The Audience of the future
Sponsored by Belfast Media Festival
Location: Upstairs Theatre
Time: Thursday 17th November, 10am
How do we plan our content for young audiences? The animated content that we are creating now will deliver to viewers in a year or two. Our viewers are not our viewers yet, they might not even be born! And we must plan the content that appeals, entertains and enriches their little lives. How do we consider and plan for what they are going to need?
Louise Burgess- Programme and Acquisitions Manager, Commissioning Executive, Milkshake! C5
ZIA SANDS Lead Acquisitions, Partnerships and Coproductions Kids & Family, Warner Bros Discovery
Suzanne Kelly Head of Children's & Young People's Content RTÉ, Ireland
Siobhan Ni Bhradaigh Editor, Young People’s Programming, TG4.
Julia Bond, Commissioning Editor, BBC Children’s/CBeebies
Louise Burgess
Acquistions & Programme Manager, Milkshake
Louise Burgess is Acquisitions and Programme Manager for Milkshake!, Channel 5’s pre-school television programming block. In her role, Louise manages all aspects of programme acquisitions and commissions, from proposal stage through to channel delivery and transmission, ensuring the creative quality of programming content.
Louise is currently working across a new slate of programmes for the preschool block, as Executive Producer. Prior to Milkshake!, Louise worked as a Production and Development Manager at Coolabi Group, working across a range of projects including Scream Street for CBBC, the BAFTA award winning CBeebies series Clangers and the internationally successful Nick Jr., Milkshake! and Sprout Co-Production preschool series Poppy Cat.
Zia Sands
Lead Acquisitions, Partnerships & Coproductions Warner Bros Discovery Kids & Family EMEA
Zia Sands is Lead Acquisitions, Partnerships & Coproductions Warner Bros Discovery Kids & Family EMEA, working across Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Boing, Cartoonito, Toonami, Toonix and HBO Max Kids & Family.
In this role, Zia oversees and negotiates shared acquisitions for the EMEA kids’ business, working closely with the local heads of programming and acquisitions of each of the channels and the content heads within EMEA. In addition, Zia works closely with production and coproduction partners to provide creative consultation throughout the development and production of select series, including Taffy, an original series for Boomerang with Cyber Group, Mush Mush and the Mushables from La Cabane, Thuristar and CAKE and Ninja Express with Eone.
Zia joined Turner in 2013. Prior to this she held an Acquisitions role at Disney. Zia has a background in Television Production having held various positions in Production Management.
Siobhán Ní Bhrádaigh
Editor, Young People’s Programming, TG4.
Siobhán oversees programme acquisitions/ reversioning and commissioning for TG4's young people's schedule.
She is an award-winning producer, whose experience also includes marketing, and directing.
Siobhán started her television life as a dubbing director, before moving to TG4 to oversee In-house production and marketing of the Young People’s output. During this time, Siobhán oversaw the development of the Cúla4 brand; the young people’s schedule on TG4, the live continuity segments and audience events.
She then spent a number of years working as a producer in the Independent sector, developing and producing projects, such as award-winning ‘Is Eolaí Mé’ /’I’m a Scientist’ a series which has sold Internationally.
Siobhán returned to TG4 in 2016 to her current role. As Young People’s Exec, Siobhán is currently overseeing annual commissioning output deals along with various co-funded commissions aimed at primary school & post primary school age groups as well as acquiring high quality content for the Cúla4 na nÓg and Cúla4 schedules.
Suzanne Kelly
Head of Children's & Young People's Content RTÉ
Suzanne Kelly has headed up the RTÉ Children’s division since 2018. She’s responsible for all content created and commissioned across video, audio and digital platforms, for RTÉjr, 0 – 6 channel and RTÉ Kids, 7 – 12’s platform.
As a PSM, the RTÉ kids’ team is dedicated to delivering top quality content for our audience and ensuring that they are represented and given a voice.
Suzanne works hand in hand with both the Irish Live action and animation sectors to deliver stand out moments for TV audio and online, recent commissions include; The Imagination Machine, an e-sports blockbuster, Ireland’s Future is MINE, Alva’s World and a wonderful new podcast series, The Neighbourhood, narrated by Oscar nominee, Ciaran Hinds.
Suzanne is also keen to grow RTÉ’s slate for teens and is actively searching out content for this audience.
Prior to joining RTÉ, Suzanne worked as an independent producer/director, creating & developing programme formats, script writing and producing & directing in studio and on location for linear and digital platforms.
Julia Bond
Commissioning Editor, BBC Childrens/CBeebies
Julia is Commissioning Editor 0-6 for BBC Children’s/CBeebies. Working with the independent sector and BBC Kids & Family, she identifies potential commissions and acquisitions to make recommendations to Lead Commissioning Editor, 0-6.
Once commissioned Julia will work closely with the production team on exec delivery of projects from pre-production to the finished product.
Commissions cover live Action, mixed media and animation.
Based in Scotland, Julia is also point of contact for CBBC in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
