Children’s Media Conference Announce Andria Zafirakou & Konnie Huq as 2021 Keynotes
The Children’s Media Conference (CMC) has announced two keynote speakers for its 2021 conference, which will run virtually from 5-9 July. The opening keynote will be delivered by ‘Global Teacher Prize’ winner, Andria Zafirakou.
Also in a brand-new slot, presenter, author and actor, Konnie Huq, will be the inaugural ‘The Key To…’ keynote interviewee.
Konnie Huq (c) Ed Miller
The opening keynote titled ‘The Power of Potential – Learning Together’ will be held on Monday 5th July. During the session, Andria Zafirakou will share insights on inspiring, empowering and enabling kids, and reveal the greatest lessons she has learned while engaging with young people. She considers what motivates the young, why every young individual matters, and how makers of the media they use should understand their responsibilities to them.
Andria is an art and textiles teacher at Alperton Community School in Brent and was crowned the best teacher in the world in 2018. She is passionate about changing the lives of young people and underserved communities through creativity. Using the money awarded by the Global Teacher prize, Andria founded a charity called Artists in Residence (AiR) with an aim to improve arts education in schools. Andria has also been named in the top ten of The Evening Standard’s 1000 Londoners List.
On Tuesday 6th July, Konnie Huq will be interviewed for the first of the CMC’s ‘The Key To…’ sessions. In this keynote interview, Konnie Huq will discuss her three decades as a presenter and writer – her experiences, her inspirations, what she cares about most when it comes to kids’ media current and future.
Having presented a number of cable and satellite shows in her teens, Konnie became the first presenter of Channel 5’s Milkshake! She then went on to become Blue Peter’s longest serving female presenter from 1997-2008. In 2019, Cookie and the Most Annoying Boy in the World was published by Piccadilly Press. The main character is inspired by Konnie’s own London/Bangladeshi background and her love of science and being a bit nerdy. She has also co-written Fearless Fairy Tales, a compendium of traditional tales updated for the 21st century. Cookie and the Most Annoying Girl in the World was published in paperback in February 2021 and a third adventure, Cookie and the Most Mysterious Mystery in the World will be published in September. A live action Cookie TV series based on the award-winning books is currently in development with Zodiak Kids.
Andria Zafirakou brings a fresh view about young people to CMC this year. I think her no-nonsense approach combined with her passion to realise the potential of every child through the power of creative engagement will both inspire CMC delegates and challenge us to think again about how we are talking to young people – and how much they are listening.
And we are thrilled to welcome Konnie Huq to launch our new format – ‘The Key To…’ interview. Konnie’s career as the longest serving female presenter on Blue Peter is qualification enough for a discussion about what works for kids and how we serve them best. But since Blue Peter, a range of further roles on TV, writing for Black Mirror, her own series of children’s books – plus being a mother of two – all add up to a fascinating set of perspectives on current and future prospects for the kids’ media scene.
Greg Childs, Editorial Director at CMC
With the theme ‘Together’, CMC 2021 Online will tackle the urgent issues facing the children’s media industry and young audiences. Following the success of the last year’s virtual conference, the event has a packed agenda of webinars, keynotes and panels, playing host to a wide range of broadcasters, co-producers, funders and investors from across the world.
Delegates will also have access to extra strands of VOD content on CMC’s bespoke online platform, covering topics including: Research, The Art of…, Inclusivity Now and presentations by CMC’s cohort of young speakers: The Changemakers. CMC’s hugely popular virtual market International Exchange will also precede the conference on 1 July.
CMC is also set to bring back ‘Playground’, its ground-breaking interactive digital art exhibition for children and families, this summer. Running from 1st – 11th July at Site Gallery, Sheffield, the exhibition will focus on the theme of ‘What if?’. The exhibition is suitable for 5-12-year-olds but everyone is welcome to drop-in free of charge during opening hours: www.cmcplayground.com.
For more information and registration, please visit: www.thechildrensmediaconference.com.