At a moment when AI can generate imagery in seconds, what does it mean to spend hours drawing frame by frame? This is a deliberate investigation into the irreplaceable value of human craft, embodied knowledge, and temporal depth. This pilot brings together 6 to 8 international animators working between traditional craft and contemporary storytelling to create new work that demonstrates what hand-drawn animation uniquely offers in our accelerated present.
About the pilot residency
The Space
While we search for our forever residency, the pilot takes place at a historic half-timbered longhouse in La Chapelle-Hareng, deep in Normandy's Pays d'Auge countryside. Less than two hours from Paris by train, the property sits among apple orchards and farmland - the kind of landscape where you encounter more cows than tourists. The house has generous communal spaces including a farmhouse kitchen, dining room with exposed beams, and multiple work areas.
Wellness facilities include an indoor heated pool, outdoor Nordic bath, and sauna - spaces for both creative thinking and necessary restoration. The property offers fiber internet for practical needs while maintaining the contemplative atmosphere essential for focused work. This is Normandy's particular gift: proximity to Paris without compromise on quiet, beauty without performance, comfort without luxury's complications. For two weeks it becomes our laboratory.
Who's behind this
Le Moulin is led by Angelica Vidal and Valentin Piton, who bring complementary expertise in cultural strategy, hospitality, and community infrastructure.
Founder & Curator
Angelica Vidal
Angelica curates the fellows, designs workshops and collaborative frameworks, and manages sponsor partnerships. As founder of Marble Fountain, she has worked on brand development and countless events with reputable international organizations. She brings over a decade of experience building in brand building between technology, lifestyle, art, and impact spaces. At Le Moulin, she creates the intellectual provocations and ensures each cohort produces work that matters.
Founder & Operations
Valentin Piton
Valentin oversees culinary experiences and on-ground operations. After 15 years as a restaurateur and running Nabucco, an artisanal restaurant in Paris' trendy Marais, he brings hospitality expertise and a commitment to creating environments where human connection flourishes. At Le Moulin, he ensures fellows have everything they need—from shared meals to functional workspace—so they can focus entirely on making.
Sponsorship Benefits
Exclusive documentation of the residency (photography, video)
Exclusive commissioned work from emerging artists
Association with Le Moulin's founding programming
Recognition in all pilot communications
Intimate access: dinner with fellows and founders
Optional: Naming rights ("Presented by [Sponsor]")
Total residency cost: €25,000
Covers: venue, artist grants, materials, documentation, production
Total residency cost: €25,000
Covers: venue, artist grants, materials, documentation, production