A coalition of prominent European public broadcasters is set to convene at MIPJUNIOR to explore new collaborative strategies and co-production opportunities for children’s animation. Initiated by Belgium’s VRT and Finland’s Yle, the closed-door summit will feature participation from the BBC (UK), RTP (Portugal), RTS (Switzerland), RTBF (French-speaking Belgium), ZDF (Germany), NRK (Norway), and RUV (Iceland), among others.
The exclusive exchange will allow executives to share perspectives from their respective markets and discuss avenues for closer cooperation. During the session, selected local animation projects currently in development will be presented to the group to foster dialogue around potential partnerships and financial support for original content. This initiative arrives amid significant shifts in the children’s media landscape, where evolving audience behaviors and challenging industry economics are actively impacting the development, financing, and global reach of high-quality animation.
Telidja Klai, Content Manager of Program Acquisitions & Co-Productions for Animation at VRT Ketnet, and Vicky Schroderus, Senior Executive of International Co-Productions and Acquisitions at Yle, issued a joint statement regarding the initiative’s mission: “Our shared love for the art of creation, for the animation industry and for our target audience is strong and keeps us motivated to find ways to get through the uncertain and fast changing period within the kids media industry. As public broadcasters we do believe that it is now more important than ever to keep each other informed, to encourage collaboration, to join forces so that, in our own way, we can seize the opportunities to support the creation of wonderful content.”
Lucy Smith, Director of MIPJUNIOR, highlighted the market’s role in facilitating this alliance. “As the children’s media landscape continues to evolve, bringing the industry together to exchange ideas and explore new ways of working is more important than ever,” Smith noted. “We’re delighted that MIPJUNIOR can provide the space for this important discussion and help facilitate greater collaboration around the future of kid’s animation.”
The collaborative session is scheduled to take place at MIPJUNIOR in Cannes on Sunday, October 11, from 11:00 to 13:00.
