It’s Child’s Play at BMF 2026 with First-Ever Festival Crèche
-New parenting event to explore the realities of balancing careers, caring and family life in the creative industries
Belfast Media Festival (10th - 11th November) is hosting its first-ever on-site crèche alongside a new parenting-focused panel discussion, ‘Who's Minding the Kids? Caring, Careers and the Creative Industries’. The event will explore what it is really like to be a working parent in the TV and film industry, from the transition into parenthood to the ongoing support parents need. The crèche is being facilitated by Raising Films Ireland.
‘Who’s Minding the Kids?’ was the brainchild of three new parents on the Belfast Media Festival committee who work across different parts of the industry: Fiona McLoughlin, Development Producer at Flickerpix Animation Studio, Abigail Keyes, Unscripted Development Producer at Rare TV and Connor Richmond, Development Executive at Fíbín Films.
Their own experiences inspired the event, which aims to open up an honest conversation about the realities of raising a family while working in TV and film.
Abigail Keyes from Belfast Media Festival explains:
“There’s also a lot going on that industry parents are dealing with on their own, without having anywhere to talk about it. We wanted to create this event to give parents and carers the chance to come to BMF, and begin that conversation about what the industry is doing right to support parents, what needs to be better and how we can all come together as a community. The crèche is an integral part, as we wanted to open up the opportunity to those who potentially couldn’t attend because of childcare.”
She continues:
“The event will feel more like a family meeting, rather than a seated, formal experience with ‘experts’ on stage. We want to get the audience involved and be part of the dialogue, babies and children are of course welcome to join too. Among the issues up for discussion are the notoriously unpredictable hours, freelancer contracts in short supply, and rocketing childcare costs, as well as the challenge of balancing demanding work schedules with family life. We will also touch on other caring responsibilities - teenagers, ageing parents as well as covering legal tips and tricks.”
Elaine Walsh from Raising Films Ireland, who are facilitating the crèche said:
“On behalf of Raising Films Ireland I'm delighted to attend this parents and kids networking panel at Belfast Media Festival - what a brilliant idea!I am conscious too that there may be people who have been out of the industry for a while due to caring commitments - this event is still for you, you are very much part of the community. I am looking forward to chatting with all the parents in the industry at this inclusive event.”
Raissa Balduino from Melted Parents NI, who will be contributing to the discussion, said:
“NI parents face some of the highest childcare costs in the UK and for those working in TV and film it can be even tougher. With so much of the industry built on freelance and short-term contract work, many parents find they can’t access the support that’s meant to help, like Tax-Free Childcare and the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme. And it’s not just about cost. When work doesn’t follow a regular pattern, finding childcare that fits is a real challenge, because most childcare simply isn’t built for that kind of flexibility. Too many talented people, especially mothers, are being pushed out of careers they love because the system doesn’t work for them. Conversations like ‘Who’s Minding the Kids?’ are so important because they bring those experiences into the open. Putting a crèche at Belfast Media Festival shows what’s possible when organisers think about parents from the start, and we’d love to see that become the norm, not the exception”.
Belfast Media Festival will take place from 10th - 11th November in The MAC, Belfast, and is supported by BBC Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen and Channel 4 as well as other sponsors from the industry. Registrations are available via: belfastmediafestival.co.uk. The crèche is available on November 10th only and those interested must register interest via the website link: https://www.belfastmediafestival.co.uk/schedules/belfast-media-festival-childminding-service/ by Wednesday 4th November