BBC @NORTH ANNOUNCES YORKSHIRE COMPANIES FOR NEW INTERACTIVE INITIATIVE (15/02/2010)
The BBC has announced the companies who have been selected to take part in the new @North commissioning initiative being led by BBC Children's (who are part of the BBC move to Salford in 2011). Coming from across the North-East, North-West and Yorkshire there is a mix of companies, including small digital companies who have not previously worked with the BBC. In Yorkshire 20 companies have been successful from South and West Yorkshire, reflecting the strong digital sectors in both Leeds and Sheffield. These companies will now work in small groups with senior subject experts, in both children's content and technology, to learn more about working with the BBC and develop their ideas at intensive workshop days - with one in Leeds next week on 24th February. There will then be an opportunity to work face to face with creative and technical mentors from the BBC. The best ideas will then go forward towards the final commissioning selection process. It is anticipated around four final projects will be commissioned from the £500,000 for CBBC and Cbeebies.
@North will encourage and support the development and delivery of multi platform content for children, and build a supply base of independent companies to work with BBC Children's. The project is being run in partnership with the regional screen agencies - Northwest Vision and Media, Northern Film and Media and Screen Yorkshire, who are all hosting @North events for companies in their regions.
Peter Salmon BBC Director North said; "I am very encouraged by the level of interest we have had in the @North initiative with over 100 companies formally applying. This is a new way of working for us and, as well as more detailed work with the companies we are announcing today, we intend to stay in contact with all the companies who have expressed interest in relation to future opportunities."
Adrian Mills, leading the project on behalf of BBC Children's said: "This new development process is about bringing people, technology and creativity together. We are excited to be working with the successful companies across the North to help develop bold ideas into fresh new content for our online users and audiences."
Sally Joynson, Chief Executive of Screen Yorkshire said: "The BBC's @North initiative is incredibly important as it is the first step in developing the supply chain to the BBC across the North and will offer major business opportunities for Yorkshire and Humber's interactive media and TV companies. Screen Yorkshire's partnership with the BBC is a new way of working for the BBC and has been designed to broaden the number and range of companies working with it."
Yorkshire Companies Taking Part in @North
Fuse8, Leeds
Chameleon TV, TV Leeds
DESQ, Digital, Sheffield
Digital Welly, Digital Leeds
Gamerholix, Games Leeds
MadeByPi, Digital Leeds
MezzoFilms, Film/TV, Leeds
Numiko, Digital Leeds
Rattle, Social tech, Sheffield
Sense Internet, Digital Leeds
Swamp, Digital Leeds
Tuna Technologies, Gaming, Sheffield
Tumeric Media Ltd, Content, Barnsley
The Workshop, Digital , Sheffield
Yoomee, Social tech, Sheffield
Capsule Films, Film and TV, Leeds
Team Cooper, Digital Sheffield
True North Productions, TV, Leeds
Stripey Design, sole trader, Sheffield
RadioWaves, Radio and Digital, Leeds
@North is a pilot project led by BBC Children's and will involve multi-disciplinary teams from many other areas of the BBC such as Future, Media and Technology (FM&T) in new collaborative ways of working.
The key objectives for the project are:
- For CBBC & CBeebies to tap into new talent, innovation
and creativity.
- To stimulate and inspire the digital sector across the North of England, initially focusing on creating new children's content.
- To understand and help develop the supply chain across the North for the BBC and build on existing creativity and skills.
- To make the BBC North process for commissioning multiplatform content open and collaborative.
To share knowledge about the BBC's infrastructure, processes and audiences.
Final successful commissions are likely to be announced in September 2010
