Evaluation Cites Success of YACF

Over the course of its three-year pilot program, the Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF) supported 61 new commissions and backed 160 development projects in the U.K., according to a final evaluation released by BFI.

The program was funded by the U.K. government via the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and was intended to support the production of new U.K. content for young audiences on public-service broadcasters and platforms.

Bigger Picture Research, an external consultancy, created the final evaluation, outlining YACF’s “social and economic value,” serving as an “effective lever in delivering high-quality public-service content for young audiences across different genres and techniques, contributing to a more plural landscape in the industry and directly encouraged additional investment for projects targeting this age group.”

The fund was established to address deficiencies identified by Ofcom’s Children’s Content Review, which pointed to a lack of high-quality programs for older children—including animation—shows that help children understand the world and titles to help audiences to see their lives represented on screen.

Per the review, the YACF delivered on its aims, funding 61 shows that secured 36 award nominations, with 14 wins. Of the funded slate, 13 have secured recommissions. The fund supported development on 160 projects, with 9 percent of those commissioned. The minimum Gross Value Added (GVA) from awarded projects is estimated at £319.6 million ($390.3 million) between 2019 and 2027 from a YACF investment of just over £40 million ($48.8 million). The shows have an international sales forecast of between £23.7 million ($28.9 million) and £40.3 million ($49.2 million) over the next 15 years.

The funded shows were also appreciated by audiences; 83 percent of young people surveyed thought YACF-supported shows looked well-made and 75 percent said they would like to see more shows like them.

The fund supported projects across the U.K., with 71 percent of development and production spend outside of London and the South East. Ten percent of production awards and 7 percent of development awards supported new content in indigenous languages (Scottish Gaelic, Irish Gaelic and Welsh). All produced projects met at least two BFI diversity standards, and every development project met at least one. Inclusion targets for the involvement of new voices in projects were met in full. The projects supported roles for almost 7,000 cast and crew members. Further, 87 percent of YACF-supported production projects and 74 percent of development projects involved at least one type of innovation in either their content, production methods or distribution, discoverability and engagement techniques.

“We were proud to deliver the Young Audiences Content Fund pilot, and the evaluation demonstrates how successfully the team—expertly headed up by Jackie Edwards—delivered to the fund’s ambitions and priorities,” said BFI CEO Ben Roberts. “The fund leaves a legacy of excellent, award-winning programming that showcases U.K. creativity both at home and internationally, as well as having a hugely positive impact on our young audiences.”

Jackie Edwards, head of the Young Audiences Content Fund, added: “The evaluation has evidenced the transformational effect of the Young Audience Content Fund on a failing sector and has shown the positive economic, social, and cultural impact that targeted resource can have in delivering much needed public service television for children and teens. The fund has stimulated commissioning of beautiful new content across all genres and for all young audiences, representing young lives from all across the U.K. Moreover, these programs have been much appreciated by the audiences they were made for. The fund has underlined the need for focused intervention to support content that specifically resonates and reflects, nourishes and supports, entertains, educates and inspires our young audiences— they deserve nothing less.”

Supported shows included COP26: In Your Hands (Sky Kids), Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (Channel 4), Big Boys (Channel 4), The World According to Grampa (Milkshake!), Teen First Dates (E4), Generation Genome (KMTV), Ted’s Top Ten (CITV), Makeaway Takeaway (CITV), Mimi’s World (Channel 5’s Milkshake!), Meet the Experts (Milkshake!), Go Green with the Grimwades (Milkshake!) and Tell Me Everything (ITVX). The final year funded such projects as Dance School (w.t.) from Duck Soup Films for Channel 4, and two shows for Milkshake!: Tweedy and Fluff and MixMups.