The British Council
BIRAX
The British Council and the British Embassy in Israel have been working closely to invest in much-needed research. Teaming up on the multimillion-pound Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange initiative, or BIRAX, they’ve enabled collaborations between top scientists across Britain and Israel. We collaborated with the British Council to create a whiteboard animation showcasing BIRAX projects and achievements.
The Brief
Our task was to celebrate the success of the initiative and encourage further participation and funding to deepen the ties between Britain and Israel.
The BIRAX program has had wide-reaching cultural, economic, and scientific impacts: They have funded 26 research projects on world-leading health issues, amassed thousands of citations, and connected over 1200 people. No wonder their impact report is 55 pages long!
The Explainer Video
Our group of creatives here at Cognitive managed to sum it up visually: from the importance of BIRAX donors to its impact and achievements, all the while merging in statistics and details from real scientific reports. We decided to focus on one project, a collaboration developing algorithms to diagnose and manage macular degeneration, a blinding eye condition.
The visuals are grounded in reality. We introduced real scientists as characters in the animation, honouring those involved with BIRAX, and included accurate scientific imagery, from authentic lab equipment to actual retinal scans. Our creative team transformed our standard Cognitive blue and white colour scheme, tailoring the animation with BIRAXs’ vibrant branding colours to create a memorable animation.
Animating these illustrations makes for a more digestible visual experience. The film's script and visuals weave together tactfully at a pace that keeps the viewer hooked, while allowing them to absorb the messaging. Merging voiceover, illustrations, and animation, we created a powerful and professional animation for the British Council, highlighting their life-changing research and global impact.
The Client
BIRAX – Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange – was initiated in 2011 by the British Council, British Embassy in Israel, and the UK Science and Innovation Network in collaboration with the Pears Foundation as a founding partner.
The Context
Discover more about BIRAXs’ achievements by visiting the British Council website.
To turn your complex idea into a whiteboard animation, contact us or book a creative consultation today.
The UN FAO Acceleration Zone is a space where project developers can work with expert facilitators to get their projects off the ground and create the change we need. Our creative team explained the role and features of the Acceleration Zone in this explainer video.
CIRAD are passionate about making agricultural research increasingly collaborative, with long-term impacts. Together, we created this whiteboard animation to explain the role of the ImpresS approach in making CIRAD’s mission a reality.
Matthew Taylor has used his final lecture as CEO of the RSA to look at the social forces that shape our society and the relationship between different social sciences.
We live in polarising times, but we have a lot more in common than some may think. It is the mission of More In Common to show how much we share.
A career in science offers an exciting and rewarding chance to contribute and collaborate globally on the problems we all face. These careers extend far beyond the classic examples which come to mind.
The animation we have created for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation proposes key questions while highlighting the shared culture and values that unite the UK and Germany, emphasising a message of democracy and international cooperation.
Studying science gives us amazing transferable skills and knowledge that we can take to every career. we worked with The Royal Society to create this animation highlighting the importance and benefits of studying science.
Journalist and author of The Uninhabitable Earth unpacks the reality and consequences of climate change in the latest RSA Minimate.
In today’s world an address acts as a de facto form of identity and underpins everything from applying for a job to opening a bank account. The lack of an address can be a huge barrier to people experiencing homelessness receiving support and help.
The Gambling Commission asked us to create a whiteboard animation explaining to staff working in the gambling sector the new ‘customer interaction’ framework and how to apply it.
Harvard University Professor of Political Philosophy Michael Sandel examines the reality and consequences of our meritocracies in this RSA Minimate.
Find out in this whiteboard animation how Barts Health NHS Trust lowers their impact on the environment and delivers better patient care through Sustainability.
What is Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and how can it benefit marine environments and those who use them?
We worked with the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development and Cynthia Hall to bring TBRI® to the screen and share its vital message about children, trauma and recovery.
Because much of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement’s work is in war zones and areas of extreme danger, it is vital that their staff and volunteers are aware of how to stay safe. We explained more in this whiteboard animation.
The world is in a constant state of flux, with wars and repressive regimes creating an ongoing refugee crisis.
This film introduces the concept of Universal Basic Income as a means of underpinning society and taking away the financial insecurity that many people feel today.
What would you do if one morning your life was turned upside down by conflict or the repressive regime of your country?
The Royal Society approached us to make a whiteboard animation after applications to their University Research Fellowships highlighted a staggering gender imbalance.