YACF Reveals First Development & Production Slate

The Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF) has unveiled its first production and development slate, with nine series and specials in the pipeline.

The YACF, backed by a £57 million ($73.5 million) endowment from the U.K. government, is co-funding projects for Channel 5, ITV, BBC ALBA, S4C, TG4 and Sky. The initial slate embraces all techniques, genres and audiences, from factual entertainment for preschoolers to drama for teens, including the documentary Boy at the Top (Lachlan, Balach aig a’ Mhullach) for BBC ALBA.

Other highlights from the slate include: the factual live-action shows Meet the Experts (Channel 5’s Milkshake!) and How! (CITV), plus FYI Specials (First News, Sky News, Sky Kids), alongside live-action dramas Rùn (Secret) for BBC ALBA and Person/A and Y Gyfrinach for S4C. Also funded are the preschool mixed-media drama Mimi’s World (Channel 5’s Milkshake!) and SOL (BBC ALBA, S4C and TG4), an animation tackling the topic of grief.

In addition, 15 Development Awards have been given for a number of projects.

Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said: “I am delighted with the positive impact of the Young Audiences Content Fund in its first six months. We need to continue to produce home-grown and original content that inspires our younger generation and is representative of the world they live in.

“It’s fantastic to see the fund is helping really creative and inspiring projects happen and I encourage broadcasters to continue in their positive engagement with it.”

Jackie Edwards, head of the Young Audiences Content Fund, added: “We have been thrilled by the quality of the applications, but it is the commitment and level of partnership from the broadcasters that is helping ensure the positive impact of the fund. By them seizing the opportunities the fund offers, and opening up their schedules and their budgets, we are bringing brilliant new content to children and young people. I am truly excited by what we can achieve together, and having awarded almost £3.8m [$4.9 million] in the first months of the fund, I am confident we can do so much more!”