymation’, involving clay figures and objects which are moved incrementally and photographed at each step to create an animation; and a segment using Lego blocks and animal figurines to create an animated story.

The future is bright for careers in animation, robotics and STEM studies in the UAE, says Ms. Emad. 'Today, children don't need any specialised equipment to create their animated projects for films. They can go home and learn what they practised at the workshop, take photos on their mobile phones or tablets and run them on the Stop Motion Studio app to make an animated movie. This opens up a world of possibilities to foster children's creativity and future opportunities in the field.'