Who are we?

Professor Ray Laurence

Ray Laurence set up Ancient Rome in Motion in 2022. He is Professor of Ancient History at Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia). He researches and writes the scripts that are then developed as visual stories by We are Cognitive, an animation studio based in Folkestone (UK) founded by Andrew Park. Ray met Andrew back in 2012. They made two films for TedEd that have been viewed more than 20 million times. They have also made experimental films, such as a museum label about a statuette of a nursing goddess or Dea Nutrix on display in Canterbury’s Roman Museum. As well as a film about the history of migration to Britain - see below for the films.

Andrew Park

Andrew Park founded We are Cognitive in 2004. We are Cognitive</a>. Andrew thinks deeply about working on new subject areas and as he explains:

"The one thing that defines us as a species is our ability to tell stories. We can hold information in our memories, think about the past, present and future and use our prefrontal cortex to hypothesise possible scenarios and outcomes. To be innovative and creative".

His company makes ideas come alive and become tangible, whilst making those ideas engaging through visual story-telling. You can watch Andrew explain TedX Bermuda, how he developed the forms of visual storytelling that underpin the work of We are Cognitive.

Elena Gamper

Elena is an illustrator at We are Cognitive. Watching Four Sisters in Ancient Rome back in 2013 inspired her to take up animation as a career. She loves coming up with fun and memorable character designs.

Becki Lane

Becki is a pro at making sure a project ticks along smoothly. At We are Cognitive, she provides a critical link between clients and our creative team, keeping everyone in the loop and ensuring the team hits the brief on time. Becki has experience in project management roles across various industries, such as finance, engineering, exhibitions and interior design. She loves seeing Ancient Rome in Motion's projects evolve from initial ideas right through to the final launch.