The announcement of a new online home for children aged 5 to 9 years is a significant development for children’s access to local content that proudly reflects where they are from.
The NZ Children’s Screen Trust (Kidsonscreen) has been a strong advocate for a home for children’s content so that our youngest citizens can explore and discover what it means to be from Aotearoa-New Zealand.
“Children need an online playground that both reflects their world and allows them to imagine who they can be,” says Chair Janette Howe.
The inclusion of children’s media rights from Kidsonscreen’s Media Rights Declaration as guiding principles is an important step in ensuring that the platform will deliver enriching content. “We look forward to seeing a range of content for children that reflects their diversity and interests – news, factual, comedy, drama, science and games. We hope that exciting ideas will be brought to the table by new and emerging content creators.”
The need for discovery of quality curated local content for our children has never been more important than now with the access children have to global content on screen. Research shows that this young age is still when parents and whanau are guiding their choices and is an opportunity to deliver rich experiences that build their sense of self.
“A strong sense of identity is a pre-requisite for creativity of the highest order. The relevance of stories to our own experiences enhances our sense of who we are. Our mental health depends on a belief that we have an identity and a place.” – Dr Ian Hassall (NZCST Trustee)
Kate Stevenson (NZCST Trustee) says “We look forward to Kiwi kids having an online community that they can call their own. A place where their voice is heard and where they are able to create, participate and interact safely with a range of media and screen content.”
The NZ Children’s Screen Trust looks forward to this new beginning in children’s local content delivery and to working with TVNZ and NZ ON Air to create an exciting and much loved online home for kids.
For further information:
Janette Howe, Chair
Kidsonscreen (The NZ Children’s Acreen Trust)
021 825 199