Katie and Tex

450K views · national press coverage · 2 award wins

AWARD-WINNING ANIMATED CHILDREN'S SERIES

Tech She Can · 2022 - present

Creative Producer · Writer · Director
hosted. Tech She Can animated lessons
run. 19 episodes to date

Katie & Tex is an animated children's series created with charity, Tech She Can, to help children aged 5-11 understand the technology around them, encourage curiosity about STEM, and challenge gender stereotypes from an early age. The series can be used as a free educational resource by teachers and parents and has directly reached 500,000 children globally.

Since 2022, I've had the privilege of leading the series creatively and producing it from development through to delivery. What began as a small animation project has grown into an ongoing series of 19 episodes; with stories exploring the tech in our everyday lives like wifi and EVs, to more complex ideas children might otherwise find difficult to understand such as Generative AI and cyber security.

My role spans the entire creative process. I write scripts and develop the characters, direct the animation and voiceover, create visual approaches, brief and collaborate closely with animators, and manage the production alongside Tech She Can and its corporate sponsors.

Katie and Tex elearning series

Katie and Tex Explore AI and Recycling Ocean Plastic

05:07

Katie and Tex explore GPS

05:22

Katie and Tex explore Safe Online Gaming

05:04

Katie and Tex Explore Responsible AI

07:03

MAKING COMPLEX TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBLE

At the heart of Katie & Tex is a simple challenge: how do you explain something complicated to a 5 year old without making it boring?

Each episode takes a different area of technology and finds a way to make it tangible through humour and storytelling. Rather than simply explaining how something works, I build stories around children's natural curiosity, their lived experience, and give them characters they can connect with.

I've worked closely with Tech She Can and experts within various STEM fields to develop the educational content and then translate those ideas into stories that are engaging and accessible for a young audience.

FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN

I take each episode from idea to screen - developing the story using the topic provided by Tech She Can and the corporate sponsor, writing the script, directing the animation and voiceover recordings, and leading the production from start to finish.

HELPING CHILDREN FEEL SEEN

One of the most meaningful parts of developing the series has been the opportunity to create characters that reflect the children watching them.

Ava is a recurring character in Katie & Tex, based on a real young girl with cerebral palsy. She was created to look like the real Ava and to authentically reflect her personality, experiences and abilities. Involving Ava in the character development process was key to ensuring she felt happy and represented by her character, while also ensuring the design and movement accurately reflected Ava's condition. As Ava grows and her appearance and abilities change, I continue to update her character so that her representation evolves with her.

Ava also provides her own voice for the character, bringing an especially personal connection to the role - she's an absolute super star!

Her introduction in 'The Cloud' episode led to national press coverage from ITV News, ITV Granada, The Independent, the London Evening Standard, and Animation Magazine, and opened conversations around representation and disability in children’s media.