We’re excited to share a new animation by Kate Sweeney called A Different Kind of Mind. To create the animation Kate collaborated with insect researcher, or entomologist, Dr. Vivek Nityananda, with whom Cap-a-Pie also collaborated to make our show The Vanishing Act. This animation shares Vivek’s research and insights into the inner lives of insects as they navigate their world. We caught up with Kate Sweeney to learn more about her creative process, how she works, and the unique perspective she brings to this project.
Kate’s work is deeply rooted in drawing, with writing and sound often accompanying her visuals. “It’s all handmade. It isn’t a sort of filmic or technical animation process; it’s very handmade, probably slower than it could be, but it creates space for me to think,” she explains. This is a personal process of creating – one where each frame is carefully drawn, and the act of making the work itself becomes an integral part of the piece.
For Kate, animation is a way to bring small moments of everyday life to life. “Animation can add something magical – not fantasy, but a space that’s slightly apart from reality. It can make you see something in a new way,” she shares. This is a key aspect of her style, where the ordinary is transformed by movement and a touch of magic. Her animation isn’t about creating fantasy, but about capturing the fleeting, often overlooked details of life.
Kate’s animation A Different Kind of Mind gives viewers a unique perspective on Dr. Vivek Nityananda’s fascinating research into the behaviour and cognition of insects. Despite not being a scientist herself, Kate finds herself drawn to the small, intricate details of the research: “It’s fascinating, but it’s really strange. Research labs are these small worlds where you can make giant leaps – or take tiny details and try to draw meaning from them.”
The research focuses on how insects, such as bumblebees and praying mantises, perceive their environment and make decisions based on complex processes. Insects may have small brains, but their abilities are extraordinary. As Théo Robert, a researcher in Vivek’s lab, explains: “If you start paying attention to insects, they are all around us all the time.”
One of the key aspects of the research that has caught Kate’s attention is the idea of studying insects’ behaviour without attributing human emotions or qualities to them. As Kate explains, “It seems to me that Vivek and his team become so absorbed in understanding how these creatures use their attention that it creates a connection. This connection isn’t human, but it helps us understand these creatures better and, hopefully, live alongside them more harmoniously.”
“In the lab Vivek and his colleagues are revealing how insects, like bumblebees, detect flowers and make decisions. The bees can use memories to remember flowers, and their attention can be influenced by both rewards and environmental stimuli, such as a contrast against a background.”
These fascinating discoveries are visually represented in the animation, helping to bring a new understanding of these creatures to the audience.
As the project progressed, Kate reflected on the visual aesthetic of the animation, drawing inspiration from the research environment itself. “I might use video footage to start off with, of the lab and the scientists doing what they describe in the film. Partly so I can orient myself into that world,” she explains. These details help to ground the animation in the real-world setting of the research lab, lending it a sense of authenticity.
Kate drew the scientists, including Dr. Nityananda and his colleague Théo, to give the animation a sense of connection between the audience and the researchers who are driving the work forward. “Through this, the animation will not only bring the science to life but also create a more personal connection with the viewers,” Kate adds.
Now that the animation is complete, A Different Kind of Mind brings together Kate’s handmade process, Vivek’s research, and a unique creative approach to offer a new perspective on how insects experience the world. Through delicate and thoughtful visuals, the animation translates the cognitive processes of insects into visual moments that highlight the extraordinary abilities of these tiny creatures.
We’re excited to finally share Kate’s animation and the fascinating research behind it.
