WIREDGOV

A Welsh animation company’s children’s series encouraging young audiences to take an interest in nature and the world around them has been picked-up to air by some of the UK’s leading broadcasters, including S4C and ITV.

With support from the Welsh Government’s Creative Wales agency, Bumpybox’s new TV show under the working title of 'Mini Buds' / 'Egin Bach', will be available in Welsh on S4C and English on ITV. The series also has the potential to be distributed globally.

The 26 five-minute episodes of 'Mini Buds' / 'Egin Bach' explores the big adventures of six tiny, budding explorers navigating the vast wilderness of a small back garden. Each story focuses on different aspects of the garden environment such as flowers and seeds, the insects and the creatures that live there and the elements like the rain or sunshine.

The creation of 'Mini Buds' / 'Egin Bach' expanded Bumpybox’s team from 4 to 12, securing jobs for 12 months. The series’ success will improve the company’s sustainability and further strengthen its track record as a renowned production company.

With a strong reputation in children’s animation, Bumpybox has previously created over 75 episodes of 'My Petsaurus' for BBC's dedicated children's channel Cbeebies.

The team are also awaiting the theatrical release of Michael Morpurgo’s 'Kensuke’s Kingdom', featuring Cillian Murphy and Sally Hawkins. Bumpybox joined the production team as an animation partner, providing their expertise in CGI, colouring and compositing.

Sam Wright, producer and director at Cardiff-based Bumpybox, said:

We've been working on developing 'Mini Buds' / 'Egin Bach' for a long time, it actually started out as an idea we had while still studying at University of South Wales over 13 years ago. It's amazing that with the help of Creative Wales, we'll be able to finally bring this to audiences.

The production means a lot to our company as it will allow us to expand our staff, offer training for new animators, work with new broadcast partners and sell overseas greatly increasing the outlook of our business. We’re very grateful to all the assistance we’ve received in getting to this stage.

Minister for Creative Industries, Sarah Murphy, said:

The animation industry is a key priority for Creative Wales and I’m delighted that we have been able to support this exciting new development from the team at Bumpybox.

It’s fantastic news that this funding has allowed a home-grown company to build its workforce for such larger-scale projects. This growth will also provide excellent opportunities for new graduates to stay in Wales and find work closer to home in this exciting sector.