Kids & Teens
Three webtoon artists selected for South Korean immersion program
The Webtoon Academy Angoulême has announced the selection of three artists who will continue their training in South Korea as part of a two-month immersion program starting on March 10, 2025. This initiative, organized by Ellipse Studio, Ono, and Kenaz, aims to support the professional development of French-speaking webtoon creators.The selected artists—Louise Rodriguez from France, Charles Manalt from France, and Ekass Eks from Gabon—were chosen from a group of 12 participants who completed the Webtoon Academy training between September and December 2024. The program, designed to foster new talent in the webtoon industry, included instruction from Korean professionals and was supported by multiple institutions, including the Institut Français and the Seoul Business Agency.
The immersion will take place in Suncheon, a city positioning itself as a hub for animation and webtoon production in South Korea. The three artists will continue developing their webtoon projects in collaboration with local creators at the Webtoon Global Center, hosted by Kenaz and Ono Korea.
Noh Kwankyu, Mayor of Suncheon, emphasized the city's commitment to establishing itself as a global center for webtoon production, highlighting the importance of international collaboration. The initiative is also backed by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, reinforcing efforts to expand cultural and creative industries internationally.
Following this stage, Kenaz, Ono, and Ellipse Studio plan to launch the production of webtoon series initiated by or featuring the selected artists.