In 2020, Javoris “Jay” Hollingsworth, his wife Arlene and his daughter, Graceyn, launched the animated sing-along series Gracie’s Corner to bring more diverse representation to children’s educational content. Through the series, father-daughter duo, Javoris (executive producer) and Graceyn (voice actor/singer), teach children nursery rhymes, counting, letter recognition, phonics, Black history, coping skills and much more! We caught up with Javoris recently to find out more about the NAACP Image Award-nominated show and the creative forces behind it:
Animation Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about the beginnings of Gracie’s Corner and how it all came to be?
Javoris Hollingsworth: During the height of the pandemic, Gracie’s Corner was conceived. Like the majority of families, we were working and schooling from home due to lockdown orders. At the time, both of us (Javoris and Arlene) were university professors; Arlene was also seeing patients with her private practice as a psychologist. Even though we could not leave our home and were isolated, we remained extremely busy. As a result, we relied on the media to entertain our youngest two children, who were both under two years old at the time. One day while they were watching content on YouTube, we observed that there was a disparity in the number of shows that featured characters that looked like our children. That’s when we decided to do something about it and create our own YouTube series, starring diverse characters that children of color could identify with.
Did you immediately form the studio in Nigeria?
No, we initially started off working with one animator from Nigeria. As the property grew and became more financially stable, we were able to grow our animation team to several animators and artists which led to us acquiring studio equipment and space to increase the quality and output of our animated content.
When was it created and how long did it take to post the first video?
Gracie’s Corner was created in June 2020, about two months after the initial idea, followed by extensive research. The first video was release in June 2020.
When was the studio formed and how many people work on the series?
The animation studio in Nigeria opened at the very beginning of 2023. The animation team consist of a head animator, three additional animators and four artists.
What are some of the challenges of creating the animation in Nigeria?
The primary challenge is related to cultural/regional differences that may lead to discrepancies in the animated content (e.g., spelling of the word “colour” instead of “color,” which we easily adjust before the content is published).
What animation tools are used?
The team uses Adobe Photoshop for the illustrations and Adobe After Effects for the animation.
What has the response been to date?
Children and families, as well as adults without children, have responded positively to our content. We have received numerous messages thanking us and telling us what impact we have had on a large number of children around the world.
When people learned of our animation studio being in Nigeria, this garnered more support and positivity.
What does the future hold for Gracie’s Corner?
We are still in the early stages of property development. Our goal is to keep creating fun, representative, edutainment that is authentic. There are still many families who have never heard of Gracie’s Corner. Part of our plan for growth is to continue growing on YouTube and to also pursue distribution across other streaming platforms. We also anticipate live shows that will begin this year and merchandise in major retail stores, including Walmart.
We are looking forward to telling more in-depth stories about the characters in Gracie’s Corner through long-form content, which is also in the works.
What are you proudest of?
Our proudest moment was when we were recognized with one of the highest honors in our community, a NAACP Image Award nomination. It meant so much that our family-developed program was recognized amongst programs developed by billion dollar production/animation studios.
What is your take on the thriving animation scene in Africa today?
It is fantastic that different countries including Nigeria are gaining attention for their talent in the animation space. The animation studios are truly growing and as a result more jobs are being created and money is circulating in the continent. There is so much to gain from working together globally, from talent to important perspectives, that may be missed if we are closed-minded and against reaching across the globe to collaborating with great minds from other countries. Animation is important and developing everywhere. Because of this, we are seeing more richness in this art form. There are many new players to pay close attention to.
Families can visit Gracie’s Corner on YouTube and graciescorner.komi.io.
✨ NEW SONG✨
🎶 You Are My Sunshine | Gracie’s Corner⁰Listen here ➡️: https://t.co/pNPboPothk⁰.
.#GraciesCorner #nurseryrhymes #youtubekids pic.twitter.com/ztleVsjEQM— Gracie’s Corner TV (@Gracies_Corner) January 5, 2024
