Horrible Histories Creative Team Tapped for CMC Keynote

The key creatives behind the Horrible Histories franchise and the forthcoming film Horrible Histories: Movie–Rotten Romans are set to deliver the creative keynote at the 2019 Children’s Media Conference (CMC).

In their speech, Caroline Norris and Giles Pilbrow, producers and writers on Horrible Histories, director Dominic Brigstocke and original book series author Terry Deary will discuss the secrets to creating kids’ comedy that appeals to parents. They’ll also share how they made learning fun, and the challenges they faced bringing the franchise on its biggest outing yet. Rhianna Dhillon, a broadcaster and film critic, will host the July 3 panel.

Greg Childs, editorial director at CMC, said: “As Horrible Histories conquers the world and transforms once again to a big-screen brand, we thought it time for CMC to celebrate that phenomenal success. Past creative keynotes at CMC have explored how a single creative genius finds their inspiration and translates that to the page, stage or screen. This year we’ll consider how the collective genius that is the Horrible Histories brand maintains its mojo and continues to make millions of kids worldwide laugh—and learn.”

This year’s CMC, which takes place from July 2 to 4 in Sheffield, U.K., will feature an opening keynote with writer and presenter Nadiya Hussain interviewed by Newsround presenter Leah Boleto. Other highlights of the conference include “The YACF: A User’s Guide,” which will provide insight into the brand-new Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF) pilot, which is supported by the U.K. government and administered by the BFI.

The CMC will also showcase creative masterclasses on Clangers and Paddington, in-depth SVOD research insights in the “Stream If You Want to Go Faster” session, internationalizing U.K. children’s learning content in “Going Global” and advances in AI and the implications for kids in “Are the Robots Coming For Our Children.”