Arc & Beyond Launches TAIDO Project and Anime Production Program Collaboration with 2 African Studios

Inaugural “African Animation Challenge” Kicks Off with Crowdfunding Campaign to Foster a New Generation of African Animators

TOKYO, JAPAN – October 23, 2025 – Arc & Beyond Association, Inc. today announced the launch of the “TAIDO Project,” an inspiring initiative designed to foster a new generation of creative talent and create professional opportunities for youth in Africa through anime production. In partnership with two pioneering African animation studios—Animax FYB Studios (Ghana) and CR Motion Plus Ltd. (Nigeria)—the project will hold the “2026 TAIDO African Animation Challenge” (referred to as “the Program” below). To power this initiative, the project also launched a crowdfunding campaign on the For Good platform today.

The TAIDO Project aims to support African youth by transforming passion for anime into local sustainable careers, while simultaneously bringing authentic African narratives to a global audience. The Program serves as a crucial first step in providing a direct bridge for African animators to connect with the Japanese anime industry, and through mentorship from industry experts, the Program hopes to provide an opportunity to  further refine their skills and showcase their unique creative vision on the world stage.

The three participating studios will receive direct mentorship from leading professionals in the Japanese anime industry, including Professor Koji Yano and Visiting Professor Kenichi Watanabe of Kyoto University of the Arts, and freelance animation production manager gamegame. Under their guidance, the studios will develop animated short films, creating original character designs and story arcs from scratch.

The Program will last from today through the end of March 2026, after which a public  screening event will be held in spring 2026. The screening will feature reviews of the completed works from key figures from the Japanese and international anime industry, creating invaluable opportunities for direct feedback.

Overview of the TAIDO African Animation Challenge 2026

• Program Content: Drafting character designs and storyboarding, short animation production, live-streamed  screening event to be held in spring 2026.
• Period: October 23, 2025 – March 31, 2026
• Participating Studios: Animax FYB Studios (Ghana), CR Motion Plus Ltd. (Nigeria)
• Mentors: Professor Koji Yano and Visiting Professor Kenichi Watanabe (Kyoto University of the Arts), and gamegame (Freelance Animation Production Manager).

About the Crowdfunding Campaign

To fund a portion of the program’s operation costs, the TAIDO Project will conduct a crowdfunding campaign on the Japanese crowdfunding platform “For Good,” aiming to raise 1 million JPY. The campaign will run from 11:00 AM on October 23, 2025, to 11:59 PM on December 22, 2025 (JST).

URL: https://for-good.net/project/1002578

About Arc & Beyond’s TAIDO Project

Arc & Beyond’s TAIDO Project aims to expand the reach of authentic African stories through the medium of anime, while simultaneously fostering the growth of a local creative industry and generating employment opportunities. The name “TAIDO” (“awakening” or “first stirrings of life”) represents the project’s vision to initiate the heartbeat of a new anime movement in Africa, transforming from a small ripple to a powerful tide reaching across the globe. The project is led by Arc & Beyond in close collaboration with several key partners, including Visiting Professor Kenichi Watanabe (Kyoto University of the Arts/XPJP Inc.), Joji Sato (JETRO Nairobi), and freelance animation production manager Game-Game.

For more details, please see our official note (in Japanese): アニメ制作を通じてアフリカの物語を世界へ届ける、TAIDOプロジェクト、始動！｜Arc & Beyondと仲間たち

“The TAIDO Project is about building a bridge. We want to connect Africa’s wealth of stories with Japan’s animation expertise in an equal partnership, and transform the passion of young animators into meaningful, professional careers. Together with our incredible partners, we are pioneering a new future for anime that will inspire audiences worldwide,” said Miyuki Kitabatake, Project Leader of TAIDO project /Producer, Arc & Beyond.

“Through TAIDO, Animax FYB Studios is co-creating a new animation frontier, one that unlocks Africa’s creative capital and Japan’s animation excellence. This collaboration isn’t just cultural; it’s catalytic, expanding markets, showcasing world-class African IP, and redefining global narratives,” said Francis Y. Brown, CEO and Creative Director of Animax FYB Studios

“What we have built is a decade of authentic African stories for a global audience. As an organization that has spent years nurturing African talent, we are proud to partner with the TAIDO Project to confront the challenge of youth unemployment in Africa. There is a huge passion for anime across the continent, and this partnership creates a direct bridge for African talent to connect with the Japanese anime industry, learn from some of the best in the world through mentorship, and refine our skills while showcasing our unique creative vision on the global stage. We could not be more proud of what this represents for our teams and for Africa’s creative future,” said Jide Martin, CEO of Comic Republic and CR Motion Plus Ltd.

For details, please see the Official Website of Arc & Beyond (https://arc-beyond.org/en/)

Contact for Media Inquiries:

Social Liaison Department, Arc & Beyond

Email: sl@arc-beyond.org