Innovative Panels and Networking at CMC 2025
Chitra Soundar represents Jumping Kite Productions at the Children’s Media Conference every year. And each year she has been contributing to the conference in small and big ways.
This year, at 2025 CMC, Chitra’s conference started a day early at the International Exchange where she was pitching a brand new show.
It was a whirlwind of a day with meetings from early morning till it was time to head out to the keynote at City Hall and the reception thereafter.
Chitra had originally planned to take it easy this CMC. But opportunities to be on a panel and to host another panel came up and she couldn’t say No. Both the opportunities were topics close to her heart and she had lots of things to say. She was also chairing an event for C3MUK – or Colourful Connections as the kids are calling it – where she joined hands with Nandita Jain to bring together PoC in Kids Media.
A Day of Exploration
So that left Wednesday to take in the sounds and sights of CMC 2025. She whizzed through sessions, meetings with friends and producers (and some are both), and found time for quiet lunches and espresso shots.
Working Day on Thursday
On Thursday, she was the host of the first panel of the day on Reading. Chitra was nervous – it was the morning after the notoriously bouncy CMC Party and will people turn up?
To her surprise and delight the auditorium was full and everyone were interested in the topics about children’s reading, which was heartening and made her very hopeful. As a children’s author and storyteller, one who visited many schools, Chitra is a passionate advocate for reading and this was the perfect panel for her to host. Watch the entire conversation here!
The Most Hilarious Masterclas
After lunch and some quick meet-ups, it was time to get her headspace in order for… wait for it… the last panel of the day – The Art of Character Creation and it was such a fun panel to be part of, with amazing creative spirits from across the animation space.
Chitra represented a “creator”, the person with the original idea who then joins hands with the designer, the head writer and voice artist to shape the project, that will then go to a broadcaster. You have to watch the panel to understand how fantastic it was. Watch it here!
It’s a Wrap
All in all, it was a fabulous CMC – the best one yet. Chitra pitched a new project to many UK-based and international producers. She had a lot of interest which then led her to signing an option on the project. She shared her skills on two panels and brought together PoC at CMC. It was busy, it was buzzing and it was brilliant! As always she wasn’t a tourist at CMC and that’s the way she likes it.
Next time you’re at CMC, make sure you’re meeting up with Chitra Soundar, who will surely bring the next Jumping Kite project to share!
