Australian Children's Television Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) is a non-profit, government-funded organisation in Australia concerned with the development, production, dissemination and promotion of children's television
and other audio-visual material for children.
The ACTF was established in 1982, following the recommendations of a series of reports to an Australian Senate committee
concering the quality of children's television programming, and the impact of television violence upon children.
The origins of the ACTF can be traced to a meeting between the Victorian Minister for the Arts (and Educational Services) Norman Lacy
and Dr Patricia Edgar
(at that time a media academic at LaTrobe University) in 1980 at the Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. Lacy was an admirer of Edgar's ideas for improving the quality of children's television production. They agreed to join forces to promote the proposal for the establishment of an organisation to achieve their shared objectives. Lacy then used his ministerial membership of the Australian Education Council and the Australian Arts Ministers' Conference to initiate the establishment of the Australian Children's Television Foundation. He appointed Edgar to the Arts Ministry staff to steer the project, provided office space and establishment funding, and won the support of NSW Education Minister Paul Landa with whom he co-chaired the early steering committee meetings.
In early 1981, Lacy addressed the Senate Standing Committee on Education and the Arts arguing for the strategic and national importance of a Commonwealth commitment to recurrent funding for the fledgling Foundation. The Senate Standing committee report Children and Television Revisited recommended the establishment of an independent children's television production unit, which was the impetus for the foundation of the ACTF, to be funded by the Australian government
with contributions from state and territory governments
.
Norman Lacy
's political advocacy and practical support coupled with Patricia Edgar
's intellectual capacity and lobbying skills eventually won through and the Australian Children's Television Foundation was born with funding support from the Commonwealth Government collectively matched by all the State governments except Queensland. Subsequently, Patricia Edgar
, the founding executive director of the Foundation, retired and Jenny Buckland was appointed CEO in July 2002. Formerly its General Manager, Buckland played a significant role in the establishment of the Foundation becoming one of the most successful international marketers of children's television programs.
The ACTF has flourished since its establishment under the leadership of Edgar, Buckland, its long term Chairman and patron Janet Holmes a Court
and a Board representative of each of the State and Commonwealth Governments that have provided the bulk of its funding requirements.
Over the nearly 30 years of its existence, the ACTF has continued to develop and produce high quality television programs for children. It aims to create innovative, entertaining and educational programs. Its programs have screened in over 100 countries and have won over 95 local and international awards.
The ACTF believes that entertaining media can be an effective teaching and learning tool. It has created the educational multi-media construction tool-set Kahootz to be used in schools by primary and secondary students across a range of key learning areas. The tool-set gives children the power to create complex narratives, puzzles and presentations in a three dimensional world.
The ACTF also acts as a funding body for other children’s television producers offering both script development funding and production investment. It also acts as a local and international distributor of children’s programs.
The headquarters of the ACTF are on Smith Street
in the Melbourne
suburb of Fitzroy
.
The ACTF also develops Kahootz
, an education multimedia construction toolset.
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
and other audio-visual material for children.
The ACTF was established in 1982, following the recommendations of a series of reports to an Australian Senate committee
Australian Senate committees
This article is about committees of the Senate. For consideration of bills 'in committee', see Committee of the WholeThe committees of the Australian Senate are committees of Senators, established by the Australian Senate, for purposes determined by that body...
concering the quality of children's television programming, and the impact of television violence upon children.
The origins of the ACTF can be traced to a meeting between the Victorian Minister for the Arts (and Educational Services) Norman Lacy
Norman Lacy
Norman Henry Lacy, Australian politician, is a former Victorian Government Minister from May 1979 to April 1982 who grew up in Richmond, Victoria and three times represented his state at national under age basketball championships...
and Dr Patricia Edgar
Patricia Edgar
Patricia May Edgar AM is an Australian author, television producer and educator, best known as the founding director of the Australian Children's Television Foundation....
(at that time a media academic at LaTrobe University) in 1980 at the Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. Lacy was an admirer of Edgar's ideas for improving the quality of children's television production. They agreed to join forces to promote the proposal for the establishment of an organisation to achieve their shared objectives. Lacy then used his ministerial membership of the Australian Education Council and the Australian Arts Ministers' Conference to initiate the establishment of the Australian Children's Television Foundation. He appointed Edgar to the Arts Ministry staff to steer the project, provided office space and establishment funding, and won the support of NSW Education Minister Paul Landa with whom he co-chaired the early steering committee meetings.
In early 1981, Lacy addressed the Senate Standing Committee on Education and the Arts arguing for the strategic and national importance of a Commonwealth commitment to recurrent funding for the fledgling Foundation. The Senate Standing committee report Children and Television Revisited recommended the establishment of an independent children's television production unit, which was the impetus for the foundation of the ACTF, to be funded by the Australian government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
with contributions from state and territory governments
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
.
Norman Lacy
Norman Lacy
Norman Henry Lacy, Australian politician, is a former Victorian Government Minister from May 1979 to April 1982 who grew up in Richmond, Victoria and three times represented his state at national under age basketball championships...
's political advocacy and practical support coupled with Patricia Edgar
Patricia Edgar
Patricia May Edgar AM is an Australian author, television producer and educator, best known as the founding director of the Australian Children's Television Foundation....
's intellectual capacity and lobbying skills eventually won through and the Australian Children's Television Foundation was born with funding support from the Commonwealth Government collectively matched by all the State governments except Queensland. Subsequently, Patricia Edgar
Patricia Edgar
Patricia May Edgar AM is an Australian author, television producer and educator, best known as the founding director of the Australian Children's Television Foundation....
, the founding executive director of the Foundation, retired and Jenny Buckland was appointed CEO in July 2002. Formerly its General Manager, Buckland played a significant role in the establishment of the Foundation becoming one of the most successful international marketers of children's television programs.
The ACTF has flourished since its establishment under the leadership of Edgar, Buckland, its long term Chairman and patron Janet Holmes a Court
Janet Holmes à Court
Janet Holmes à Court, AC, HFAIB is an Australian businesswoman, and one of Australia's wealthiest women. She is the Chairman of one of Australia's largest private companies, Heytesbury Pty Ltd, having turned around its fortunes after the death of her husband Robert Holmes à Court in 1990...
and a Board representative of each of the State and Commonwealth Governments that have provided the bulk of its funding requirements.
Over the nearly 30 years of its existence, the ACTF has continued to develop and produce high quality television programs for children. It aims to create innovative, entertaining and educational programs. Its programs have screened in over 100 countries and have won over 95 local and international awards.
The ACTF believes that entertaining media can be an effective teaching and learning tool. It has created the educational multi-media construction tool-set Kahootz to be used in schools by primary and secondary students across a range of key learning areas. The tool-set gives children the power to create complex narratives, puzzles and presentations in a three dimensional world.
The ACTF also acts as a funding body for other children’s television producers offering both script development funding and production investment. It also acts as a local and international distributor of children’s programs.
The headquarters of the ACTF are on Smith Street
Smith Street, Melbourne
Smith Street is a street in inner northern Melbourne.-Geography:Smith Street runs north-south from Victoria Parade at its southernmost end to Queens Parade. Between Victoria Parade and Alexandra Parade, it forms the boundary between Fitzroy and Collingwood; the short segment north of Alexandra...
in the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
suburb of Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
.
Productions
Some notable television series developed or assisted by the ACTF include:- Johnson and FriendsJohnson and FriendsJohnson and Friends is an Australian children’s television programme broadcast on ABC TV from 1991 to 1996. It was produced by Film Australia. Six seasons were made....
- The Genie From Down UnderThe Genie From Down UnderThe Genie From Down Under is an Australian children's comedy television series. It was a co-production between the ACTF, the BBC and the ABC from 1996 to 1998...
- MortifiedMortifiedMortified was an Australian children's television series, co-produced by the Australian Children's Television Foundation and Enjoy Entertainment for the Nine Network Australia, Disney Australia and the BBC. The series premiered on 30 June 2006 and ended on 11 April 2007 with two seasons and a total...
- Round the TwistRound the TwistRound the Twist is a Logie Award-winning Australian children's television series about three children and their widowed father who live in a lighthouse and become involved in many magical adventures....
- Noah and SaskiaNoah and SaskiaNoah and Saskia is a 13-episode children's television program co-produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and British Broadcasting Corporation. The show explores a situation in which two teenagers meet in an Internet chatroom, using personas that are very different from their true selves...
- The GiftThe Gift (Australian children's TV series)The Gift is an Australian children's television series that first screened on the Nine Network Australia in 1997. It featured 26 half-hour episodes produced by Barron Television.-Synopsis:...
- Lift Off
- Spellbinder
- The Miraculous MellopsThe Miraculous Mellops (TV series)The Miraculous Mellops was a sci-fi/comedy television series, created by Posie Graeme-Evans and produced by Film Australia & Millennium Pictures in association with the Network Ten...
The ACTF also develops Kahootz
Kahootz
Kahootz is an education multimedia construction toolset created by the Australian Children's Television Foundation. Using this program, one can make 3D animations using the pre-made objects and backgrounds. It is used by many schools to teach not only making movies with the program but co-operation...
, an education multimedia construction toolset.