Young Audience Content: The Global Perspective
As Head of the Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF) at the British Film Institute (BFI), Jackie Edwards is at the forefront of reviving and diversifying the kids public service broadcast landscape in the UK.
Set up in response to a recent decline in the production of public service programming, the three-year, £57 million pilot funded by the UK Government is designed to support distinctive, high-quality, public service content for audiences up to the age of 18 that entertains, informs and reflects the experiences of children and young people growing up in the UK today.
The fund is open to original content from a wide variety of genres including education, fiction and drama, arts and culture, factual and religion - both live action and animation – and includes a dedicated finance strand for projects from new voices and emerging producers, for which a broadcaster commitment is not necessary.
Prior to the BFI, Jackie was the Head of Children’s Acquisitions and Independent Animation at BBC, overseeing the department’s strategy for delivering programming for 0-16-year olds that included titles such as Hey Duggee,Hollie Hobbie andMustangs FC. She has also worked extensively in the Indie sector, developing and producing many award-winning series and specials.
Jackie is appearing at SCREEN FOREVER as part of the ‘Young Audience Content’ stream, a collection of sessions focused on global trends, funding strategies and pathways to audience for kids and family content.
With local content quotas a contentious topic for Australia’s commercial broadcasters, and funding for our national broadcasters in decline, the YACF provides a novel approach to financing young audience content that is a “must see” for any producer looking to tell high quality Australian stories for Australian children.
