Kinder Than Cuts

Kinder Than Cuts is a collective AniJam protest animation responding to the UK government’s proposed cuts to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and other disability benefits. The project invited animators across the UK to create short 5–15 second sequences exploring what kindness looks like or visualising the impact of austerity measures. These segments were combined into an exquisite corpse animation and disseminated online, contributing to public debate and activism around the proposed policy changes. Since its release, the film has been viewed 9,981 times and was cited in discussions with MPs. Sustained collective pressure ultimately compelled the government to drop parts of the policy.

Screening
Launched as an open call during Brighton International Animation Festival 2025 and shared widely online. Viewed 9,981 times, including by MPs, the project contributed to the collective pressure that compelled the government to abandon parts of the proposed cuts to PIP and disability benefits.

Watch the Film
View the full film https://vimeo.com/1091420829
View my contribution https://vimeo.com/1091779813

Collective Statement
This AniJam protest animation on disability rights is a collaborative protest film brought together UK-based animators to visualise the impact of benefit cuts and promote solidarity through animation. The project was widely shared online, featured at Brighton International Animation Festival 2025, and contributed to public pressure against the proposed policies.

Launched during the Brighton International Animation Festival 2025, Kinder Than Cuts is a collective film created in response to the proposed cuts to PIP and disability benefits in the UK. The project was co-directed by Sarah Gomes Harris and Kate Jessop and brought together animators from across the country to contribute short sequences visualising what kindness looks like, or contrasting care with the reality of austerity policies.

The cuts were projected to force 400,000 disabled people into poverty by 2030 to save £5 billion. This film became part of a wider movement resisting these measures. It has been viewed 9,981 times so far and helped sustain public pressure that ultimately compelled Starmer to drop parts of the policy.

One viewer shared:
"I'm so grateful there are people willing to take the time to help us fight this. It means so much. Thank you."

Kim Noce Statement
Each contributor created a short animation (5–15 seconds) responding to the prompt what is kinder than cuts? Some chose to visualise an ideal future grounded in care, while others exposed the violence of systemic neglect. Together, these pieces form an exquisite corpse animation: a collective protest stitched together in motion, image by image.

My contribution reflects the quiet violence of invisibility. Figures are enclosed, layered, and fading—trapped within shifting boundaries that echo the lived experience of those navigating systems that withhold support. It is about what happens when care is withdrawn and bureaucracy becomes impersonal, abstract, and ultimately brutal.

Credits
Co-directed and produced by Sarah Gomes Harris and Kate Jessop
Created by: Yuxin Sun, Yu Sun, Scott Coello, Kate Jessop, Kim Noce, Anna Pereira, Maria Audrey Finn, Occulta Dama, Ciara Kerr, Sam Bonser, Chris Sav, Tom Sears, Noah Greenhalgh, José Grané, Quirkyjoe, Luka Lee, Natasha Staunton, Sarah Gomes Harris
Music by Wolfgang Dubieniec
Sound Design by Ben Hudson
Edited by Kate Jessop

• https://vimeo.com/1091420829?p=1s
• https://vimeo.com/1091779813
• https://kimnoce.wordpress.com/2025/06/06...
• https://www.instagram.com/p/DH3R2v1sb-R/...