Showcomotion takes place each July. The two day conference covers all aspects of funding, producing and distributing children’s content, form the creative, business, and policy perspectives. This year 385 delegates descended on Sheffield and the opening address was given by Ed Vaizey, MP for Wantage & Didcot, and Conservative spokesman on Culture and Broadcasting. Showcomotion organisers said they found it interesting that while the Conservative party responded to the invitation within 24 hours, the DCMS, and Andy Burnham, the current Culture Minister has still not responded to a similar request!
While unable to commit the Conservatives to any particular policy or any one of the proposed Ofcom models he was extremely supportive of the industry and SKTV’s position on UK kids’ right to hear their own voices and experience their own culture and clearly understood the issues. He suggested that although he was unable to support the concept of a tax credit at present he thought it worthwhile to explore the concept of tax credits within the creative industries in general – putting together similar requests from the Games and Music industries, with the PACT children’s Television proposal.
His speech can be read on the Showcomotion website. He was also brave enough to join a large number of delegates in the bar after his talk and at dinner in an extremely noisy Pizza Express!
