BFI's Young Audiences Content Fund kicks off more shows as the first series premiere

The BFI today announced the latest projects awarded through the Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF), including animated projects Quentin Blake's clown e A bear named Wojtek. The announcement comes as many of the first YACF-supported projects, launched in 2019, receive their first broadcast on free-to-air channels.

The DCMS-funded YACF has had an extremely positive impact in supporting a diverse community of independent production companies across the UK and exceeded targets for the percentage of projects involving new voices, regional representation and indigenous languages.

The Fund is designed to contribute up to 50% of production costs for projects that have secured a broadcast commitment from a free access Ofcom regulated service with a significant audience reach across the UK. YACF has supported independent producers financially during this challenging year, enabling them to develop new ideas and supporting the cash flow to broadcast commissioned productions.

To date, YACF has awarded 29 productions totaling £ 17,3 million, which has garnered an additional £ 40,1 million in production spending. For a total of £ 2,64 million, 107 development awards were awarded. Projects range from current affairs and history genres to comedy and drama, while targeting audiences from toddlers to teenagers.

YACF's first year data shows that 71% of projects that have received production awards were established in recognizable UK locations outside of London and South East England, with countries and regions well represented (Wales 29%; Scotland 12%; NI 6%; English regions 24%). Green-lit productions supported by YACF in Year 1 created approximately 72.792 days of work for cast, crew and executives across the UK.

Development awards to date have resulted in an estimated average of 110 days of work versus an average investment of £ 22.429 per project in a variety of creative roles from writers, musicians, actors, editors, educational consultants, researchers, designers, artists and entertainers.

Production winners featured on this list include: Quentin Blake's clown (Channel 4, Eagle Eye Drama), the highly anticipated animated adaptation of Blake's novel clown aired this Christmas; Jack Rooke's college comedy Big guys (Channel 4, Roughcut TV); First dates: teenagers (E4, Twenty Twenty), where a brave group of 16-19 year olds decided to leave their digital life and live a date in real life; Generation genome (KMTV, KMTV Creative), a brand new set of facts about genetics; A bear named Wojtek (BBC ALBA / Illuminated Films), which chronicles the fantastic journey of an orphaned Syrian brown bear brought to Edinburgh, previously adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II; and a new mission of educational explainers Not capisco and a short documentary series called kidversation from the creators of the Sky Kids newsletter Best regards, which recently won the Best Children's Program award from Voice of the Listener and Viewer and was nominated for a Rose d'Or Award.

A number of YACF-supported shows are now at the point of broadcast, with titles in progress and upcoming, including: FYI investigates (Sky News, First News, Sky Kids / Fresh Start Media), Don't unleash the beast"(CITV / Tiny House Productions), How to (CITV / Terrific Television), Go green with the Grimwades (Channel 5 Milkshake! / Doc Hearts), The world according to grandfather (Channel 4's Milkshake !, S5C / Saffron Cherry Productions) e Get up Mali (S4C, Mount Stuart Media). Letters on block (E4 / Afro-Mic Productions) aired earlier this summer.

SOL

The YACF also initiated an innovative partnership with a public service broadcaster to broadcast jointly SOL (Paper Owl Films), a new indigenous language children's animation about pain that aims to bring light and comfort to the end of this difficult year for families with young children on the darkest day, the Winter Solstice. BBC ALBA, S4C, TG4, CITV, ITV Hub, ALL 4 and My5 will broadcast the short film on Monday 21 December. Sol has also received funding from the Irish Language Broadcast Fund and Northern Ireland Screen's Screen Fund.

"Against the staggering backdrop of the pandemic, the Young Audiences Content Fund has proven to be a force for good (televised), providing support to businesses across the UK, from development funding to gap funding projects, helping them get the green light from broadcasters and keeping the shows in production, ”said Jackie Edwards, head of YACF at the BFI. "The resilience of the sector never fails to amaze and the industry has ensured that the provision of high quality television for and on the young people of this country has continued even in the most difficult circumstances."

Media and Data Minister John Whittingdale said, The Young Audiences Content Fund ensures that young people can see themselves represented, heard and entertained through original content from a wide variety of genres. Many of us have found solace and escapism from television and radio this year, so I am delighted that a new series of productions will come to life thanks to this round of awards. "

The Fund's development pot continues to prove hugely valuable to the industry, not least as it allows new voices and smaller, regional and under-represented production companies to level up and further develop their shows. Thanks to the increase in talent skills, the feedback details how development beneficiaries are improving the standard of issuing commission presentations that channels are receiving. A greater percentage of developed programs are in the process of being commissioned, and producers are developing relationships with broadcasters they had not previously met.

Recent approved development awards include How to be autistic (Adapted images), The No Friends Club (Kellan Productions), The Heartless (Ruby Rock Pictures), Bobbie's Maker Den (Jist Studios), Children of dance (SaGuarda Studios Ltd), Billy's Band: Lights Camera Score (Three Stones Media), Albert's Islands (Tristram Roper Miller Ltd) e Glove and shoe (Matinai).

New animated projects:

• Albert's Islands (Tristram Roper Miller Ltd) - Tristram Roper Miller is a new production company made up of writer / director Matilda Tristram (The adventures of Abney and Teal), director / designer Sarah Roper (Peppa Pig) and new voice, producer Hannah Lee Miller. Albert's Islands is a preschool animation with strong public service characteristics, reflecting a UK coastal town and a British sense of humor.
• A bear named Wojtek (Illuminated movies), the true story of the famous Edinburgh Zoo resident Wojtek. A Bear Named Wojtek tells the fantastic journey of an orphaned Syrian brown bear brought to Edinburgh, previously adopted by Polish soldiers during the Second World War. Become a beacon of hope and an emblem of their destiny. The film goes through topics like friendship, war, immigration, being an outsider, relationships and acceptance. (BBC Alba)
• Glove and shoe (Matinai), an animated series for children aged 2 to 4, which follows the adventures of a brave little Mitten, a slightly less brave sports shoe and their friends from the playground. Quirky, fun and typically British, Mitten and Shoe is an original idea from director Naomi Morris and the project was created by Matinai, an animation studio based in the southwest.
• Quentin Blake's clown (Eagle Eye Drama), the eagerly awaited adaptation of clown airing this December, written and illustrated by Sir Quentin Blake and narrated by Helena Bonham Carter. (Channel 4)

http://www.bfi.org.uk/yacf