Children’s Media Conference Announces Its Educational & Technology Strand Speakers
Experts in entertainment, engagement and education will gather at this year’s Children’s Media Conference (CMC) which takes place from 1-3 July 2015 in Sheffield.
Educationalists, publishers and start-up entrepreneurs from the UK’s fast-growing educational technology and app industry will share knowledge with the established children’s brands such as CBBC, CBeebies, BBC Learning, Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Hit Entertainment, Penguin Random House, Walker Books and MacMillan Children’s Books.
Following last year’s hugely successful inaugural Ed Tech strand, over 1000 delegates will again hear from investors, commissioners and foundations about how to find funding for educational and learning projects. Session speakers include: Lewis Bronze (Discovery Education), Sinead Rocks (BBC Head of Learning), Joshua Davidson (Night Zookeeper) and Dan Efergan (Aardman Digital).
This year’s sessions include:
EdTech Futures 11.00am-12.30pm Thursday 2 July
What alternatives are there to the traditional commissioning model? Listen to entrepreneurs and investors from the world of EdTech, talk about their journey.
Introduced by Kriss Baird, Senior Account Manager, ICTomorrow & Innovate UK
Speakers
Erika Brodnock, CEO, Karisma Kidz
Joe Dytrych, CTO, Drum Roll HQ
Kirsty Greig, Head of Education, Events, and Workshops, Tech Will Save Us
Jan Matern, CEO, Emerge Education
Brands and Learning 1-1.45pm Thursday 2 July
More and more beloved entertainment brands are moving into the educational space. What are the considerations, responsibilities and challenges that brands face to make a successful product that offers learning impact without diluting the brand’s fun?
Speakers
Suzie Adams, Digital Director, Nickelodeon
Dan Efergan, Creative Director, Aardman Digital
Kathryn McColl, Consultant, EdComs
Learning: A Land of Opportunity? 3.40-4.40pm Thursday 2 July
Traditional models of commissioning for learning and educational content are changing – where can producers find alternative sources of funding for their work – from venture capital to foundations to crowdfunding.
Speakers include
Lewis Bronze, Founder and Director of Content, Discovery Education
Miki Chojnacka, Partner, Media and Creative, Sandbox and Co
Iain Dodgeon Project Manager, Broadcast and Games, Wellcome Trust
Lisa Percy, Executive Editor, BBC Learning
Richard Taylor Media Taylor
Learning by App 5.10-6pm Thursday 2 July
Are educational apps all they’re cracked up to be in terms of learning? How do parents and schools choose which ones to buy? What helps to get your app to stand out in this market?
Introduced by Carlton Reeve, Owner & Director, Play with Learning
Speakers
Joshua Davidson, Managing Director, Night Zookeeper
Stuart Dredge, Journalist and Reviewer
Professor Jackie Marsh, School of Education, University of Sheffield
Justin Smith, Founder, Educational App Store
Well Advised 1-1.45pm Friday 3 July
How producers across various media use educational expertise in the development and production of compelling content
Introduced by David Kleeman, Strategist, Analyst, Author, and Speaker
Speakers
Ellie Howarth, Research and Information Officer, the National Governors’ Association
Play, Make and Share: Inspiring Creativity 2.10-3.10pm Friday 3 July
As creativity is increasingly squeezed out of formal education how can children’s media inspire children to express themselves safely online and learn through making and sharing?
Speakers
Dan Efergan Creative Director, Aardman Digital, Aardman Animations Ltd.
Jane Fletcher, Director of Education, Into Film
Jon Howard, Executive Product Manager for Digital Creativity, BBC
Georgia Trahner UK Community Manager, Movellas
Research Sessions include:
- Dr. Barbie Clarke (Family Kids and Youth) looking at the role of play in 2015.
- The Little Big Partnership on Understanding Children’s Choice Process.
- Ofcom on the evolution of social media.
- The Pineapple Lounge’s research regarding girls in the 21st century.
- Platypus Research looking at whether kid’s content choices today are different to 1969.
- Dr Maya Götz, Head, International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television (IZI) on gender in
- Beyond Pink vs. Blue
- Discovery Research Group on where kids’ consumption, engagement and interaction with media has shifted.
- Praedico on Exploring Online Identity with Neuroscience.
- The University of Sheffield on understanding and engaging the preschool television audience.
The CMC theme for 2015 is “All Change?” exploring what the rapidly changing media landscape means for children, parents and producers. This year’s learning strand “Changing Minds” will explore the relationship between brands and learning, how the direct to consumer market of the App Store is changing educational publishing, how best to work with educational advisors and the future of EdTech.
Currently in its 12th year, the CMC is the premier event in the UK for supporting children’s media and hosts a global delegation of creatives, producers and distributors of kids’ content across all media.
CMC Editorial Director Greg Childs says: “The aim is nothing less than to develop a UK centre of excellence in entertainment and learning by bringing together those with expertise in the education sector and those with a long track record in engaging and entertaining kids with character, stories, personalities and brands.”