The Joyful Genius Of Bluey
Joe Brumm In Conversation With Beejay Silcox
To Bluey’s millions of fans – parents, children and everyone in between – its expert balance of fun, tenderness and wisdom captures the joys and heartaches of family life. In this special craft-focused conversation, creator Joe Brumm tells us how he manages this storytelling triumph. How is it possible to tell such layered and multigenerational tales in less than ten minutes? What has writing Bluey taught him about the child in all of us? And how does it feel to have created one of Australia’s most successful – and loved – cultural exports?
Join two of Australia’s favourite storytellers for a masterclass in child’s play.
(Note: while the subject of this discussion is a beloved children’s character, this is a conversation for grown-ups. Younger readers are welcome, but Bluey herself won’t be present. Families can watch Bluey episodes any time on ABC iview.)
Artist
JOE BRUMM is the creator, writer and series director of the animated series, Bluey, produced by Ludo Studio for ABC and BBC Studios. In 2011 Joe founded Studiojoho, which now has an expanding body of quality animation work behind it. Joe is Company Director and Joho’s clients include College Humor, Viacom, ABC’s Good Game, New Form Digital, GOMA, Ludo Studio/ Cartoon Network, Gallery of Victoria and Halfbrick. In partnership with HalfBrick, his original web-series, Dan The Man has been turned into a successful mobile game with over 10 million downloads. In 2015 Joe won the Austin Film Festival with his short The Meek. His numerous other short films have all been awarded internationally. Joe worked as a lead animator for 10 years in London on numerous children’s series, including the BAFTA-winning Charlie and Lola. He also worked in Kenya on Tinga-Tinga Tales for BBC/Disney.
Moderator
BEEJAY SILCOX is a literary critic and the Artistic Director of Canberra Writers Festival.