Tink Tank Animate – The Art of Storytelling for Artists on the Autism Spectrum

TiNK TANK ANiMATE is an autism center that exists to support neurodivergent artists, from beginners to advanced, as they exercise and develop their cognitive skills through animation, story creation, as well as guide them through the creative and production process to complete a project(s) of their own.

BOOKS, COMICS, MOVIES, ANIMATIONS, PODCASTS, RADIO PLAYS, MUSIC

Along with confidence, communication, & expertise, the artist will be stimulating their own mind through their own voice and inspiring others around them.

!BRiNG YOUR IDEAS TO LiFE!

A little bit about us from the News.

Artists learn from industry professionals and get real-world advice they can use when working on their own projects. Our programs are designed to help artists conceptualize and develop their ideas, which in turn enriches their personalities and confidence. Each artist is mentored on their own track, working at their own pace, either using their own gear, on the studio’s gear remotely, or both.

Who’s it for?

Ages 8 – 100, anyone neurodiverse: Autism, ADHD, Hearing Impaired, the Visually Impaired

How it works

Learn by doing. There are many ways to express yourself and discover your passion! Photography, animation, video, illustration, painting, motion graphics, stop-motion, ai, performance, and costume design all offer you the chance to learn new skills, hone existing ones, have a lot of fun along the way, and get to the “finish” line with the support, assistance, and instruction directly from hands-on professionals fully engulfed in the arts of writing, directing, film, animation, music, and performance.

Consultation

Through a consultation, via Zoom, our Program Director will sit with the artist, or artist-to-be, to decipher their interests, dreams, and ambitions, and see if there are some things they want to do but never thought possible. From there, we create a personalized plan for the artist with a series of Objectives that suit them. All plans are flexible and can be designed for nearly any specific outcome of work, be it pleasure, education, professional, portfolio, and/or experimentation.

Schedule

Our sessions are available as 1:1 and/or groups online via Zoom. Mentors and artists work together to find a recurring set of days and times per week for 1:1 sessions. Groups & Workshops are scheduled by Tink Tank Animate. Cancellations including missing Groups or Workshops must be made at least 24 hours in advance. Parents, and artist support, are welcome to attend all sessions.

Tink Tank Therapy

To inquire about individual or group therapy or emotional support–reach out to our head of clinical affairs–Faith Elie LPC: therapyinfo@tinktankanimate.com. Therapy services are for Michigan residents only but others from outside of Michigan can receive emotional support. Check out Tink Tank Therapy.

Other Resources

Blog

Learn more about topics related to autism, neurodiversity and art here.

Autism Resources

Neurodiverse affirming local and national resources here.

Detroit Month Of Design

Learn more about our events for Detroit Month of Design here.