The Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF) has announced its latest round of funding decisions. Children’s and Young People’s programming is a key focus for this commissioning round in addition to four major series in the factual entertainment / lifestyle genre.
The ILBF states that children’s and young people’s programmes are considered “a key target audience” for the growth of Irish language speakers in Northern Ireland. With this in mind the fund has commissioned a number of series including a reworking of Stirling Productions’ animated series ‘Rocket Boy’ for Irish broadcast on TG4; ‘Áit Eile’ a new youth magazine series for BBC NI produced by Big Mountain Productions. Tobar and Green Inc. are set to return for an extended second series of the popular music show ‘Deis Roc’, for broadcast on TG4, and the fund has commissioned a new fly on the wall documentary surrounding the making of Irish language drama series ‘Féith’.
The fund has commissioned four major series in the factual entertainment / lifestyle genre. First up is ‘Buail na Tuismitheoirí’ (Imagine Media for BBCNI), a family entertainment show in which teams of teenagers and parents compete to create the best brand new children’s product. Another new format, ‘Shabby go Chic’ (Waddell Media for TG4), will feature teams competing to renovate second hand furniture into chic objects fit for the homes of local celebs while food buffs will soon be able to enjoy ‘Cósta Uí Chatháin’ (Independent Pictures and Tobar for TG4), featuring chef Éamonn Ó Catháin as he explores the coast of Northern Ireland aboard a thirty foot yacht. Sonas has been commissioned to produce a photography series ‘I bhfócas le’ for TG4 which will feature well known personalities learning the finer points of the art of photography.
In addition, the ILBF has also provided development funding to Stirling Productions for a light entertainment series for TG4 and to CanDo Interactive for the development of Irish language website content for BBC Northern Ireland.
The ILBF’s third and final funding round in 2007 will take place in the early autumn with a deadline for applications of midday on 21 September.
Funding decisions for round three will be announced by the end of October.
For further information on the ILBF, please see www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk or contact Máire Killoran, Head of the ILBF on +44(0)28 90232444 or at Maire@northernirelandscreen.co.uk.
