NEWS / ARTICLES: CMC 2013: 10 trends in children's entertainment for the next 10 years

The last decade may have seen rapid changes in children's entertainment, but what about the next 10 years?

During the opening panel session at the Children's Media Conference in Sheffield – a separate report on that can be found here – PlayCollective senior vice president David Kleeman outlined the 10 trends he thinks will be most important.

full article

more from the CMC in Sheffield:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2013/jul/04/cmc-2013-factual-content-children
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jul/04/phineas-and-ferb-disney-cmc-2013

CMC website

NEWS / EVENTS: OCVC's 'Young people' set to shine behind the cameras

Oxfordshire’s ‘youth Oscars’ will be putting young people in the spotlight behind the cameras as well as on stage as a team of students prepare to capture the event on film.

Oxford, Oxfordshire (PRWEB UK) 21 January 2013

StudioX1, the commercial arm of Oxford & Cherwell Valley College’s (OCVC) creative media programmes, has been commissioned to produce a film of the night.

Around 15 students have applied for and been accepted to join the production crew which will interview those taking part and film, edit and produce a DVD of the event.

The project is the biggest won to date by StudioX1, which helps to give students practical experience of working in the creative media industry while they study at OCVC.

full article

EVENTS / FESTIVALS: Glasgow Youth Film Festival

3 - 13 FEBRUARY 2013

Glasgow Youth Film Festival turns five in February and it’s been five years of fantastic film premieres, special guests and events. Last year was pretty amazing but our line-up for GYFF 2013 is even better.

Highlights include a special preview of Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph (with the voice talents of GYFF favourites John C Reilly and Sarah Silverman), the hilarious comedy The We and the I and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as our late night cult classic.

Anime lovers, we haven’t forgotten about you! For your viewing pleasure, we have Studio Ghibli’s masterpiece From Up on Poppy Hill, Mamoru Hosoda’s Wolf Children AND a surprise film with a cosplay red carpet parade! Dress up fabulously and you could win special prizes.

more info

NEWS / AWARDS: British Academy Children's Awards Winners Announced

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the winners of tonight’s British Academy Children’s Awards, celebrating the very best in children’s film, television, games and online media of the past year, and the talent behind their successes.

The ceremony was hosted by Barney Harwood at the London Hilton on Park Lane, and presenters included Eddie Izzard, Alesha Dixon, Sir David Jason, Tom and Dougie from McFly, Olympic gold medallists Heather Stanning and Alex Gregory, Tyger Drew Honey, Caitlin Moran, X Factor’s Kye Sones and Jade Ellis, Jedward and American film director John Landis.

Justin Fletcher won the third BAFTA of his career to become the most awarded children’s presenter yet, triumphing once again in the Presenter category for Something Special. On a memorable night for the presenter, Fletcher saw another of his programmes, Justin’s House, beating the competition in the Pre-School Live Action category.

full article

NEWS: UK & Europe launch new Internet TV service for young people

A new Internet television service for young people in the UK and Europe was launched on 7 November, as part of a major €3.3 million project led by the University of East Anglia (UEA), Advanced Television reports.

SeaMe.tv was created by the SeaMedia project and serves the coastal regions of the East, South East and South West of England, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. The cross-border collaboration sees young people working with professional broadcasters and academics to create programmes reflecting their interests and showcasing their skills. Content includes short films, discussion shows, music and documentaries.

The SeaMe.tv platform was launched in Belgium as part of a government conference in Ghent on young people and the media. Project manager Mark Wells, from the School of Political, Social and International Studies at UEA, said SeaMe.tv aimed to create a way for young people in the different countries to communicate and share experiences, and to provide an outlet for material that might otherwise not be seen.

full article

SeaMe.tv website

ARTICLES: Average teenager has never met quarter of Facebook friends (UK)

The average 12- to 15-year-old has never met one in four of their "friends" on social networking websites such as Facebook, according to new research.

Telecoms and media regulator Ofcom's annual Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report also found that teenage girls are the UK's texting champions, sending more than 220 a week – a third more than boys.

The regulator's latest research revealed that 12- to 15-year-olds on average spend 17 hours a week on the internet, matching TV viewing for the first time, and that potentially well over a third of three- and four-year-olds use the internet for TV and games.

More than 40% of five- to 15-year-olds who have internet access have a social networking profile, rising to 80% among 12- to 15-year-olds.

The latter age group has an average of 286 online friends and 93% of them claim they are confident they know about online safety.

full article on The Guardian website

AWARDS: BAFTA Announces 2012 Children's Awards Nominations

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the nominations for the 2012 British Academy Children's Awards, which take place on Sunday, November 25 at the London Hilton, Park Lane.

Children’s BAFTA winner and Blue Peter presenter Barney Harwood will return to host the Awards that celebrate the very best in children’s media, including television, film, video games and online.

full article

ARTICLES / SOCIAL MEDIA: Young people need guidance to cope with the threats posed by social media

Professionals must be trained to deal with the social problems young people can come up against when using today's technology

This week marks the first anniversary of the summer riots, where mobile devices played such an important part in connecting rioters with each other and were used to capture much of the carnage and brutality. Of course, the technology didn't cause the riots, but as the police found out,BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) helped crowds gather at remarkable speed and to circumvent police lines.

A year is a long time in terms of technology. New mobile handsets and apps become integrated into our lives at astonishing speed. Over the last 12 months I've been working with young people excluded from mainstream schools who are taught instead in pupil referral units (PRUs). The project we've been working on is called Munch, Poke, Ping, which I have written about previously in these pages, and has looked at how these young learners are engaging with social media. Through film-making, we've been able to explore the paradox that despite being digitally connected young people are largely having to cope alone.

full article on The Guardian website

CONFERENCES / EVENTS: A Children & Young People Now one-day conference

A Children & Young People Now one-day conference
26 September 2012, London

Measuring the impact of projects has become essential for all those who commission and provide services for children, young people and families. Being able to demonstrate positive, quantifiable outcomes gives confidence to investors and funders, and informs good decision making.

Critically, it is central to enhancing the lives of the vulnerable children, young people and families for whom you are responsible, and ensures that what you are doing delivers the best possible value.

Achieving Positive Outcomes for Children, Young People and Families provides a day of top-level information and practical insights from many of the sector’s leading practitioners. Delegates will be able to explore the issues around evidence-based decision making, partnership working across multiple agencies, measurement of early intervention benefits and the government’s current payment-by-results projects.

It promises to be an essential day for all those who commission and provide services for children, young people and families working within local authorities, the voluntary sector and the private sector.

For further information, visit www.cypnow.co.uk/outcomes2012; to see the full programme, click here; to book your place, click here.

EVENTS: Leeds Young People’s Film Festival (UK)

Leeds Young People's Film Festival is about to become a teenager. 2012 marks our 13^th year, and we're filled with excitement over the new experiences it will bring. The festival is dedicated to young people up to the age of 25, and features films made by and for young people. The festival is presented by MediaFish, a group of 14 to 19-year-olds who work with Leeds Film all year round.

To download the brochure, please visit www.leedsyoungfilm.com.

ARTICLES: Leveson inquiry urged to consider portrayal of young people (UK)

by Janaki Mahadevan Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Youth organisations have called for the Leveson inquiry to consider reforms to the editors' code of practice to encourage a fairer portrayal of young people in the press.

The 60 organisations led by the Youth Media Agency have signed up to a submission, which calls on the code to include age as a classification of discrimination and for it to include a clause that stipulates that journalists must exercise a duty of care to avoid negative generalisations about children and young people.

The submission also recommends that the Press Complaints Commission is made more accessible to children and young people and develops a child-friendly interface on its website.

full article

EVENTS: Find out more about media use of children's pictures (UK)

A BRISTOL training firm is helping to stage a conference about childhood and the media.

The event, at the Michael Tippett Centre at Bath Spa University, is the fourth in a series of child protection events and features several high-profile speakers.

The conference, on Friday, April 20, staged by David Niven Associates and Bath Spa University, will focus on the rights and responsibilities surrounding images of children and young people.

For further information, email info@dnivenassociates.co.uk or visit www.www.dnivenassociates.co.uk.

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PRESS RELEASE / RESEARCH: Ofcom Update: Revealed: How parents control children’s access to adult media

A new online survey conducted by the website ParentPort reveals that, of those parents surveyed whose children watch films at home, 40% had allowed their children to watch a film classified above their age.

The survey of 1,800 respondents from the UK's two largest online parenting communities – Mumsnet and Netmums - reveals the challenges and pressures parents face when it comes to keeping the media their children see age-appropriate.

ParentPort was set up last October to make it easier for parents to complain about material they see or hear across the media, communications and retail industries.

The news release on the survey can be found here on the ParentPort website.

ARTICLES: David Cameron: Safer Internet Day 'is a personal priority'

David Cameron has lent his support to Safer Internet Day, saying making sure parents are empowered enough to ensure their children’s safety online is a “personal priority” of his.

T he Prime Minister said: “It never ceases to amaze me how quickly children grasp new technology, cracking it instinctively to hunt down their favourite website. As a parent it can be daunting to keep up, and worrying to know that alongside the fun, games and educational sites there are dangers they need to be protected from.

“Safer Internet Day aims to address these concerns by empowering parents, helping them to understand the problems then arming them with the right tools to keep their children safe online. Getting this right is a personal priority for me. It's important to have a joined up approach across the industry to ensure the information parents need get through effectively.”

full article from "The Telegraph"

EVENTS: Panos London challenges film students to amplify voices

International development charity, Panos London is proud to be sponsoring the first London based international festival dedicated to student film. The Student Film Festival London (SFFL) 2012 runs 3-5th February and will be held at the London College of Communication. The three day event will offer students the opportunity to showcase their work and meet industry professionals.

As part of the festival events, Panos London is launching a 72-hour challenge for five student filmmakers to create a 3 minute short film around marginalised voices. The challenge will launch as part of the SFFL Opening Ceremony 2nd February 2012.

full article

ARTICLES: Children 'switching from TV to mobile internet' (UK)

Television is being pushed aside by mobile internet gadgets, a UK survey of young people's technology suggests.

The number of children with televisions in their bedroom is falling - almost matched now by those with their own personal internet access, says the annual Childwise monitoring survey.

Among seven to 16 year olds, 61% have a mobile phone with internet access.

Children use their mobiles for an average of 1.6 hours a day, the survey of 2,770 five to 16 year olds says.

The biggest trend in children's use of gadgets, according to the report from the market research company, is the growth in internet use through mobile phones.

The survey was based on interviews carried out in autumn 2011.

full article

OPPORTUNITIES: The Guardian offers workshop for young writers

Aspiring young journalists who are residents in the U.K. can apply for a writing workshop.

The Young Writers' Workshop, sponsored by the Guardian, is open to writers between the ages of 16 and 22. The aim of the program is to help participants pitch articles to the paper, create a link between new writers and Guardian editors and encourage diversity in the newsroom.

The twenty selected participants will attend two workshops, on September 14 and September 21. The workshops will be run by editors from the Guardian’s G2, sport, culture and comments sections.

Applicants from all minority, disadvantaged social and economic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

For more information, click here.

ARTICLES: Television is not to blame for children’s lack of education

Television is one of the most effective mediums through which to teach and inspire youngsters, writes Paul Robinson.

Neil Wilson, executive head teacher of a group of schools in South Manchester, is wrong when he blames television for children's lack of education and communication. In fact, provided children are watching suitable programming, television is one of the most effective mediums through which to teach and inspire youngsters. We need to start speaking to children on their level, which means embracing technologies such as interactive TV and the internet to get them interested. We can learn a lot from innovators such as the Essa Academy, the learning centre in Great Lever that has started giving advice to Eton College. They provide iPods to motivate and empower pupils. It is time we followed their lead, and realised the potential of technology.

full article

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Calling all young filmmakers from the UK aged 6 - 19 years (UK)

Kids for Kids UK is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the 3rd Film & Media Festival for children and young people in collaboration with the Kids for Kids International Network.

The UK Kids for Kids Film & Media Festival is now seeking submissions of short films made by children (6-12 years) and young people (13-19 years) of up to 10 minutes in any of the following 3 categories:

* Live Action * Animation * One Minute Films

Selected films for the competition section will be screened at our festival taking place at the Empire Cinema in Consett during the week of October 23rd til 29th. Details of festival programme to follow.

The festival team will appoint a professional jury and a young people's jury who will award the following:

Best Film in each age group and in each category, and one Grand Prize for Outstanding Achievement for a film made by children and young people from each age group. Awards will be announced at the conclusion of the festival in October 2011.

Deadline for entries is July 31st, 2011

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STUDIES / REPORTS: Ofcom publishes its latest research on media literacy

A recent press release from Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communication industries, presents findings from its latest research on media literacy.

Half of parents (48 per cent) with children aged 5-15 who use the internet at home think they know less about the internet than their children do. This rises to 70 per cent of parents of 12-15 year olds.

At the same time, there has been increased online activity among children in the past year, including higher usage of mobile and games consoles to go online. Around one fifth (18 per cent) of 5-15 year olds own a smartphone, and 16 per cent go online via a games console. However, among 12-15 year olds this rises to over one third (35 per cent) owning a smartphone and nearly a quarter (23 per cent) going online via a games console. Forty one per cent of this age group now access the internet in their bedroom, up from 31 per cent in 2009.

Parents appear to be less concerned about how their children use the internet. They are less likely to say they have internet parental controls set – 37 per cent in 2010 compared to 43 per cent in 2009. Those that don’t have parental controls mainly say it’s either because they trust their child or because they are supervising them.

The findings form part of Ofcom’s media literacy reports, which focus on the safe and informed use and understanding of digital content among UK adults and children.

For further information see the full press release. The full findings are available in two research reports: ‘UK children’s media literacy’ and ‘UK adults’ media literacy’, available to download from the Ofcom website. Ofcom has also published a consumer guide, ‘Managing your media in a digital world’, to help parents understand some of the issues raised by the research.

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