Reports
July 2026
CMC 2026: Understanding Kids 8: The Odyssey Effect – A New Pathway for Connecting with Kids
Takeaways ‘The Odyssey Effect is 'a journey not defined by a single destination, but rather a series of stops, (spark, exploration, immersion) that children move between, in the search for content which connects with them. This journey is not linear; children exist in an ecosystem, which offers freedom of choice. Whilst access to social media / platforms may shift as a result of the upcoming ban, the battle for attention will remain. This session began with James Salmon (Giraffe Insights) asking the audience to embrace the idea of social media, video on demand sites, and other media platforms, as forming an ‘ecosystem’; the Odyssey Effect sets the framework for how young people navigate their content worlds, highlighting that the journey…
CMC 2026: Understanding Kids 6: Screen Media and the Developing Brain
Takeaways The pace of children’s content is much faster than it was twenty years ago. Adults build their understanding on prior knowledge, but young children don’t have prior knowledge. A toddler's brain takes 10 times as long to process content than an adult, so the pace must be slow. Professor Sam Wass of the University of East London (Institute for the Science of Early Years), shared new research that shows that the content children are watching is getting faster paced and denser, illustrated by a slide that showed the difference in pace of the CBeebies show ‘In the Night Garden’ from 2006, and a typical YouTube Kids mix from 2026. ‘Not all screen time is equal,’ he said. ‘Some screen…
CMC 2026: The Last Word: Raymond Antrobus
Marion Edwards (CMC Committee Chair) closed the conference for this year with multiple thanks to all involved. She announced that The Last Word speaker, Raymond Antrobus, was unfortunately unable to attend in person, due to illness. Instead, he appeared in a pre-recorded video. This can be watched here. In the video, Raymond explained his commitment to developing 'emotional literacy', i.e., the ability to understand and express our own feelings, or infer the feelings of others. He read to us from his new book, Terrible Horses, which is a tale of a young boy in conflict with his older sister. The inspiration for the book was 'The Survivors' Tree' in Oklahoma City, which miraculously survived the bomb blast in the 1990s.…
CMC 2026: Translating Characters into Playworlds and Toys
Takeaways Translating characters is about advertising through entertainment; but with entertainment first, so it's not a cynical marketing stunt. Before translating a character, ask why (before what, when and how). Translating characters is about super-serving the core audience and exposing new audiences to the property; it may not necessarily reap financial rewards. Sev Marcel (We Are Family) welcomed attendees to the final session of CMC 2026 for a chat about taking entertainment IP from a hit show to play products. She began by asking the panellists about their favourite character properties. Ed Barton (Moonbug) chose Thomas the Tank Engine, which due to its longevity is now a property for all ages; Lea Magnano (Peppy Agency) chose Totoro, being a Ghibli…
CMC 2026: Animation Assemble: Smart Tools, Human Stories
Takeaways AI is a tool that can increase efficiency and reduce costs, but only when used with strong human creative oversight. Upskilling, inclusion and critical thinking will be essential to ensuring the benefits of AI are shared widely across the creative industries. Questions around safeguarding, accountability, and environmental impact remain key challenges with AI use. Moderator Ron Henry (Wild Child Studios) began the session by asking Ken Faier (Epic Story Media) what AI enables his business to do today that it could not do a year ago. Ken described himself as initially a 'reluctant appreciator of AI' but now sees the technology as a means of surviving in the animation industry. He stressed that AI is used within Epic Story…
CMC 2026: Local Heroes
Takeaways Successful creative outreach projects are built around partnerships and flexibility, and respond to the needs of individual schools and communities. Creative programmes deliver both tangible outcomes and wider benefits, including confidence, teamwork, well-being and engagement with learning. Funding remains a significant challenge; diverse funding sources are important while staying true to a project's core purpose. Emma-Louise Amanshia (Presenter, Journalist and Content Creator) opened the session by introducing a panel of organisations working to connect children with creative opportunities in their local communities. Sally Folkard (National Science and Media Museum) outlined Bradford Digital Creatives, a project designed to tackle digital poverty by supporting children in schools and pairing them with digital artists to develop content creation skills. Rob Hughes (Hand…
CMC 2026: Finding the Funding: Embracing Alternative Opportunities
Takeaways Hyper-local funding leads to authentic projects. Detailed reporting is an essential tool in this complicated funding landscape. Be ‘a little bit brave and a little bit mad and make that phone call’ to get your project off the ground. Host Jon Rennie (Cloth Cat) moderated this panel about tenacious ways to pursue funding at the hyper-local level, which leads to deeply authentic and innovative products. Lou Kneath (+3K Animation Studios) started in newspaper advertising in Cumbria, where she learned how to connect with local organisations and business owners to build trust and connections, aligning mission with values to provide authenticity. Lou uses these skills today to get projects off the ground and create relationships, which are more than transactional,…
CMC 2026: Finding the Funding: Your Show, Their Dough
Takeaways The BBC has spent over £1m on development with BBC Ignite. Northern Star joins together public service broadcasters from Northern Europe and the UK. The UK Global Screen Fund has an increased budget of £18m. Justine Bannister (JUST B), introduced the session that looked at some funding options available at the moment. BBC Ignite fund: Patricia Hidalgo, BBC Director of Children’s & Education, and Sam Shaw of Sun and Moon studios were on the panel to share information about BBC Ignite. Patrica explained that the initiative started four years ago to provide investment for animation. It’s open to creators who wouldn’t otherwise have a chance of raising funds for development. It starts with a concept that can come from…
CMC 2026: Growing Green IP
Takeaways Children’s content needs to be hopeful. It is usually best to focus on children’s local environments rather than in the context of a full global problem. This reduces the risk of making a child feel solely responsible to solve an issue. It’s important to weave the environmental content into the story. Avoid a didactic approach to communicating the message. Melissa Hardinge (BBC) introduced the session. She highlighted how many of us are ‘grappling’ for what we can do and what our personal responsibilities are in tackling environmental issues. Creators are also ‘grappling’ with how to tell stories of sustainability. Jamie Smart (young wildlife photographer) noted there is a big gap in our knowledge of the natural world. She spoke…
CMC 2026: Marketing on a Shoestring
Takeaways Clearly define who your audience is and why they should give you their time, before starting on any marketing strategy. Authenticity is key. It’s supposed to be fun! If you are having fun, this will resonate with audiences. Host Christina Colbeck began by proposing that producers, creators, and broadcasters may reach their target audiences, build trust, grow organically, and strategise for the long term at the very beginning of their marketing journey. Martin Tapley (Tweedy & Fluff) shared his experiences launching his show, highlighting the importance of understanding the core of your brand, the relationship at the heart of the show, and the elements/characters audiences are really going to connect with. He noted how Tweedy & Fluff had lent…
CMC 2026: Put EURO Money Where Your Mouth Is
Takeaways The judges responded to humour and good visuals. They also responded to projects that helped children deal with emotional difficulty. They also responded to character charm. Tiernan Douieb (freelance writer and comedian) welcomed everyone, explaining how the session would work, and announced that the winner would earn a free ticket to next year’s Children’s Media Conference. He introduced the judges: Ken Faier from Epic Story Media, Vicky Schroderus from YLE, Telidja Klaï from VRT - Ketnet, Andrew Baker from Kazoo Films. Pitch One Eliza Plocieniak-Alvarez was the first to pitch and introduced everyone to Onno and Ontje, an animated Christmas film aimed at young children. The story features an ex-fisherman befriending an otter, who helps him to find his…
CMC 2026: The Anime Playbook: Building Global Audiences
Takeaways Anime has inspired artists around the world to create popular anime-style animated shows like Dragon Striker. Literature outside of Japan has created new anime shows. Anime continues to have a major influence on children and has seen communities and fan bases built on a worldwide scale. Nigel Twumasi (mayamada) welcomed everyone and explained that the topics to be discussed included anime’s success and its international appeal, funding, and what producers can learn from the popular anime shows. Rayna Denison (University of Bristol) explained the different types of anime being produced for television, that included 'shonen' (targeted at adolescent boys) and 'shoujo' (for adolescent girls), and the types of artwork and stories told. Meanwhile, 'seinen' (for adult men) and 'josei'…
CMC 2026: Strings Attached: The Power of Puppetry
Takeaways Children can develop an instant, magical connection with puppets, which gives a unique interaction with the character. A puppet is always serving the world it lives in. Its design is dictated by the functions it needs to have. Puppets can help adapt communication and interactions to meet the needs of different children. Host Delvine Pitt (Puppeteer, Actress, and Writer) introduced the power of puppetry. She spoke about its status as one of the oldest forms of storytelling and its ability entertain an audience despite them knowing the puppet isn’t real. She hoped the session would inspire creators to consider using puppetry in their content. Emma Hyman (Tiny House Productions) played a clip from her TV series ‘I Spy, You…
CMC 2026: Understanding Kids 7: Games as a Research Lab for Other Kids’ Media
Takeaways Co-play, or games that offer connectivity and collaboration with friends, prove the most popular reason why kids love gaming. Young gamers really enjoy a challenge and the sense of progression. Children can develop a deep attachment to a game. If the game IP travels to screen or stage, these young gamers are likely to follow, bringing this deep personal attachment to the IP with them. Becky Palmer (Playtest Games) began this session by introducing a survey she has conducted with young people aged 7-12, highlighting that 35% of the survey participants have a diagnosis of ADHD, autism, or present differences in their cognitive processing. Palmer also highlighted how young people, on average, spend 60 - 90 minutes each day…
CMC 2026: Inclusivity Now: Writing Inclusivity that Lasts
Takeaways Be intentional in designing for disability-led stories rather than incidentally disabled stories. There is a warm and enthusiastic reception for disability-led stories. Normalising accessible writers rooms adds nuance to all stories at the ground level. Host Miranda Walker began this session asking the panellists why they were inspired to create characters who are deaf. Author Karen Owen grew up with hearing loss and no role models around. Karen couldn’t join her peers at the pool in the summer, so she used her imagination to create a superhero of herself. Karen went on to write the series Major Mynah, where the main character can communicate with her bird via her hearing aid. Karen feels empowered every time she does a…
CMC 2026: Designing AI for Children
Takeaways Decision-making for child interfaces of AI look at children’s development potential, emotional needs, and ability level. Designing AI for children is all about balancing design with intended purpose and audience use cases. There is concern for the ease which AI offers users depleting literacy, but panellists are hopeful that involving children will shape the future of AI. Bethany Koby opened the session with a framing of AI entering children’s lives at an extraordinary rate and being now integral to their daily operations. She suggests the discussion will investigate how AI is being used, how it is engaging children, the kind of childhood it is shaping, and difficulties it presents. Fiona Scott (University of Sheffield) described her specialty in the…
CMC 2026: Candy from a Baby
Takeaways Parody content can be free publicity for your brand. Rights holders object to parody when it causes harm or exploits audiences. Parody content must be materially different to original material to pass copyright standards. Parody offers existing worlds and shared language to support comedy. Sally Thornhill began the conversation about parody and copyright with a compilation of unofficial UGC Numberblocks content. Oli Hyatt (Blue‑Zoo Productions) questioned the balance between appreciation of fan-made content and anxiety about offensive rip-offs. He described balancing appreciation with responsibility, aiming to keep children safe from harmful parody content while supporting fandom and play. He admits to finding some Numberblocks parody content amusing, but takes offence when audiences are disregarded in favour for profits. Currently,…
CMC 2026: Understanding Kids 5: Understanding Multilingual Children Audiences
Takeaways 25% of children in UK schools and 30% of pre-school children are from multilingual homes. We should move on from ‘celebrating’ to ‘normalising’ multilingualism. Professor Sabine Little of the University of Sheffield has researched the lives of multilingual kids for twenty years. She told us that 25% of children in UK schools are now from multilingual homes, and that rises to 30% of pre-school children. She said that children were being brought up in a multilingual society and yet publishers were usually looking at the visual differences of diversity. Sabine told the audience that she was German, and that her son was half German. On the day of the Brexit result, her son’s best friend had asked him when…
CMC 2026: Finding the Funding: BBC Children’s and Education Commissioning
Takeaways There are lots of commissioning happening at BBC Children's and Education, including for brand new YouTube channels. Aim for positive screen time: creativity/play, new hobbies, visiting new places, building connection, and learning. Discoverability and audience-building is vital. Contribute to the corporation's mission to create a global village. Dhanny Joshi (Big Time Films) welcomed the audience and panellists, and began with an icebreaker, asking the panel to choose which iconic character they'd like to be. Scooby Doo characters were well represented! Dhanny then invited each speaker to present what is being commissioned. Sarah Burkett, Head of Audience Research, began by providing a context for commissioning. A key focus of research has been around what 'positive screen time' is. Around 2000…
CMC 2026: Creative Keynote: Emmet O’Neill
Takeaways In a world of infinite content, think about how your story can stand the test of time. Creativity isn't always enough: don't be limited by your perception of yourself. Chaos creates opportunity, if you're not afraid to follow those opportunities. Your audience deserves authenticity. Sincerity beats cynicism. Don't confuse creative ambition with audience connection. Focus matters when you can't afford mistakes. Chris Rose welcomed delegates and introduced Changemaker Amelie Abass, a politics student and Gen Z mother of a Gen Alpha child, who has set up the Amelie Abass Public Speaking Ltd, which supports young people to speak to audiences. As a young mother, Amelie is an outlier. In 2021, teen conception was at an all-time low (13/1000). There…
CMC 2026: Inclusivity Now: Making Inclusion Sustainable
Takeaways A diversity team's work should be embedded in everything a company does. Inclusion is never done. What felt like inclusion five years ago doesn’t now. DEI is not just a nice thing to have. It is essential. Host Beth Cox is an Inclusion and Equality Consultant for the publishing industry. She wanted to know how diversity is being seen across children’s media, in publishing, and on television. Iram Satti (Global Belonging and Inclusion Manager at Bloomsbury) believes it's important to talk about the context for inclusion. After Covid and the murder of George Floyd, there was progress in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), but she warned that with today’s DEI backlash there are calls to pull the plug. Iram…
CMC 2026: Stop Explaining; Start Entertaining
Takeaways Entertaining content can be educational. Educational content should be entertaining. Children enjoy learning but need it to be fun. Children enjoy engaging with content across different platforms, but simply ‘lifting and shifting’ the same content does not work. Hosted by David Kleeman (Dubit), this session considered how creators can support children to learn informally through the media they consume. Panellists Aneeshwar Kunchala (a young science communicator), Jocelyn Stevenson (author, The Waterubas), and Melissa Hardinge (BBC) began by agreeing that educational content can and should be entertaining. Aneeshwa was resolute that children’s content must primarily be fun and engaging. He used the analogy of a jam-filled donut: the dough is the fun and the filling is the enjoyable education. He…
CMC 2026: Holding onto Their Ears
Takeaways Audio is uniquely able to create community around IP. Audio doesn’t have to be linear storytelling. Audio is essential as children discover their own fandoms. Host Nina Blissett (BBC Newsround) began by asking the panel what the structural challenges are in reaching older audiences in audio. The heartland for Dom Hodge (Yoto) is 5-7, the age where parents are making decisions for children. With a child's autonomy comes distraction and a more cluttered, competitive, and complex landscape. Carla Herbertson (Small Wardour) finds a lack of transition for 9- to 10-year-olds looking to move into the next platform; she sees an opportunity for Spotify to do more to take audiences to that next level. Carla also notes that cost can…
CMC 2026: Finding the Funding: How Brands and Creators Win
Takeaways The most fruitful partnerships feel organic to a creator’s identity and community. Viewership isn’t the ultimate metric to evaluate partnership success. The payoff of a successful partnership is watching young audiences grown and learn. Shanequa Parks (BBC Children’s & Education) hosted this session deep diving into how brand partnerships with creators align. Gab Astorga started content creation doing TikTok dances during the pandemic, which evolved into a fun way of communicating science. The content is fueled by his joy of watching others grow and learn. Gab selects partnerships by first ensuring that the morals and values align so that his content is authentic to the community he’s built. Teacher and content creator Hannah Dawson is also very selective in…
CMC 2026: First We Franchise
Takeaways Successful franchises start with a strong core idea and story engine before expanding into platforms, products, and licensing. Audience reach matters: creators should think about how an IP can live across broadcast, digital, apps, YouTube, and consumer products. Internationally successful children's brands often rely on universal themes, humour, and emotional storytelling that travel across markets. Moderator, John McEwan-Whyte (Bonnie & Braw) invited both the panel and audience to work together to create a brand-new children's IP and then franchise it using his own 'franchise wheel' framework. The audience selected an animal (a jellyfish), a setting (a gym), and a historical icon (William Shakespeare). The panel quickly got to work developing the idea. Grant Orchard (Hey Duggee) suggested that Will…
CMC 2026: Finding the Funding: New Digital Commissioning
Takeaways Content can come from anywhere, not just digital first. AI can be used to assist but not create content to help cut costs. Older shows can find a new home on digital platforms and engage with a new generation of young children. IPs can still reach audiences away from digital platforms through merchandising and live events. Gina Costelloe (Moonbug Entertainment) began by setting the question for the session: how are digital-only platforms finding funding? Ed Galton showcased the range of IP from CAKE, both animated and live action, including Pablo, Angry Birds, and Amelia Fang. Ed explained that CAKE moved from traditional distribution to digital distribution nine years ago because he knew they had to be on digital platforms.…
CMC 2026: Finding the Funding: Ready for Investment?
Takeaways Securing investment is a time-consuming process; the earlier you start the better positioned you will be when the time is right. Seek trusted professional support with experience, because they will know the step-by-step process. Investors are partners that provide leverage to your company for accelerated growth, so choose the right one for you. Alix Wiseman introduced by saying, 'This is where the soft belly of the dark arts of investments happen’. This session covered questions, such as ‘What makes a company investable?’, ‘How do you prepare for investment?’ and ‘What does success look like?’ Hasham Khan (ABP Advisory) opened the discussion with an answer to Alix's question, ‘Why would an indie production company even look for outside investment?’ Khan…
CMC 2026: Inclusivity Now: Finding the Access, Finding the Funding
Takeaways The 5 As are important guidelines when working and supporting disabled individuals: anticipate, ask, assess, adjust, and advocate. Access Coordinators are a new position in the television industry, and they’ve been an important step forward for disabled representation and acknowledgement. Regardless of if it’s for live action or animated shows, Access Coordinators play an important and supportive role. Eli Beaton (TV Access Project) began by talking about TAP and how it was set up to improve access in the television industry for disabled people. They have worked with BBC, ITV, BAFTA, Netflix, and Prime Video. She introduced the session, which would cover access across productions, what it’s like working with an access coordinator, and how the 5 As are…
CMC 2026: The Art of Talking Music with Composers
Takeaways There’s money to be made on YouTube and Spotify if you can find a way of playing the game. Bring musicians into the process as early as possible and don’t be afraid to talk music. 'Sonic Identity': David Arnold uses the original James Bond theme whenever Bond does something 'Bondy'. As the audience entered the theatre, musician Chris Banks, one half of Banks and Wag, playing along to the kids' show music on his keyboard! Alison Stuart introduced the session and speakers. Sandy Nuttgens has provided music for over a thousand TV episodes, including Postman Pat, and Chris is currently working on his fourth series of CBeebies’ Go Jetters. Chris kicked off the session by showing a clip of…
CMC 2026: Finding the Funding: Commissioning Broadcasters
Takeaways Know your audience and broadcaster: successful pitches are tailored to a channel's specific remit, tone, and audience needs. Funding is increasingly collaborative: co-productions, acquisitions, tax incentives, and regional funds are now central to getting projects made. Great ideas still come first: commissioners want strong characters, clear storytelling, and creators who can articulate their vision simply and passionately. Moderator Gary Milne (Go Imagine Media) opened the session by asking the panel what they look for when commissioning content. Louise Bucknole (Paramount UK & Ireland) said that across Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Milkshake!, ideas need a strong story structure and a clear answer to the question, ‘How will this excite and connect with children?’ For Nick Jr., she highlighted the channel's…
