Children’s novelist and poet to deliver the opening keynote at July event.
Children’s novelist, poet and previous Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen is to share his thoughts on championing creativity and imagination when he delivers the opening keynote at this year’s Children’s Media Conference.
After decades working in the world of public service broadcasting, children’s theatre and educational publishing, Michael – who worked on We’re Going on a Bear Hunt with Helen Oxenbury – has now become a YouTube phenomenon, with over 220,000 subscribers and 40 million-plus views of his content.
He will open the conference on Tuesday July 3, championing creativity and imagination in the face of what he calls “data-driven education”.
Outlining his focus for the address, Michael said: “I’m riding the crest of the digital wave, I thought. Only to discover that what I was riding was a tiger: a tiger with an insatiable appetite and an audience only too eager to be eaten. We want tigers to roam free. Of course we do. But that doesn’t mean we’d give our children to one. So what do we do?”
Greg Childs, editorial director at CMC added: “Michael epitomises the ethos of The CMC. Not only is he dedicated to creativity for, and by, children, he both embraces and challenges the new digital era which encapsulates, envelops and forms young people.
“At CMC we’ll be asking ‘What’s Next?’ for Michael Rosen. We can be sure of an entertaining and thought provoking reply.”
The Children’s Media Conference takes place in Sheffield from July 3-5.
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