2027 registration – N.E.mation! 2026

national digital animation competition

Strengthening Total Defence Through Individual Action

Supporting Singapore’s ASEAN Chairmanship

Designed for students with or without prior animation experience, this edition encourages students to consider how individual acts of responsibility and resilience contribute to both national security and broader regional cooperation.

Closing date
30 June 2026, 5PM SGT

Organised by Defence Collective Singapore (DCS)

partnership with Nexus

Students will explore how individual acts under the six pillars of Total Defence contribute to national security and resilience. The theme also encourages youths to reflect on how a strong, cohesive and digitally responsible Singapore plays a role in supporting our ASEAN Chairmanship and contributing to regional stability.

The focus remains on individual responsibility, digital integrity, and personal contributions to defence with ASEAN serving as the broader context.

Workshop Skills

partnership with Nexus

Through hands-on workshops, students will develop foundational & future-ready skills

Transforming Ideas into Powerful Stories

Students will learn how to shape their thoughts about Total Defence and Singapore’s role in supporting ASEAN cooperation into compelling narratives that resonate with modern audiences, using creative thinking techniques and GenAI tools to bring their ideas to life.

Creating Striking Visuals with AI

Students will experiment with text-to-image tools that allow them to visualise their imagination from environments to characters while learning how to guide AI ethically and responsibly.

Bringing Images to Life through AI Animation

Through image-to-video generation, students will discover how static artwork can be animated into movement, allowing them to craft short cinematic sequences using emerging AI tools.

Crafting Soundscapes with AI Audio Tools

Participants will explore text-to-audio platforms that generate voiceovers, sound effects and ambience, helping them understand how audio enhances mood, storytelling, and emotional impact.

Production of a Final Animation

Students will learn beginner-friendly editing and refinement techniques that combines AI-generated visuals, audio and transitions into a cohesive final film ready for national showcase.

Workshops are designed from ground-up to support complete beginners.
No prior creative or technical experience is required.

learning flow

Desired Learning Outcomes

Participation in N.E.mation! provides students with a future-ready, values-driven learning experience that strengthens competencies across National Education and responsible digital creation. The programme is designed to nurture youths who think critically, act responsibly, and communicate confidently as advocates of Singapore’s defence story.

Through the N.E.mation! journey, students will

Strengthen their National Education foundations and grow as NE Ambassadors

Students develop a richer understanding of Total Defence and how individual actions contribute to Singapore’s stability and support for ASEAN cooperation. They learn to articulate these ideas confidently, strengthening their civic identity.

Develop core competencies through authentic creative problem-solving

The competition provides opportunities for collaboration, communication, inventive thinking and self-directed learning. Students will plan story concepts, iterate on ideas, troubleshoot creative challenges, and refine their productions, mirroring real-world creative and project workflows that encourage teamwork, resilience, and reflective practice.

Build future-ready AI and digital media skills in a safe, guided environment

Students will gain hands-on exposure to emerging Generative AI tools and learn about digital storytelling. Alongside the technical skills, they will learn the principles of responsible AI use, digital integrity, and ethical content creation which are critical competencies in an age shaped by synthetic media, deepfakes, and rapid technological change.

Create meaningful stories on a national platform

N.E.mation! offers students the opportunity to share and produce content that inspires their peers to appreciate the importance of individual responsibility in Total Defence and Singapore’s role within ASEAN. By communicating these narratives through engaging visual media, they contribute directly to strengthening public understanding of Total Defence.

Build a future-focused creative portfolio

Students will produce a digital story or short animation that showcases their creativity, teamwork, communication skills and digital fluency. This portfolio piece can support future applications to media, design and creative-related programmes.

Develop confidence and personal voice through a creative journey

The competition empowers students to express their ideas thoughtfully and responsibly. Through guided workshops, mentorship and hands-on practice, they gain the confidence to tell impactful stories that reflect Singapore’s security and resilience contribution to regional cooperation during the ASEAN Chairmanship.

Competition Timeline

N.E.mation! 2027 runs from mid-2026 to early-2027, with the award ceremony held in 2027.

learning flow

March 2026 onwards

Workshops, Production & Mentorship

July – September 2026

Award Ceremony

February / March 2027

Target Audience

School Category
Secondary School/JC Students

Open Category
Poly / ITE youth participants

Runtime

July 2026 – March 2027

Modality

In-person

Fee

Complimentary

national digital animation competition

Strengthening Total Defence Through Individual Action

Supporting Singapore’s ASEAN Chairmanship

Organised by Defence Collective Singapore (DCS)

partnership with Nexus

Workshop Skills

partnership with Nexus

learning flow

Desired Learning Outcomes

Competition Timeline

learning flow

Workshops, Production & Mentorship

Award Ceremony

Target Audience

Runtime

Modality

Fee

Programme Capacity