SCAD-trained multidisciplinary artist and Disney internship alum signs multi-year agreement as Jacksonville-based studio moves original City Kidz characters into full animation

City Kidz NexGen Animation Studios has selected emerging multidisciplinary artist and voice actor Zaria Weems as the voice of Jazzy Duval, a new member of the City Kidz crew, signing her to a multi-year voice acting agreement as the Jacksonville-based studio moves its original characters into full animation.

For Weems, 24, the opportunity goes beyond reading lines. City Kidz is giving her creative space to help shape Jazzy from the inside out, bringing her own energy, instincts and point of view to the character’s personality, attitude and unmistakable voice.

For City Kidz founder Pastor Clinton Bush, that is exactly what the studio and its NexGen Animation Fellowship were created to do: identify exceptionally talented emerging storytellers and creators, give them meaningful opportunities to demonstrate what they can do, and invest in those who bring both ability and the collaborative spirit required to build something extraordinary.

Bush said that when he recognized Weems as a multidisciplinary professional — animator, concept artist, storyboard artist and voice actor — “the decision to ink a multi-year deal was easy. I wanted her to have the creative freedom to contribute to the partnership in her own ways.”

“Zaria represents so much of what we want City Kidz to stand for,” he continued. “She is exceptionally talented, but she is also humble, kind, compassionate and generous in the way she works with other people. From the first time I experienced her energy and passion, I knew she was the person I wanted to bring Jazzy Duval to life.”

Bush sees the relationship as a two-way commitment. “We want Zaria to pour her talent into Jazzy, but City Kidz also has a responsibility to pour our expertise and support into Zaria,” he said. “We want to give her the creative space, professional experience, exposure and relationships that can help propel her career. When Zaria and Jazzy truly become one, I think people are going to understand just how special this young woman is.”

Weems’ creative journey began as a child in Austell, Georgia, where drawing, video games and animated characters opened the door to worlds she wanted to create herself. A digital drawing tablet from her grandmother helped turn that fascination into a serious pursuit. She later attended the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and was selected for a Disney internship opportunity that exposed her to accomplished artists and entertainment-industry professionals.

What attracted her to City Kidz was the chance to contribute rather than simply execute. “Having the creative freedom to really take Jazzy and help mold her is what made me so excited,” Weems said. “I get to immerse myself in her and think about who she is, how she sounds and how she comes alive.”

Bold, energetic and unmistakably Jacksonville, Jazzy is envisioned as one of the signature personalities audiences will encounter as the City Kidz universe expands across animated shorts, educational and social content and, ultimately, larger entertainment properties. As the crew’s resident newscaster, she also will be one of the faces and voices of City Kidz’s emerging Animating Jacksonville initiative.

Animating Jacksonville envisions the city itself as part of the studio’s animated universe. The Main Street Bridge, St. Johns River, Jacksonville neighborhoods, the Jaguars Stadium of the Future and other recognizable landmarks are being incorporated into original animated stories designed to take both City Kidz and Jacksonville to audiences around the world.

Zaria’s selection also demonstrates a larger ambition for City Kidz NexGen Animation Studios. Through its fellowship and expanding production operation, City Kidz is bringing emerging animators, artists, writers, voice performers and other creative professionals into real projects built around original intellectual property — giving them opportunities to do consequential work, earn credits, develop professional relationships and be seen.

The studio hopes Weems’ story will encourage other talented voice actors and creative professionals to look closely at what City Kidz is building and imagine themselves becoming part of it.

For Weems, the journey comes back to a piece of advice she frequently gives other young creatives: find your spark. “You don’t have to explain why you’re doing it,” Weems said. “Find what drives you and stand on it.”

“This is just the beginning,” Bush said. “Zaria is excited. We’re excited. And when people finally meet the Jazzy Duval that Zaria is helping us create, I think they’re going to realize we’re building something very different.”

Because Jazzy has something to say.

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