Are you an African creator passionate about animation and making kids happy? Cartoon Network Africa Creative Lab initiative is just the thing for you. Enter the Cartoon Network Creative Lab competition now for the chance to work with Cartoon Network producing a short form animated comedy.

About the Cartoon Network Creative Lab

Storytelling is at the core of the African psyche and Cartoon Network seeks to tap into that, particularly in the humour department. Cartoon Network Africa has launched Cartoon Network Africa Creative Lab as an African venture designed to bring innovative, local short form content to the channel, and its digital platforms while reinforcing the local relevance of the brand.

In a ground-breaking move, the leading kids’ entertainment network, Cartoon Network is boldly addressing the gap in locally relevant content which offers a viewing experience that resonates with African audiences.

The Creative Lab initiative will encourage African talents, from creators, writers, graphic artists, animation students to, in fact, anyone who loves kids’ content, to explore their creative, animation and production talents and have the chance to produce a short-form animated comedy to make Cartoon Network viewers across Africa laugh out loud!

Cartoon Network Africa’s Creative Lab is basically the adult-centred version of Cartoon Network’s Imagination Studios initiative. For Imagination Studios, children from all over Africa submitted their character drawings for the chance to see their characters made into a short episode.

The initiative targets kids between 6-12-year-olds (core target being boys 7-10). Creative Lab is open to African residents above 18 or any Africa-based company.

Inspiration for the Cartoon Network Creative Lab

According to Ariane Suveg, Head of Programming and Acquisition Turner Kids Africa, the initiative was inspired by the DISCOP 2016 Animation Pitching Programme which Turner sponsored. The programme produced some incredible African animation that Turner couldn’t resist. She says, “we were exposed to some really inspiring local animation projects. We were so impressed by Cape Town-based Punch Monkey Studio’s amazing creative energy in the winning entry, Cloud Life, that the project has been travelling through the Turner group and is now in a development process with the Turner Asia Pacific production team!”

How to Apply for the Cartoon Network Creative Lab

African residents, aged 18 and over, or any African-based company, can submit their one-minute to three-minute creative short project which must fall in the comedy genre and fit with Cartoon Network’s values of random, irreverent, smart and contemporary humour.

Ten projects will be short-listed in September, and the local creators will get the opportunity to pitch their work to Cartoon Network Africa’s content programming team. The winner and two runners-up will then be revealed at DISCOP Johannesburg, at the end of the year, between 14th – 16th November. They will have the chance to turn their projects into a pilot which will premiere on Cartoon Network Africa and its digital platforms in 2019.

Prospective content producers can apply over at cartoonnetworkhq.com/creativelab from now up until 31st August. Editorial guidelines can be found at www.CartoonNetworkAfrica.com/CreativeLab.

Deadline for application is 31st August 2018.

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