Could YOU Be Lily From "Lily's Driftwood Bay"? | Nick Jr. UK

The Belfast-based independent children's television production company Sixteen South, recently named as BAFTA Independent Production Company of the year, is dedicated to the creation and production of original premium children’s television for the international broadcast networks.

The studio has just delivered season 2 of Nick Jr. UK's hit mixed-media animated series, Lily’s Driftwood Bay, and are currently looking for an actress to perform their Lily costume character who will represent the brand and the company at local events!

The individual must be able to perform as Lily and be willing to dance, have fun with the public and encourage pictures to be taken.

You need to...

* Be positive, personable and animated with a fun, outgoing personality.

* Love to provide exceptional customer experiences.

* Have a positive attitude and work ethic

* Be available to work weekends, evenings and holidays as required.

* Be able to perform in an enclosed costume, having limited sight lines.

* Have the ability to walk, crouch, bend, stoop, kneel and lift up to 10lbs.

* Be able to stand for long extended periods of time in varied weather conditions.

* Be an average build female between 5ft 5” and 5ft 7”

* Be at least 18 years old

* Be able to make your own way to venues

If you are interested in this position please email CV to rachelle@sixteensouth.tv

The closing date for applying Friday 7th April 2017! Good luck! :)

Original source: Facebook.com/SixteenSouth.

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Channel 5's "Milkshake!" To Debut "Lily's Driftwood Bay" On Monday 27th April 2015

Channel 5 has announced the exciting news in a Tweet on their official "Milkshake!" Twitter profile page, @Milkshake_TV, that Nick Jr. UK's critically acclaimed award-winning animated preschool series "Lily's Driftwood Bay" will join Channel 5's "Milkshake!" line up on Monday 27th April 2015 at 6:20am! Following the shows debut, "Milkshake!" will continue to debut more brand-new episodes of "Lily's Driftwood Bay" weekdays at 6:20am! Additionally, each episode will be available to watch on Channel 5's video on demand (VOD) service Demand 5 following each episodes debut.

Created and directed by Colin Williams ("Pajanimals", "Big and Small") and produced by Belfast-based independent children's television production company Sixteen South Television, "Lily's Driftwood Bay" premiered globally on Nick Jr. UK in May 2014 debuted shortly after in the US on Sprout and in Australia on ABC, and has been picked up by a host of other international broadcasters.

The mixed media animation series is created completely from items that have been found washed up on the beach and follows the imaginative adventures of six-year-old Lily. Based on an original idea from artist Joanne Carmichael, the series boasts an all-star line-up of voice talent including Stephen Fry ("QI" ("Quite Interesting"), "The Hobbit", "Blackadder", "Gadget Man"), Peter Mullan ("Harry Potter", "Top of the Lake"), Tameka Empson ("EastEnders", "3 Non-Blondes"), Jane Horrocks ("Sunshine on Leith", "Absolutely Fabulous"), Ardal O'Hanlon ("Father Ted", "London Irish", "My Hero"), Annette Crosbie ("One Foot in the Grave", "Hope Springs") and Richard Dormer ("Game of Thrones", "Good Vibrations", "Fortitude").

Following the successful launch of the first series in May 2014, Nick Jr. UK commissioned a second series of "Lily's Driftwood Bay", which will feature an additional 52 seven minute episodes of the hit preschool show, in July 2014.

The commission followed a licensing deal between Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer products (NVCP) and Sixteen South, which will see NVCP exclusively represent all licensing rights for the property within the UK and Ireland.

"Lily's Driftwood Bay" has also recently been honoured with multiple awards, including a Parents' Choice Recommended Award, a Broadcast Awards 2015 award for "Best Pre-School Programme", as well as being named as one of the Best Kids' TV Shows of 2014 by Common Sense Media, and the Best Music/Sound Design award at the first ever Irish Animation Awards!

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Nick Jr. UK's "Lily’s Driftwood Bay" Heads To Netflix, International Networks; Picks Up Raft Of Awards

The Jim Henson Company's third-party licensing and distribution label, HIP (Henson Independent Properties), has struck a number of broadcast and digital licensing deals for Nick Jr. UK's critically acclaimed animated preschool series "Lily's Driftwood Bay"!

On the digital side, Netflix has scooped up the show for the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland. International broadcasters KiKa (Germany), MTV Oy (Finland), TV New Zealand (New Zealand), TVB (Hong Kong) and Radio Television Brunei (Brunei) have also picked up the animated series.

Created and directed by Colin Williams ("Pajanimals", "Big and Small") and produced by Belfast-based independent children's television production company Sixteen South Television, "Lily's Driftwood Bay" premiered globally on Nick Jr. UK in May 2014 debuted shortly after in the US on Sprout and in Australia on ABC, and has been picked up by a host of other international broadcasters.

The mixed media animation series is created completely from items that have been found washed up on the beach and follows the imaginative adventures of six-year-old Lily. Based on an original idea from artist Joanne Carmichael, the series boasts an all-star line-up of voice talent including Stephen Fry ("QI" ("Quite Interesting"), "The Hobbit", "Blackadder", "Gadget Man"), Peter Mullan ("Harry Potter", "Top of the Lake"), Tameka Empson ("EastEnders", "3 Non-Blondes"), Jane Horrocks ("Sunshine on Leith", "Absolutely Fabulous"), Ardal O'Hanlon ("Father Ted", "London Irish", "My Hero"), Annette Crosbie ("One Foot in the Grave", "Hope Springs") and Richard Dormer ("Game of Thrones", "Good Vibrations", "Fortitude").

Following the successful launch of the first series in May 2014, Nick Jr. UK commissioned a second series of "Lily's Driftwood Bay", which will feature an additional 52 seven minute episodes of the hit preschool show, in July 2014.

The commission followed a licensing deal between Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer products (NVCP) and Sixteen South, which will see NVCP exclusively represent all licensing rights for the property within the UK and Ireland.

"Lily's Driftwood Bay" has also recently been honoured with multiple awards, including a Parents' Choice Recommended Award, a Broadcast Awards 2015 award for "Best Pre-School Programme", as well as being named as one of the Best Kids' TV Shows of 2014 by Common Sense Media!

Sources: Kidscreen, Twitter.com/AlexiWheeler, Twitter.com/BroadcastAwards

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Nick Jr. UK Commissions Second Series Of Sixteen South's "Lily's Driftwood Bay"

Nickelodeon UK has announced in the following Press Release the exciting news that, following the successful launch of the first series, Nickelodeon UK's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, has commissioned a second series of Sixteen South's "Lily's Driftwood Bay", which will feature an additional 52 seven minute episodes of the popular animated preschool series!

The commission follows a licensing deal between Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer products (NVCP) and Sixteen South, which will see NVCP exclusively represent all licensing rights for the property within the UK and Ireland.

Created and Produced by Sixteen South, "Lily's Driftwood Bay" premiered on Nick Jr. UK in May 2014 and has been watched by over 1.5 million Nick Jr. viewers to date. The mixed media animation series is created completely from items that have been found washed up on the beach and follows the imaginative adventures of six-year-old Lily. Based on an original idea from artist Joanne Carmichael, the series boasts an all-star line-up of voice talent including Stephen Fry, Jane Horrocks, Ardal O'Hanlon, Peter Mullan and Annette Crosby.

Original Nickelodeon UK Press Release:

NICK JR. UK SETS SAIL WITH SIXTEEN SOUTH FOR MORE LILY'S DRIFTWOOD BAY

London, Thursday 3rd July 2014 – After the successful launch of the first series, Nick Jr. UK has commissioned an additional 52 seven minute episodes of Sixteen South’s pre-school animation Lily’s Driftwood Bay. The commission follows a licensing deal between Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer products (NVCP) and Sixteen South, which will see NVCP exclusively represent all licensing rights for the property within the UK and Ireland.

Created and Produced by Sixteen South, Lily’s Driftwood Bay premiered on Nick Jr. UK in May 2014 and has been watched by over 1.5 million Nick Jr. viewers to date. The mixed media animation series is created completely from items that have been found washed up on the beach and follows the imaginative adventures of six-year-old Lily. Based on an original idea from artist Joanne Carmichael, the series boasts an all-star line-up of voice talent including Stephen Fry, Jane Horrocks, Ardal O’Hanlon, Peter Mullan and Annette Crosby.

"Lily's Driftwood Bay has been a wonderful addition to the Nick Jr. schedule, the show's unique visual style and beautiful storytelling have proven to be popular with kids and parents alike," said Tim Patterson, VP, Director of Programming. "We're incredibly happy with the success the series has had so far and we're keen to further invest in UK-produced content on Nick Jr. with the commission of a second series"

"We are absolutely thrilled to be producing a second series of Lily's Driftwood Bay," said Colin Williams, Creator & Director of Lily's Driftwood Bay. "We have had the most incredible creative journey in creating and bringing to life this world and characters that children across the UK and Ireland have already fallen in love with. We're so excited to spend more time in the world of Driftwood Bay!"

Nick Jr.

Where every day's an adventure, Nick Jr. is a top-performing commercial pre-school entertainment brand in cable and satellite homes. Launched in 1999 as the world's first channel dedicated to pre-school children, Nick Jr.'s programming includes beloved shows Dora the Explorer, Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom and Bubble Guppies. Online, clips, games, exclusive activities and downloads are all available at nickjr.co.uk Viewers also have the opportunity to catch up with the schedule through Nick Jr. +1. Nick Jr. is available on Sky 615, Virgin 715, through BT Vision and TalkTalk channel 318.

The Nickelodeon Network is a top-performing commercial kids TV network in the UK and Ireland with Nickelodeon channels available in over 14 million cable and satellite homes. Having launched in 1993 Nickelodeon UK comprises seven dedicated entertainment channels for kids aged 4-15 and their families, and is a joint venture between Viacom International Media Networks and BSkyB.

Sixteen South

In the last six years, Sixteen South has created and produced four award winning children's series including Sesame Tree, a new version of Sesame Street for CBeebies in partnership with Sesame Workshop, Big City Park, a co-production with BBC Scotland, for CBeebies, the BAFTA award winning Big & Small in partnership with Kindle Entertainment, for CBeebies and Pajanimals - a bedtime puppet show in partnership with the Jim Henson Company and the US cable giant, Sprout, which airs in over 300 million homes across the world.

Sixteen South's newest production is the mixed-media animated series, Lily's Driftwood Bay which has been sold to over 20 territories including the US, UK, Scandinavia and Australia.

Sixteen South is independently ranked as one of the UK's top production companies by Televisual magazine and has ranked at #7 in the Deloitte UK Fast 50 as well as earning over a dozen international awards for their work including a BAFTA, IFTA and a double EMMY® nomination.

- Ends -

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Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products Acquires Licensing Rights To "Lily's Driftwood Bay"

The children's entertainment and media news website Kidscreen and World Screen, a publication which covers the international media business, are reporting the exciting news that Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) has inked a deal with the Belfast-based independent children's television production company Sixteen South Television for the licensing rights to Nick Jr. UK's popular brand-new mixed media animated preschool series "Lily's Driftwood Bay"! The deal covers the UK and Ireland.

The initial "Lily's Driftwood Bay" licensing range for the brand will concentrate on soft lines and selective toy opportunities.

Since premiering on Nick Jr. UK and Ireland in May 2014,, the series has been watched by more than 1.5 million viewers. In addition to Nick Junior UK, the series airs in major countries worldwide.

"Lily's Driftwood Bay" (52 x 7 minute episodes) is a all-new mixed media animated preschool series commissioned by Nick Jr. UK which is about a little girl who creates an imaginary world from treasures she finds washed up on the beach. The series features a top-notch voice cast which includes Stephen Fry ("QI" ("Quite Interesting"), "The Hobbit", "Blackadder", "Gadget Man"), Peter Mullan ("Harry Potter", "Top of the Lake"), Tameka Empson ("EastEnders", "3 Non-Blondes"), Jane Horrocks ("Sunshine on Leith", "Absolutely Fabulous"), Ardal O'Hanlon ("Father Ted", "London Irish", "My Hero"), Annette Crosbie ("One Foot in the Grave", "Hope Springs") and Richard Dormer ("Game of Thrones", "Good Vibrations", "Fortitude")!

"Lily's Driftwood Bay" follows Lily (Orlagh O'Keefe from Belfast), a five year old who lives in a beach hut on the shore with her Dad (Dormer). Everyday, the sea washes up a curious new treasure, which sparks Lily's imagination about what might be happening 'across the way on Driftwood Bay'. And so, with her best friend Gull - the clever seagull (Paul Currie), an adventure begins as they head off to Driftwood Bay – and its cast of colourful inhabitants.

There's Salty Dog (Mullan), the jolly seafaring sailor with a story for every occasion; Nonna Dog (Crosbie), a sage granny who runs Cockle Café and who's always ready with some advice and a biscuit; Hatsie Hen (Empson), a train-driving hen with a need for speed and a love of excitement; Bull (O'Hanlon), a boisterous bull who always charges head first into things (sometimes literally); Wee Rabbit (Horrocks), a gentle young bunny with a love of art, fairy tales and rainbows; and Lord Stag (Fry) an aristocratic deer with a taste for the finer things in life.

A unique series about making fun and adventure from things that you find, "Driftwood Bay" was created by Sixteen South, based on an original idea from artist Joanne Carmichael, and featuring characters and environments completely created from objects found washed up on the beach.

"Driftwood Bay" received funding from the Northern Ireland Screen Fund supported by Invest NI and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

From Kidscreen:

NVCP picks up rights for Lily’s Driftwood Bay

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) has inked a deal with Ireland’s Sixteen South for the licensing rights to preschool property Lily’s Driftwood Bay.

The deal covers the UK and Ireland.

The mixed-media series follows the adventures of six-year-old Lily, who lives with her father in a hut on the beach. It is based on an original idea and characters from artist Joanne Carmichael.

Since premiering on Nick Jr. in the UK this May, the series has been watched by more than 1.5 million viewers. In addition to Nick Jr. UK, the series airs in major countries worldwide.

Tags: Driftwood Bay, Nick Jr. UK, Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products, Sixteen South

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"Lily's Driftwood Bay" - The Making Of SixteenSouth's Brand-New Preschool Series For Nick Jr. UK

To celebrate and promote Nickelodeon UK's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, starting to premiere and show the brand-new mixed media animated preschool series "Lily's Driftwood Bay" from Monday 5th May 2014, the official website of the television industry magazine Broadcast has unveiled a special 'Behind the Scenes' guest article by Colin Williams, the founder of the Belfast-based independent children's television production company Sixteen South Television, who are producing "Driftwood Bay" from Nick Jr. UK, and Julie Gardner, the Head of Production at SixteenSouth, who talk in-depth about the making of Nick Jr. UK's brand-new preschool series, from pitch to production, which you can read below.

Catch Nick Jr. UK's brand-new show, "Lily's Driftwood Bay", premieres daily at 5:45pm, 5:50pm and 6:05pm from Monday 5th May 2014, only on Nick Jr. UK and Ireland (repeated at 6:45pm, 6:50pm and 7:05pm on Nick Jr.+1)!:

Lily's Driftwood Bay, Nickelodeon

There was no room for compromise on a series crafted from objects found on the beach, says Colin Williams

When I first pitched the show that became Lily's Driftwood Bay, broadcasters asked what its touchpoint was. I struggled to find comparisons. It's a mixed-media show in which everything you see on screen – sets, props, characters, you name it – has been crafted from things found washed up on the beach.

But underneath the unique design, it's a show about what it means to live in a community of inter-generational relationships. Ultimately, it's telling stories about life.

Lily is a five-year-old who lives a simple, organic existence with her dad in a beach hut on the shore. He's a woodcarver who sells his creations at the market every Saturday to buy food.

Being a dad to a young daughter, I wanted to celebrate this special relationship, which is rarely seen on screen.

Across the way is Driftwood Bay, an amazing island community of friends of all ages. Every day when a new treasure is washed up by the sea, Lily and her best friend Gull go on an imaginary adventure to the island with it.

Every producer knows that with tariffs being squeezed, compromise is often the only way to get a show made.

But I believed this show was special and committed at the outset to stand my ground on story, design and music.

When I shopped an early trailer for the show three years ago, we received many co-production offers. One of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make was to turn down a handsome commission. It would've closed our finance gap and kicked off production, but I knew that the real cost would have been shared creative control with a foreign broadcaster.

We eventually funded the show by pre-selling it as an acquisition to 20 territories and bringing in The Jim Henson Company to handle further distribution. Northern Ireland Screen, a long-time supporter, came in with production funding, and although it took longer than I had hoped, we got the greenlight with no compromises.

I wanted to avoid the familiar stories of caring and sharing and instead tell stories about the world and life around Lily – her community, her environment and her relationships.

She's not a prim princess who is never in the wrong. She often messes up and causes confusion and upset to others around her, just like the rest of us. It's real life, and I wanted us to tell stories of real life – like jealously, selfishness, love, birth and death.

Five-year journey

The journey started five years ago when artist Joanne Carmichael got in touch with me. She was selling simple pictures in her local art gallery on the Isle of Arran, which she had made from bits of pottery and seaglass found washed up on the local beach. I immediately fell in love with the idea and began to think about creating a complex world made from things washed up by the sea.

At the outset, I set some design rules. We could adjust the colour and size of the objects, but not digitally manipulate them by twisting, bending or warping. When you look closely at each object, you can see the individual items that make it up.

The sound was created at the very start, alongside the organic look. The show had to sound like it looks and look like it sounds. I took influence from modern acoustic folk artists like Mumford and Sons and Laura Marling.

Every note is played by session players on guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, accordion, Hammond, harmonium, xylophone, marimba, pots and pans and more. It is 100% real.

I wanted the setting to be a real community of different accents and drew up a wishlist of actors who played comedy characters I adored: Ardal O'Hanlon, Stephen Fry, Annette Crosbie, Peter Mullan, Jane Horrocks, Tameka Empson and Richard Dormer.

I never expected to get any of them – but they all fell in love with the show and said yes.

Creating Lily's Driftwood Bay has been the loveliest, most fulfilling, amazing – and exhausting – creative journey I have ever been on. It is a beautiful work of art and testament to a brilliant creative team of 100, every one of whom raised the bar to the highest level in story, character, casting, direction, design and score.

LILY'S DRIFTWOOD BAY: BREAKING NEW GROUND

Julie Gardner Head of production

We knew from the start we were breaking new ground. Colin wanted to create a show that looked like stop-motion using stones and ceramic fragments, which inherently would refuse to behave in a straightforward stop-motion way.

A pebble or a piece of driftwood might give the shape necessary for a character from one angle, but looked at from another, it might jar.

We couldn't achieve the look with stop-motion, so we had to photograph the beach finds from a range of angles, see what positions they would look right in, and work with those limitations.

How do you set up and manage a workflow that hasn't been done before? We looked to world-leading talents to advise us on animation techniques, software and production scheduling.

With that grounding, we were able to set up our in-house animation studio in Belfast and build a work able pipeline, which we shaped and refined as production progressed.

Last March, I battled through a blizzard to bring all 50,000 pieces of Joanne Carmichael's beach fragments from Scotland to Belfast in a transit van. In the studio workshop, all of the pieces were painstakingly sorted and individually photographed. Each one of these 50,000 pictures then had to be clipped in Photoshop, creating a huge library of digital materials.

The artwork was then digitally composited and rigged for our 12 animators to produce a style that is true to the handmade feel of cel animation.

Twelve months later, we've seen 26 episodes through to delivery and will deliver 26 more in July. We've deviated considerably from the original blueprint but have shaped a show, and a way of working, that is unique.

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Nick Jr. UK Unveils Official "Lily's Driftwood Bay" Show Website

To celebrate and promote Nickelodeon UK's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, starting to show the brand-new mixed media animated preschool series "Lily's Driftwood Bay" in May 2014, NickJr.co.uk has unveiled the channels official "Lily's Driftwood Bay" show website, which you can visit here at www.nickjr.co.uk/shows/lilys-driftwood-bay!

Nick Junior UK's official "Lily's Driftwood Bay" webpage features information about the series and each of the characters in the show - Lily, Dad, Gull, Salty Dog, Nonna Dog, Hatsie Hen, Wee Rabbit, Bull, Lord Stag and Puffin - plus online streaming videos featuring clips from episodes of "Lily's Driftwood Bay" - Old Bertha, Starfish In The Sky and Honking Haddock - a 'Create' area featuring fantastic crafts and activities, including colouring in sheets and downloadables, and a exclusive game, Lily's Hide and Seek!

Catch Nick Jr. UK's brand-new show, "Lily's Driftwood Bay", premieres daily at 5:45pm, 5:50pm and 6:05pm from Monday 5th May 2014, only on Nick Jr. UK and Ireland (repeated at 6:45pm, 6:50pm and 7:05pm on Nick Jr.+1)!

"Lily's Driftwood Bay" (52 x 7 minute episodes) is a all-new mixed media animated preschool series commissioned by Nick Jr. UK which is about a little girl who creates an imaginary world from treasures she finds washed up on the beach. The series features a top-notch voice cast which includes Stephen Fry ("QI" ("Quite Interesting"), "The Hobbit", "Blackadder", "Gadget Man"), Peter Mullan ("Harry Potter", "Top of the Lake"), Tameka Empson ("EastEnders", "3 Non-Blondes"), Jane Horrocks ("Sunshine on Leith", "Absolutely Fabulous"), Ardal O'Hanlon ("Father Ted", "London Irish", "My Hero"), Annette Crosbie ("One Foot in the Grave", "Hope Springs") and Richard Dormer ("Game of Thrones", "Good Vibrations", "Fortitude")!

"Lily's Driftwood Bay" follows Lily (Orlagh O'Keefe from Belfast), a five year old who lives in a beach hut on the shore with her Dad (Dormer). Everyday, the sea washes up a curious new treasure, which sparks Lily's imagination about what might be happening 'across the way on Driftwood Bay'. And so, with her best friend Gull - the clever seagull (Paul Currie), an adventure begins as they head off to Driftwood Bay – and its cast of colourful inhabitants.

There's Salty Dog (Mullan), the jolly seafaring sailor with a story for every occasion; Nonna Dog (Crosbie), a sage granny who runs Cockle Café and who's always ready with some advice and a biscuit; Hatsie Hen (Empson), a train-driving hen with a need for speed and a love of excitement; Bull (O'Hanlon), a boisterous bull who always charges head first into things (sometimes literally); Wee Rabbit (Horrocks), a gentle young bunny with a love of art, fairy tales and rainbows; and Lord Stag (Fry) an aristocratic deer with a taste for the finer things in life.

A unique series about making fun and adventure from things that you find, "Driftwood Bay" was created by Sixteen South, based on an original idea from artist Joanne Carmichael, and featuring characters and environments completely created from objects found washed up on the beach.

"Driftwood Bay" received funding from the Northern Ireland Screen Fund supported by Invest NI and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Nick Jr. UK To Premiere "Lily's Driftwood Bay" On Monday 5th May 2014

UPDATE (30/4/2014) - Updated air times for "Lily's Driftwood Bay". Plus, don't forget to visit Nick Jr. UK's official "Lily's Driftwood Bay" website, which is packed full of show information, character bios, exclusive online streaming video clips, games and activities!

The online British and Irish TV guide website Digiguide is reporting the very exciting Nick Jr. UK news that Nickelodeon UK's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, will start to show the brand-new mixed media animated preschool series "Lily's Driftwood Bay" weekdays at 5:45pm, 5:50pm and 6:05pm (repeated from 6:45pm on Nick Junior UK's plus-one (+1) timeshift channel, Nick Jr.+1)!

"Lily's Driftwood Bay" (52 x 7 minute episodes) is a all-new mixed media animated preschool series commissioned by Nick Jr. UK which is about a little girl who creates an imaginary world from treasures she finds washed up on the beach. The series features a top-notch voice cast which includes Stephen Fry ("QI" ("Quite Interesting"), "The Hobbit", "Blackadder", "Gadget Man"), Peter Mullan ("Harry Potter", "Top of the Lake"), Tameka Empson ("EastEnders", "3 Non-Blondes"), Jane Horrocks ("Sunshine on Leith", "Absolutely Fabulous"), Ardal O'Hanlon ("Father Ted", "London Irish", "My Hero"), Annette Crosbie ("One Foot in the Grave", "Hope Springs") and Richard Dormer ("Game of Thrones", "Good Vibrations", "Fortitude")!

"Lily's Driftwood Bay" follows Lily (Orlagh O'Keefe from Belfast), a five year old who lives in a beach hut on the shore with her Dad (Dormer). Everyday, the sea washes up a curious new treasure, which sparks Lily's imagination about what might be happening 'across the way on Driftwood Bay'. And so, with her best friend Gull - the clever seagull (Paul Currie), an adventure begins as they head off to Driftwood Bay – and its cast of colourful inhabitants.

There's Salty Dog (Mullan), the jolly seafaring sailor with a story for every occasion; Nonna Dog (Crosbie), a sage granny who runs Cockle Café and who's always ready with some advice and a biscuit; Hatsie Hen (Empson), a train-driving hen with a need for speed and a love of excitement; Bull (O'Hanlon), a boisterous bull who always charges head first into things (sometimes literally); Wee Rabbit (Horrocks), a gentle young bunny with a love of art, fairy tales and rainbows; and Lord Stag (Fry) an aristocratic deer with a taste for the finer things in life.

A unique series about making fun and adventure from things that you find, "Driftwood Bay" was created by Sixteen South, based on an original idea from artist Joanne Carmichael, and featuring characters and environments completely created from objects found washed up on the beach.

"Driftwood Bay" received funding from the Northern Ireland Screen Fund supported by Invest NI and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Below is a online streaming video clip featuring Nick Jr. UK's first brand-new "Lily's Driftwood Bay" promo/trailer, from the official "Lily's Driftwood Bay" Facebook profile page, facebook.com/lilysdriftwoodbay:


Huge thanks to NickUKHub!

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SixteenSouth Announces Stellar Voice Cast For Nick Jr. UK's Brand-New Preschool Series, "Driftwood Bay"

The Belfast-based independent children's television production company SixteenSouth Television has today, Monday 3rd February 2014, announced in the following press release, from the prodcos official Facebook profile page, Facebook.com/SixteenSouth, the stellar line-up of voice talent who will be joining forces and lending their voices to breathe life into the adorable characters of "Driftwood Bay", a brand-new mixed media animated preschool series commissioned by Nick Jr. UK, which includes Stephen Fry ("QI" ("Quite Interesting"), "The Hobbit", "Blackadder"), Peter Mullan ("Harry Potter", "Top of the Lake"), Tameka Empson ("EastEnders", "3 Non-Blondes"), Jane Horrocks ("Sunshine on Leith", "Absolutely Fabulous"), Ardal O'Hanlon ("Father Ted", "London Irish", "My Hero"), Annette Crosbie ("One Foot in the Grave", "Hope Springs") and Richard Dormer ("Game of Thrones", "Good Vibrations", "Fortitude")!

Set to premiere on Nickelodeon UK's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, in May 2014, "Driftwood Bay" (52 x 7 minute episodes) is a all-new preschool animation series about a little girl who creates an imaginary world from treasures she finds washed up on the beach. "Driftwood Bay" received funding from the Northern Ireland Screen Fund supported by Invest NI and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Lily (Orlagh O'Keefe from Belfast) is a five year old who lives in a beach hut on the shore with her Dad (Dormer). Everyday, the sea washes up a curious new treasure, which sparks Lily's imagination about what might be happening 'across the way on Driftwood Bay'. And so, with her best friend Gull - the clever seagull (Paul Currie), an adventure begins as they head off to Driftwood Bay – and its cast of colourful inhabitants.

There's Salty Dog (Mullan), the jolly seafaring sailor with a story for every occasion; Nonna Dog (Crosbie), a sage granny who runs Cockle Café and who's always ready with some advice and a biscuit; Hatsie Hen (Empson), a train-driving hen with a need for speed and a love of excitement; Bull (O'Hanlon), a boisterous bull who always charges head first into things (sometimes literally); Wee Rabbit (Horrocks), a gentle young bunny with a love of art, fairy tales and rainbows; and Lord Stag (Fry) an aristocratic deer with a taste for the finer things in life.

A unique series about making fun and adventure from things that you find, "Driftwood Bay" was created by Sixteen South, based on an original idea from artist Joanne Carmichael, and featuring characters and environments completely created from objects found washed up on the beach.

The series is set to air in May on Nick Jr. UK and will also air on RTE in Ireland, Sprout in US, ABC Australia, Kika in Germany, MTV in Finland, NRK in Norway, SVT in Sweden, and HOP! in Israel later this year. Broadcasters in Australia and the US will be keeping the original voices to the series.

Original Sixteen South Television Press Release:

Stephen Fry, Peter Mullan, Tameka Empson, Jane Horrocks, Ardal O’Hanlan, Annette Crosbie and Richard Dormer lend voices to new Nick Jr. series.

A top-notch cast including Stephen Fry (QI, The Hobbit), Peter Mullan (Harry Potter, Top of the Lake),Tameka Empson (EastEnders, 3 Non-Blondes), Jane Horrocks (Sunshine on Leith, Absolutely Fabulous), Ardal O’Hanlon (Father Ted, London Irish), Annette Crosbie (One Foot in the Grave, Hope Springs) and Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones, Good Vibrations, Fortitude) is joining forces to breathe life into the adorable characters of brand new pre-school series Driftwood Bay, it was announced today.

Set for transmission on Nick Jr. in May, Driftwood Bay (52 x 7 mins) is a pre-school animation series about a little girl who creates an imaginary world from treasures she finds washed up on the beach. Driftwood Bay received funding from the Northern Ireland Screen Fund supported by Invest NI and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Lily (Orlagh O’Keefe from Belfast) is a five year old who lives in a beach hut on the shore with her Dad (Dormer). Every day, the sea washes up a curious new treasure, which sparks Lily’s imagination about what might be happening ‘across the way on Driftwood Bay’. And so, with her best friend Gull - the clever seagull (Paul Currie), an adventure begins as they head off to Driftwood Bay – and its cast of colourful inhabitants.

There’s Salty Dog (Mullan), the jolly seafaring sailor with a story for every occasion; Nonna Dog (Crosbie), a sage granny who runs Cockle Café and who’s always ready with some advice and a biscuit; Hatsie Hen (Empson), a train-driving hen with a need for speed and a love of excitement; Bull (O’Hanlon), a boisterous bull who always charges head first into things (sometimes literally); Wee Rabbit (Horrocks), a gentle young bunny with a love of art, fairy tales and rainbows; and Lord Stag (Fry) an aristocratic deer with a taste for the finer things in life.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine attracting a cast of this magnitude to Driftwood Bay," says producer Colin Williams from Sixteen South. "These incredibly talented people have taken our characters off the page and made them come alive in the most wonderful, creative way."

Adds Tim Patterson, VP Director of Programming, Nickelodeon UK and Ireland: "Driftwood Bay is completely different in look and feel to any other pre-school properties around at the moment. With its distinctive visual appeal and wonderful, warm characters we think it will quickly become a firm favourite with our young viewers and their parents."

Actor Peter Mullan says: "Any actor would give his right arm to be doing a series like Driftwood Bay. It's sweet, innovative, funny and gentle with a good heart and a great sense of collective responsibility. I've never done any voice work on animation so I thought this was a nice chance to do something that my children can actually see me in for a change!"

A unique series about making fun and adventure from things that you find, Driftwood Bay was created by Sixteen South, based on an original idea from artist Joanne Carmichael, and featuring characters and environments completely created from objects found washed up on the beach.

The series is set to air in May on Nick Jr. and will also air on RTE in Ireland, Sprout in US, ABC Australia, Kika in Germany, MTV in Finland, NRK in Norway, SVT in Sweden, and HOP! in Israel later this year. Broadcasters in Australia and the US are keeping the original voices to the series.

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An In-Depth Look At The Animation Industry In Belfast, Northern Ireland

In a brand new article, the official website of the television industry magazine Broadcast takes a in-depth look at how the arrival of the UK animation tax credit, investment from government-backed agency Northern Ireland Screen and a new emphasis on vocational education have created a buzz in Belfast, Northern Ireland's animation community. The article also talks about the Belfast-based independent children's television production company Sixteen South Television, who are currently producing "Driftwood Bay", a brand new mixed media animated preschool series that Nickelodeon UK's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, commissioned in 2012, and is due to premiere on Nick Jr. UK in Spring 2014, as part of 2014 on Nickelodeon UK, and features a small interview with Colin Williams, the Creative Director at Sixteen South:

Northern Ireland: Animation

Tax breaks and investment have created a buzz in Belfast’s animation community

There was a time when the animation community in Belfast would have looked enviously over the border at the thriving scene in Dublin.

But thanks to the arrival of the UK animation tax credit, investment from government-backed agency Northern Ireland Screen and a new emphasis on vocational education in the region, Belfast is fast creating an enviable sector of its own – one it will be showcasing as it plays host to the annual Cartoon Finance Forum next week.

“This is a really opportune moment for animation in Northern Ireland,” says Tim Bryans, head of production at Waddell Media’s animation arm, Flickerpix, which was set up in 2003 by Joel Simon. “It’s time for us to put our collective heads together and pitch Northern Ireland as a place where there is a lot happening in animation. There are some successful companies and nice projects for the international market.”

As well as producing a semi-animated Harry Hill A-Ha pastiche for this year’s Children In Need, Flickerpix is currently in production on Five Fables, a five-part animation series based on a collection of 14th-century medieval Scots poems, translated by the late Seamus Heaney.

Each episode is narrated by Billy Connolly and will also feature live action sequences including some of the last footage shot with Heaney. Commissioned by BBC Northern Ireland, the project has been funded by NI Screen’s Ulster Scots Broadcast Fund.

Five Fables was one of the first projects to benefit from the newly created UK animation tax credit in April this year, which has been instrumental in creating the current buzz surrounding the Northern Irish sector.

Cash injections

“Previously, people went to Ireland or Canada because they had the tax breaks,” says Bryans. “We’ve always had the talent here. Now we have the benefits to go with that to make us a really viable co-production partner.” “The animation tax credit has revolutionised the sector,” agrees Richard Williams, chief executive of Northern Ireland Screen, who views the sector as a key part of the funding body’s ongoing strategy.

“Eighteen months ago, we had to agree that animation created in Northern Ireland would be produced down south,” adds Williams. “Now, we can be confident that we can hold a decent chunk of activity here.”

Another crucial factor has been the introduction of a dedicated animation department at the University of Ulster, headed by Greg Maguire, who has returned to Belfast following a successful career as an animator in Hollywood.

This was one of the factors in Dublin-based animation company Jam Media adding a second office in Belfast in June this year. Currently, it’s producing Bafta-winning children’s animation Roy for CBeebies, buoyed by investment from NI Screen.

“We had looked at Scotland and other locations, but through research and talking to Greg, we found that the talent pool here was really great,” says Jam Media’s David McGrath, who has moved back from New York to head the Belfast operation. “We have the beginnings of a beautiful system in the animation sector, a group of leaders coming through and driving the sector,” adds Williams. “We can also see exactly where the animation roles are being developed.”

Another indie spreading its wings is Dog Ears, which has placed 50% of its show Puffin Rock’s production at Cartoon Saloon in Kilkenny and half in Derry in a bid to secure tax breaks on both sides of the border.

The missing piece of the jigsaw, however, is the lack of a local broadcaster, such as RTÉ in Ireland, to secure a home territory pre-sale. Moreover, most in the sector agree that the BBC could be doing more to encourage production in the region.

And the small size of the domestic market means that Irish animation studios have to look abroad. The Cartoon Finance Forum is a welcome contribution to that exposure. “We have to be globally focused,” says Corrina Askin, Derry-based creator of Castle Farm, which airs on Channel 5’s Milkshake!. “The forum is a hands-on introduction to the international players –producers, distributors, legal and financial support.”

Maeve McAdam of Dancing Girl Productions, adds: “If you can’t cover your budget in your home territory, you have to be astute and work on your international networks. We spend a lot of money going to markets each year, which can sometimes be hard to justify, but if you’re not there, you are not seen to be in the business.”

Dancing Girl is currently raising finance for a second series of preschool animated series Joe And Jack, which aired in the UK on TinyPop. Now working on a German dub, the series has proved even more successful internationally. "It has been incredibly successful in Australia, for example, where we are told it is regularly beating Peppa Pig," says McAdams.

Over in Derry, 360’s John Farren notes that 70% of subs to YouTube channel Head Squeeze, plus viral series on Yahoo Finance, How Money Works, are from outside of the UK. He adds: "Things You Need To Know was sold and elements reanimated in French and German markets. Anything like the forum that raises awareness of our skills base and outward ambitions is very useful."

One of the biggest success stories from the Belfast animation sector is Sixteen South, run by Colin Williams, who moved out of commercials into children’s TV production in 2008. After beating 15 other producers to the pitch for a local version of Sesame Street produced with Sesame Workshop, Sixteen South’s subsequent projects included the double Emmy nominee Pajanimals, which has been seen in more than 300 million homes.

Economic boost

The company's first animated project, Driftwood Bay, is now in production, with Williams securing pre sales in 11 territories including the US (Spout) UK (Nickelodeon Jr), and Australia (ABC).

Using a new stop-frame animation technique, the show has the potential to be huge, especially with the Jim Henson company on board as worldwide distributor. Williams is hoping to sell to more than 100 countries.

Crucially, the production has created 75 jobs, providing the NI government with further proof that a strong animation industry is a viable way for the country to grow economically. "Driftwood Bay has taken us onto a different level. It’s our own show, our own intellectual property and we have financed it ourselves. We turned down co-productions and commissions because we were so in love with the concept, we knew we couldn't afford to have it watered down," says Williams.

His mantra of “do some good, have some fun, make some money,” seems to be working on all fronts: he’s one of Ernst And Young’s Entrepreneurs of the year and his company is on Deloitte’s Fast 50 Rising Stars list in both Ireland and the UK.

He uses his expertise to help build the sector further, forging links with the University Of Ulster and organising 2011’s “children’s television day”, which culminated in an open pitching session to commissioners. “People said we were crazy bringing our customers to town and then introducing them to the competition. But we want to create an open community where people can share ideas.”

Meanwhile, having won the Best Animation Award at the Irish Film And Television Awards for short animation Macropolis, Flickerpix is stepping up its ambitions, having been selected as one of 16 UK companies to receive a BFI Vision Award of £50,000 for developing feature animations.

The challenge now, says McGrath, is attracting the next generation of animators in the region. “I don’t think kids here are aware that it’s a career. We need to make it more visible – because this is an industry that is here to stay.”

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The Irish Times Interviews Colin Williams, Founder Of Sixteen South; Nick Jr. UK To Debut New Mixed Media Series "Driftwood Bay" In Spring 2014

The Irish Times, a Irish daily broadsheet newspaper, has unveiled a exclusive interview they recently held with Colin Williams, the founder of the Belfast-based independent children's television production company Sixteen South Television, who are currently producing "Driftwood Bay", a brand new mixed media animated preschool series that Nickelodeon UK's preschool channel, Nick Jr. UK and Ireland, commissioned in 2012, and is due to premiere on Nick Jr. UK in Spring 2014, as part of 2014 on Nickelodeon UK, which you can read below:

Colin Williams

Children’s television production company Sixteen South was established in 2008

Colin Williams founded children’s television production company Sixteen South in 2008. He worked in advertising before setting up his first business, post production company Inferno, which produced animation, film and interactive content for museums and television commercials.

He set up Sixteen South as a side project to Inferno after seeing an ad to pitch to Sesame Workshop in New York to produce a local version of its iconic show Sesame Street. After success with what became Sesame Tree, his team developed Big City Park, which was shot on location in Belfast's Ormeau Park and aired on the BBC children's channel CBeebies.

Belfast-based Sixteen South has since produced more than 200 episodes of children’s television for broadcasters across the globe, including the BBC, Nickelodeon, US cable giant Sprout and ABC Australia. It was ranked among the UK’s top indie producers by Televisual and also won the Deloitte Fast 50 Rising Star award in both 2011 and 2012. The shows, which include Sesame Tree, Big City Park, Big and Small, Pajanimals and Driftwood Bay, have received an IFTA award, a BAFTA and two Emmy nominations.

How did you secure your first investment?
I asked the bank to remortgage my house to raise some money to buy some equipment and pay the bills.

What vision prompted you to start-up your business?
I had been running a successful commercial production and post production company and while it was doing well, I was unhappy that the work we were producing was all about selling stuff to people who didn’t want to buy it. I wanted to create content that would make a difference and be seen, enjoyed and remembered in years to come. Children’s television was exactly that.

What moment or deal would you identify as the “game changer” or turning point for the company?
I think that the game keeps changing and there are lots of game changing moments, which constantly move us to bigger opportunities and bigger challenges. Pajanimals, our fourth show in partnership with The Jim Henson Company and the broadcaster Sprout, brought us into the global market and our work into over 300 million homes. And Driftwood Bay, our new show, has had an incredible response from the market, gaining us independent credibility.

What were the best and worst pieces of advice you received when starting out?
The best advice was something I scribbled down: “Do some good, make some money, have some fun”.
Three pieces of worst advice: being told by my Biology A-level teacher that I was a waste of space and wouldn’t do anything with my life; being told by a tutor at art college that animated media was too hard and wouldn’t catch on; and being told by a local broadcaster not to think about getting into children’s television because it was impossible.

Do you plan to extend your services to a new customer demographic or penetrate a new sector in the next 12 months?
Yes. We have produced five shows – all of which are created for preschoolers (2-6 year olds). We are currently negotiating a deal for a live action drama for 7-11 year olds with a global broadcaster.

What are the biggest challenges you face now?
Our biggest challenge is to get a large-scale children's drama off the ground while juggling all the other shows.

Topics: Business, Sectors, Media & Marketing, Colin Williams, Inferno, Jim Henson Company, Sixteen South

Nick Jr. UK's upcoming brand new mixed-media animated show for 3-6 year olds, "Driftwood Bay", is about a very special island that exists in the imagination of a little girl named Lily who creates a world of adventure and friendship from different treasures she finds washed up on the beach. Lily is 5 years old and lives on the Island of Arranish with her Dad. They live in a little hut on the beach packed full of jars, knick-knacks, driftwood and some very special friends... all made by Lily from salvage washed up by the sea. Across the way is Driftwood Bay – another island that Lily can see from her window, and it is here that the characters that she has created in her imagination come to life. Every day the sea washes up a new treasure which sparks Lily’s imagination about what might be happening on Driftwood Bay. And so, accompanied by her best friend Gull, the clever seagull, an adventure begins as they head off 'across the way to Driftwood Bay'.

"Driftwood Bay" is a unique series about making your own fun and adventures from the things that you find. It's about using your imagination and creativity to inspire an adventure or tell a story. It's based on real artwork made entirely from things washed up on the beach - from the animal characters to the backdrops and landscapes, everything has been created from beach salvage. It came to life when children's artist, Joanne Carmichael began to create characters from various things that she found washed up on the beach outside her cottage on the Scottish Island of Arran. Production of Season One (52 episodes x 7 minutes) commenced in Autumn (Fall) 2012 and will available for broadcast from Spring 2014. Show bible, scripts and a animated trailer is available on request from sixteensouth.tv.