"Our impact mission is to develop creative economies": André Luís on the evolution of Trojan Horse Was A Unicorn

Where there’s a will there’s a way. It’s an old adage and one that holds enduring resonance. A testament to willpower and creative fearlessness is André Luís, co-founder of the global digital creative community Trojan Horse Was A Unicorn, a playful name chosen after trying hundreds of different options and often shortened to THU.

The organisation’s mission is to provide access to networking and mentoring opportunities that can showcase artists’ work right across the digital space. Being part of THU is to participate in a variety of communities that can support and nurture careers in the creative industry. Its network includes developers, musicians, designers, marketeers, compositors, illustrators and 3D artists (if you need to update your own setup, see our guide to the best drawing tablets for artists on the go).

During our conversation, André’s commitment to what THU can become shines through. Identifying a key driver for the mission, he explains that “I care about diversity and inclusion.” Indeed, across the past decade, THU’s efforts to connect with industry has yielded the involvement of companies including Netflix, Weta FX, Lightheart Entertainment, Mikros Animation, Supercell, Triggerfish and Polygon Pictures, among others.

Central to THU’s annual schedule is a live event, alongside a developing online point of connectivity. This year, for example, its Talent League has been working as an accelerator for ideas and burgeoning artists. Looking ahead to 2025, André anticipates its live event being hosted in Japan.

Of THU’s profile, he says: “We’re the only organisation now that connects all of the industries, all the areas, all the ages. We’re trying to help all these silos to actually connect. We know that if we really want to be serious about our mission, we need to try to work with all of them.”

Spurred by experience

Out of great challenges, great opportunities can arise, and 2024 is proving a major moment for THU in the relationships it’s nurturing.

André recalls his own difficult beginning, looking to find a path into the creative industries in Portugal and perhaps beyond. He explains that when he was starting out, he didn’t know anyone internationally, and hence his own direct experience as an educated creative struggling to make his way prompted and inspired him to
begin developing what has become THU. Of supporting emerging artists, André is emphatic: “I want them to have what I didn’t as a young artist.”

The foundations of THU were first laid more than a decade ago. “I’ve spent the last 10 or 11 years studying the creative industries, and now we’re an impact project focusing on creative economies around the world,” André says. “When we started this 11 years ago, I was the co-founder of the first computer graphics school in Portugal, which opened in 2008.”

By 2012, he came to recognise just how challenging it was for graduates of the school to pursue work and networking opportunities. From this, THU was sparked. It has taken time for the work and profile to cohere, but it has been worthwhile. “If you go online, you’ll see that THU has a lot of projects,” André adds. “All of the projects are perceived as events. All the projects have a specific mission in place; an impact mission in place.”

With its first decade marked, André discusses the immediate future for THU. “We’re now going to the next step; our impact mission is to develop creative economies,” he says. “We’re working to ensure we can understand what these creative economies are.”

Beyond cultivating ways for creatives to connect and share their work, André also has an ambition for THU to find a space to address and provide a venue for considering how to change behaviours in the creative industries.

Creative platform

There’s a holistic approach, then, that’s key to its work in challenging a silo mindset about creative industries, and André notes: “What we’re trying to provide is a platform for creatives to find a path.” Indeed, he’s keen to continue connecting THU’s creative network to opportunities beyond the most familiar screen media and explains: “Three or four years ago, I decided to connect our industry with lifestyle companies like Mastercard.” While it continues to forge new connections, what remains central to THU’s work and profile is its live event, which has been a constant.

From 30 September until 5 October this year, the live event will take place in Tróia, Portugal. This is the 10th year that the event has run, and as of this edition, THU is entering an exciting new phase in its mission to support creativity, and to do so in an intensely immersive way.

“The main event is the starting point,” André explains. “It’s like one place in the world where, every two years, the best 1,000 minds will sit down to talk about innovation and creativity. It’s not to sell anything, not to show projects. It’s for people who want to go to the next level. We’re like a bootcamp. We’re part of your creative networking system, even for senior artists. THU can be a place for seniors [40-50 years old] to reboot and we have a lot of them.”

Of the live event, André stresses: “It’s not for young kids. If you want to learn the ABCs, go to another place. THU is tough because it’s a place we tell the truth about portfolios, career preparedness and perhaps even attitude, so it’s not for everyone. We only want people at THU who actually want to be better and help others.”

There’s a high value placed on time spent in discussion with industry mentors and practitioners. “2024 is our 10th anniversary,” André adds. “We’ll have masterclasses where you have time to talk, so there will be talks that last 25 minutes with 35 minutes of conversation after. Conversations rather than Q&As or panels means attendees can really talk about stuff."

To further make the point, André observes how the live event contrasts with other live events and expos. He adds: “FMX is a wonderful event. There’s one huge problem: there are 5,000 people for 700 seats. At Annecy, there are 16,000 people for 800 seats.”

Well connected

Of THU’s expanding networks, André says: “We have a strong relationship with everyone and we never stop. We’ve always been bringing lots of industries to the live event and now that includes the health industry with its work in digital medicine. THU can help with building the bridge between scientists and artists.

“I want people to start bringing a new perception about why THU is different. From September 2024, we’re going to launch a new platform that will enable us to become the most important platform for business creatives. That’s big: the creatives need to understand the business. Even if you don’t want to have a business, you have to understand the business.”

Of the essential function of THU, André candidly observes: “We finally know what we are. We have all the tools to help. Entrepreneurship, diversity and inclusion, storytelling, young people; these are the themes of THU. People tell you the truth and they care. We can bend the light to a lot of people lost in their careers.”

As we talk, André pauses to express profound concern about the creative industry’s challenge in retaining talent and ensuring its values are recognised. He wants THU to play its part in showcasing the industry’s impact on society. “My biggest fear is ‘How do I make sure that people can actually find answers about how to continue in the industry and not quit?’ Creative industries allow you to have more culture, they’re not a niche.”

Finally, André offers an evocative closing comment that captures a feeling creatives might well recognise from those moments they consider the ongoing challenge of shaping and making a career. He says: “Fear will block you. We want to make sure artists aren’t alone. Giving them the foundations for where to go is the most important thing.”

This year’s THU main event takes place in Tróia, Portugal, from 30 September to 5 October. You can learn more at www.trojan-unicorn.com

This content originally appeared in ImagineFX magazine, the world's leading digital art and fantasy art magazine. ImagineFX is on sale in the UK, Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and more. Limited numbers of ImagineFX print editions are available for delivery from our online store (the shipping costs are included in all prices).