The winners were announced at a ceremony that took place in November at the Roundhouse in Camden, London.
Svetlana Dragayeva, Director of Fountain Digital Labs and creator of Virry said: “The team are so honoured to win this BAFTA, we only launched earlier this year and we are a small team, so it’s fantastic that Virry is being recognised for its concept, creativity and content so early in our journey. We want to thank all our schools, children, animals and parents.”
Virry is the first app that offers children the opportunity to interact with exotic animals through their iPad. The game mechanics are built into raw film footage of real wild animals. This creates a whole new experience for children to encounter the animal world first hand – from lions and meerkats to giraffes and rhinos. For example, the child tilts the iPad to drop a hunk of meat for Limun the lion and then shouts into the iPad to attract her attention to it and watches as Limun apparently ‘responds’.
It’s a safe, educational and utterly compelling way to learn about the animals we love
The app was produced in partnership with Unit 9, Film Director Martin Percy, Prof Gail Melson and Fountain Digital Labs. In 2015 the app was also been given a 5 star rating by the Educational App Store.
Virry has a number of celebrity fans including Dominic West, the actor known for playing Det. Jimmy McNulty in The Wire. He said: ‘I spent all morning on Virry with my two boys and we love it. We fed a lion and watched a rhino live all from our living room sofa! It’s a safe, educational and utterly compelling way to learn about the animals we love. Get on it, it’s brilliant!’
Children’s Wildlife TV Presenter Steve Backshall is also a fan: ‘This is a terrific gateway to the wild world, a chance for kids to reach out to animals on the other side of the world. A young audience engage most effectively with wildlife when they feel like they have an actual connection to the animals, as if they can reach out and touch them, actually interacting with wild wonders. This app enables the user to do just that, watching exotic and iconic animals in real time, taking part as their real lives and dramas unfold, whilst learning hot facts and playing games that let them feel like they are a part of the animal’s world.’
The app is now available to download from the iTunes Store.
For more information on the BAFTA winners https://awards.bafta.org/award/2015/childrens