GBC Team Gets Inspired by PRIX JEUNESSE Suitcase
22 TV professionals of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation gathered for two full days at the Kofi Annan Conference Center in Accra, Ghana, ready for input from children’s TV programmes from all corners of the world. The programmes presented were part of the PRIX JEUNESSE Suitcase, a unique training tool which was brought over by Kirsten Schneid, PRIX JEUNESSE’s festival and project coordinator, who led through the screenings and discussions of shows for the age-groups Up to 6, 7 – 10 and 11 – 15.
The workshop participants came from all fields of production: Besides producers of children’s programmes also experts from sound, camera, cinematography and graphics were present – all team members that add their skills when children’s programmes are being produced. Having the opportunity to go through this PRIX JEUNESSE Suitcase experience together not only tightened the bonds among those colleagues. The common realization that high quality in children’s television requires a whole amount of caring for details, profound planning and research as well as patience and dedication when on set was a powerful outcome of this seminar.
Among the programmes most discussed was the Norwegian production “PUPBERTY VAGINA AND MENSTRUATION”. All workshop participants including the Director General of GBC agreed that it is the responsibility of a public broadcaster to provide such essential information to its young audience. While the workshop participants were impressed by the explicit approach to the subject by the Norwegian colleagues it was clear that an approach rooted in the culture of Ghana must be found for delivering these topics to the youth of the country.
Further programmes that the participants found highly inspirational for their own work were SLEEPING LIONS, a drama dealing with child abuse, or the Taiwanese show GIVING BACK HERMIT CRABS A HOME, for its child-driven informative content.
After two days of eye-opening screenings and passionate discussions the workshop participants summarized their main insights. Among the central points were: Give children a voice! Don’t underestimate children – have respect for their world and state of mind! Children want to explore – offer them the space to do so! And look what’s around – the sources for great stories are right there in our environment!
