Eight teams have been selected to take part in the Kids IP Incubator Initiative, an Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) and Screen Australia program for children's content makers to develop Australian IP for digital platforms.
Following a competitive assessment process, a mixture of experienced and emerging creatives has been selected for a three-month program which kicks off this week with an in-person workshop at the ACTF offices in Melbourne.
Digital content strategist Nico Lockhart will lead the workshop, joined by investment managers from Screen Australia and development managers from the ACTF. Nico has a decade of experience in online content, formerly leading the digital content division of animation and production studio WildBrain. He is the co-founder of a new venture which develops YouTube-first IPs.
Australian children have more content available to them than ever before across a range of multiple platforms and screens. This initiative will provide insight into the rapidly changing kids' content landscape and empower creators with information and strategies to deliver distinctive Australian content for digital platforms like YouTube, which requires unique strategies to engage with audiences.
ACTF CEO Jenny Buckland said, "As the child audience fragments and more and more children gravitate towards digital platforms, we need to ensure that quality programming made specifically for them reaches them wherever they are. This unique initiative will allow new and experienced practitioners to learn, experiment and develop fresh and innovative content that is specifically created for the platforms they are accessing it on, and keeps up with the ever-changing kids' content landscape."
Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content Louise Gough said,"As the ecosystem for children's content continues to shift globally, it's essential that we provide our creators with the support and resources to innovate and take full advantage of new platforms and opportunities to reach Australian children. The Kids IP Incubator Project is a fantastic way to help both emerging and experienced creatives refine their skills and develop bold, original Australian stories for Australian children. We're excited to see the projects that will evolve from this initiative and look forward to their contribution to a vibrant and sustainable future for children's content in Australia."
Projects selected for the initiative are:
Following the workshop, participants will undertake fortnightly online masterclasses with thought leaders, companies and creators in the space to further develop their practice over the coming months. Teams will receive a grant of up to $20,000 to develop their projects during this phase. At the end of the three months, teams will formally pitch their projects to a panel of ACTF and Screen Australia representatives and be invited to apply for a second round of development funding.
