Brown Bag Films is looking to increase its overall workforce to 255 on the back of the creation of a new 30,000sq ft animation studio in Smithfield, Dublin.

With offices in Dublin, Manchester and LA, Brown Bag Films currently employs more than 180 people across its entire operation, with news of the new studio in Smithfield coming alongside a push to add 70 people to the overall team by 2018.

The company, which was bought by 9 Story Media Group last year, has a long history in Smithfield, with MD Cathal Gaffney saying he wanted to “maintain our roots here”.

“Our new studio sets an incredibly high standard and is the perfect home for our outstanding creative and technical talent,” he said, noting projects like Watership Down and Doc McStuffins as areas he’s looking to recruit for.

Brown Bag Films has been in operation for 22 years now, with notable productions like the Oscar-nominated Give Up Yer Aul Sins and Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty names that probably ring a bell.

Its Peter Rabbit show has won six Emmys, Doc McStuffins has a Peabody Award, and its show Bing has won an International Emmy Kids Award. It has also received many other nominations for its work.

The company has been expanding aggressively in the past 18 months, with an Amazon deal leading to 40 jobs being created February 2015. When 9 Story Media Group bought the company last August, another 50 jobs were announced,

Founded in 1994 by Gaffney and Darragh O’Connell, Brown Bag Films creates 3D animation and content, producing four of the top 10 preschool TV shows in the US.

“I am so proud to be part of the exciting expansion of Brown Bag Films,” said Neil Court, executive chairman of 9 Story Media Group.

“The Smithfield site is one of the most creatively-driven and technically-advanced studios in the world. The investment in the new space demonstrates our unwavering commitment to growing our production capabilities in Ireland.”