“For many decades EBU Members have been collaborating on globally-loved animation series, perhaps most famously with ‘The Animals of Farthing Wood’ several years ago. This new initiative shows our Members renewing this spirit of collaboration to secure the most exciting new content for young audiences in a competitive market.” Matthew Trustram • Head of Television, EBU
EUROPEAN PUBLIC BROADCASTERS GATHER TO SUPPORT ANIMATION AT CARTOON FORUM
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), France Télévisions and CARTOON have joined forces to work on a new collaborative model for animation, centered on the collective financing of a pilot project selected by EBU Members from a range of pitches presented at Cartoon Forum.
In 2023, a group of 15 public-service broadcasters gathered at the event and chose 2 series from over 70 projects: the Belgian production 'Ray & Ruby' and the Danish concept 'Pig & Andersen'. The broadcasters have committed over €130,000 to their development.
Produced by Creative Conspiracy with young audiences in mind, 'Ray & Ruby’ introduces the adventures of mouse twins navigating the vast and perilous world within a magnificent castle, whilst quirky comedy series ‘Pig & Andersen’, produced by Fleng Entertainment, is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's works and based on the 2022 short film “The Swineherd”.
The producers will present the initial stages of development for both projects during Cartoon Forum 2024 in September.
This initiative will be renewed in 2024 with the selection of at least one project, continuing the EBU network’s longstanding commitment to animated television programming and reflecting the current priority of engaging young audiences across Member territories.
Participating Broadcasters 2024
ARD/SWR (Germany) | BBC (UK) | DR (Denmark) | FTV (France) | LTV (Latvia) |
| NPO (Netherlands) | RAI (Italy) | RTÉ (Ireland) | RTP (Portugal) | RTVE (Spain) |
| STVR (Slovakia) | SVT (Sweden) | UA:PBC (Ukraine) | VRT (Belgium) | YLE (Finland) |