Animation & Public Engagement Symposium 2019 , Texas Tech University

APES is an annual forum for professionals (scholars and practitioners) concerned with advancing and promoting animation as therapeutic practice, educational technique, and as a tool for social engagement. The symposium identifies new terrains in the interface of animation with society and offers an alternative views of animation beyond artistic expression, entertainment or marketing tool.
Intrinsically interdisciplinary, APES encourages groundbreaking research on the intersection of animation arts and public engagement to identify new fields of inquiry and study vis-à-vis the connection of animation and the public sphere. APES brings together scholars and researchers from areas such as health/well-being; social impact and activism; therapeutic studies, including art and psychotherapies; and educational initiatives.

Animation plays an important role within education and art therapy to raise awareness regarding to social justice, inclusion and the cultivation of arts and sciences.