Animation World Network Website – Sunday 22nd October, 2003

Cartoon Network & Arts & Crafts Kids team to get kids into art.

Cartoon Network and The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation announced the launch of “cARToon netWORK ARTWORK”, a partnership designed to get children involved with the arts, and discover connections between all art forms. Workshops will be designed and led by artists from different fields including Richard E. Grant, Siobhan Davis, Quentin Blake and Benjamin Zephaniah. Cartoon Network and Arts & Kids will work on a number of high-profile projects, beginning with a showcase event on October 24, 2003 and culminating in an exhibition of the children’s artwork in the spring half-term holidays at a to-be-named London gallery.

Richard Kilgarriff, vp and head of channels Cartoon Network commented: I’m very excited about this collaboration. Kids’ natural affinity with cartoons will engage them in this project, introducing them to new ways of thinking and the world around them.

The series of workshops will break cartoons down to their component parts — movement, music, acting and writing. The first workshop for “cARToon netWORK ARTWORK” will involve 6-year-old children from Lewisham school drawing movement under the guidance of Quentin Blake and the Royal Academy of Arts, with the movement provided by Siobhan Davies and her dancers.

Colin Tweedy, ceo of Arts & Business said: “The arts are not an optional extra for young people. Arts & Kids works in partnership with businesses, artists and arts organizations to let new generations experience the dynamic and creative world of the arts at a very formative stage of their lives. We are delighted to be working alongside Cartoon Network on this exciting project to help realize the vision of HRH The Prince of Wales. Thanks to the committed support of Cartoon Network children will be able to work alongside world-class artists and explore their creative talents, have fun and maybe develop a passion for the arts. Arts & Kids will make the arts available to as many young people as possible, help businesses become more successful and bring better resources to the arts.”

The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation is a new initiative of Arts & Business, the U. K. organization that encourages effective partnerships between business and the arts. Arts & Kids was set up in response to HRH The Prince of Wales’s vision that every child and young person in the U.K. should have the opportunity to engage directly with the arts.

Cartoon Network U.K. is Turner Broadcastings 24-hour channel dedicated to animation. It has been the most popular commercial channel for kids 4-9 in the U.K. since its launch in 1993. For more information, visit http://www.cartoonnetwork.co.uk.