A new funding initiative has been launched to encourage the Australian production of children’s content for digital platforms.
Screen Australia and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) will run the Kids IP Incubator project aimed at empowering emerging and established children’s content creators to deliver distinctive Australian content for children on platforms like YouTube, Roblox and FAST.
Screen Australia CEO Deidre Brennan said these platforms had different business models and required unique strategies to engage with audiences.
Ms Brennan said the program gave practitioners the opportunity to explore and experiment with the creative tools and optimised formats that worked on these platforms.
“Australia has a proud history of creating memorable children’s content that resonates globally.
“As the screen landscape evolves, we need to support our creators to seize new opportunities, contributing to a sustainable ecosystem for the production of children’s content into the future.”
ACTF CEO Jenny Buckland said we ignored the digital platforms that children were gravitating towards at our peril, but success in these spaces required a different mindset.
“What I love about this partnership with Screen Australia is that we’re encouraging the teams involved to experiment in a collaborative environment where we all learn and lift each other up,” Ms Buckland said.
Screen Australia and ACTF will support up to eight teams with innovative ideas for new IP on digital platforms aimed at engaging children.
The groups said the initiative would demystify technology, offering education and access to shape a different approach to content development.
The initiative has three phases:
- Phase One: An Information webinar hosted by Screen Australia and the ACTF for anyone interested in the program on Thursday, September 26.
- Phase Two: Workshop, Online Masterclasses and Development Funding. Up to eight teams will be chosen to participate in a three-month program involving an in-person workshop to be held over three days at the ACTF offices in Melbourne in March 2025. Teams will also receive a grant of up to $20,000 to develop their projects over the course of this phase.
- Phase Three: Next Steps. At the conclusion of the initiative, creative teams will be able to apply for further development or production funding to continue their project developed through the program.
