Here is our small and passionate team with business development in Berlin, Germany and creative projects and education outreach based in Folkestone, Kent, UK.

The Team

Our story is in its early stages, but there's already plenty to share, from the projects that formed the foundation of ootiboo to the people bringing it all to life.

We're proud of our network of partners including companies, schools and research institutes.

Partnerships

Our ootiboo contributors are all talented creatives who support us with illustrations, voice acting, film-making and more. We're so proud to work with each and every one of them, and we're so appreciative of their time spent helping ootiboo to grow

Contributors

Co-founder Angus Cameron reveals how ootiboo came to be…

ootiboo can trace its roots back to a beach in Folkestone on the Kent coast, one sunny day in May 2018. I am not one for sunbathing, so while my wife relaxed in the sun with a good book, I started drawing some spirals in the sand. These grew and grew and caught the attention of passers-by. It was simple, fun to do, and an interesting fitness exercise.

A few weeks later, a chance meeting introduced me to local illustrator Ben Braudy who, unbeknownst to me, lived on the same street I did. We kept in contact and started to uncover other practicing creatives who also lived on our street, including Timea, an artisan soap maker. It was Timea who suggested setting up a Whatsapp group to keep in touch; but what to call it? Naming it after our shared street felt right, and the East Cliff Creatives (ECC) was born.

Over time our little community grew. By early 2019 we had over 50 members and boasted a really eclectic range of creative skills. To help build local awareness we wanted a way to reach out to the wider community. So what was a free, simple, effective way to grab people's attention? Yep, you guessed it: Sand Art!

We were fortunate to have a large sandy beach on our doorstep. With a 6am start one morning, Ben and I headed out to create our first collaboration. Three hours later, after dragging our heels through the sand, we were done! Joggers and dog walkers took snaps and our creation popped up on social media.

Being tidal, within a couple of hours our creation washed away. We are often asked, why do all that work for such a temporary artwork? Weirdly, I like it. A bit like an Etch-a-sketch toy where you draw a picture, admire it, then wipe it clean so you have a blank canvas to try something new. Endless possibilities. For us, the photographs and posts on social media provided the artwork’s legacy.

Over time, we returned again and again to the beach, developing more complex designs, finding tools to make our life easier, understanding the tides and best conditions to draw, and finding volunteers as crazy as we were to join in. Drone photography really captured the scale of what we were creating. It was tiring, but a lot of fun!

These beach antics led to our first big collaboration, the Beach Poppies. We partnered with local creative agency Screen South and together were able to obtain funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. We based our project around the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the true end to WW1, the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919. Here, creativity acted as a vehicle to reveal and share local history of that time with the community. The war is an important part of Folkestone’s history, as it was one of the key ports for troops heading to mainland Europe to fight, and for refugees seeking asylum from the conflict.

The project was a massive leap from playing in the sand. Over 48,000 pebbles from a nearby pebble beach were collected and hand-painted by over 2,500 volunteers including 1,200 school children. By adding personal designs to the pebbles, participants built a more personal connection to the project. Many did not see themselves as artists, but the entire endeavour was all about inclusion: anyone could have a go, and their contribution became part of a larger artwork.

Despite all the challenges thrown at us, all the pebbles were painted just in time for Ben and I to head to Belgium to lay an extra Pebble Poppy in the Mons Memorial Museum. There are strong ties connecting Belgium with our hometown, as Folkestone had supported the refugee operation and, after the war, assisted in the rebuilding of Belgian towns. As soon as the poppy was complete we dashed back to Folkestone ready to construct our seven poppies on the pebble beach.

Construction began early Saturday morning with a team of volunteers - including my 86 year old father - and we completed ahead of schedule around midday on Sunday, in time to enjoy the Red Arrows display that was part of the wider celebrations by the town.

The project attracted local attention and became part of the scenery for a while. However, this was designed to be a temporary artwork. The paint for the pebbles was a specialist eco-friendly formula that faded over time; and exposed to the elements and people it should naturally disintegrate.

Curiously, this took a lot longer than expected. I remember walking past the artwork a few weeks after the event and watching random people stop to replace dislodged stones while others searched for their designs. By involving the community and being inclusive, a real sense of ownership had evolved.

Following the success of the Pebble Poppies, ECC developed more community-based projects. These included a project with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust to tackle the difficult subject of genocide with primary school children, and a project to highlight the work of Rotary International and the Gates Foundation to eradicate polio around the globe. Another project, Collaboreggs, where anyone could share arty and whacky egg designs for Easter, is now part of ootiboo.

I really believe in this thought: if you don’t get out there, nobody knows you exist.

To prove this, in late 2020, ECC was contacted by Sarah Bates, who worked for an international children's book publisher. This was the second key moment in our ootiboo story. Sarah, who lived in Folkestone, was aware of ECC’s beach art and Pebble Poppies. She was working on the rebranding of her company and wanted to engage children in a community activity around the joy of reading to help celebrate the launch of the company’s new name, Farshore. With that name in mind, a beach-orientated theme was a natural fit, and she made the connection to ECC.

Initially, Sarah imagined an event down on the beach. However, the launch was in March, and with the unpredictability of the British weather we looked for other possibilities. Our creative process resulted in the Paper Beach project.

Children shared their love of reading by answering a simple question - where does reading take you? - on a single sheet of A4 paper. They could write or draw their response to the question.

While entries were being collected from schools and individuals around the UK and beyond, local artist Halyey Restall produced a painting of a stylised imaginary beach to act as the backdrop for the messages. The painting was digitised, scaled up, and split into over 3,000 fragments (each the size of an A4 sheet of paper). The team then composited the thousands of messages from kids and grown-ups on to each fragment of the design.

The big reveal took place on a film soundstage in London, where the team placed the 3,000 plus pages on the studio floor to recreate the painting. This took six hours with a live stream into schools, so they could follow our progress throughout the day.

We completed our well-rehearsed plan almost to the minute and for the first time the new logo for Farshore was revealed to the public.

Following the success of Paper Beach, Sarah and I started to discuss the potential of future collaborations. ootiboo started to take shape, although back then it was called ICYM (Inspiring creative young minds).

These discussions evolved into a more formal partnership, and with development funding from Farshore we began to build the ootiboo initiative together.

So why is our ootiboo company based in Berlin? Well, this is where my good friend Kathleen, joins the story. I met Kathleen in my previous creative life of 3D filmmaking and virtual reality, at conferences and events from the US to China. We became good friends and kept in touch over the years. When I explained my latest creative venture she was intrigued and began to see an opportunity to work together. Over the next few months we devised a plan. Kathleen introduced me to two colleagues from her previous job, Ina and Hendrik, who ultimately helped shape what ootiboo has become.

In November 2021 I flew to Berlin, negotiating the various COVID travel requirements, to meet Kathleen, Hendrik and Ina. We finalised our plan, and as the four co-founders, officially registered our ootiboo company.

So from a bit of fun on the beach in Folkestone in the Spring of 2018 this story ends with my signature on a document in a lawyer’s office in Berlin in the Autumn of 2021, to formally bring ootiboo into the world. But of course, this is just the beginning of the next chapter!

Our beginnings

The aim of ootiboo is to provide all [**Projects**](https://play.ootiboo.com/projects) and activities free to schools and families - because we believe creativity should be fully inclusive and available to all.

To achieve this, we are building relationships and sourcing funding from companies and organisations who support ootiboo's focus on promoting mental health, well-being and personal development via creativity.

As well as support from organisations whose values align with our own, our funding is generated from collaborative projects with our partners. Part of the ootiboo organisation, **ootiboo works**, delivers creative solutions for leadership in companies; a percentage of the consultancy work from this is invested directly into ootiboo play activities. This reinvestment provides a unique benefit for organisations who collaborate with ootiboo works, as in this way they are supporting creativity in the wider community and investing in future generations.

Building a strong network and valued partnerships is at the heart of ootiboo, and we are always on the lookout to collaborate and co-create with organisations and individuals who share our passion to make a change. Please [get in touch](https://play.ootiboo.com/contact) to have a conversation.

Funding

About Us

Years later I achieved this goal, resulting in a thirty-year career in film visual effects (VFX), Stereoscopic 3D and Virtual Reality on over sixty films. My work fuelled a passion for travel with contracts in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Cutting-edge technology has always been closely tied to my work although I have always seen myself as an artist with technology providing the tools.&nbsp;In 2017 I switched focus to personal projects which resulted in the formation of East Cliff Creatives to support local artists in Kent, UK.&nbsp;This sparked a series of large-scale community art projects which formed the thinking behind ootiboo.&nbsp;I am dedicated to shining a light on the opportunities and benefits creativity can offer, especially to those who would not consider themselves creative.

Angus Cameron

Image

Co-Founder & Creative Director

Horse riding, playing the piano, sailing, singing or gardening with my grandma – growing up I tried out a lot of things but I wasn’t outstanding at anything and nothing helped me to figure out what I wanted to become when I grew up. I majored in Arts for my A-Level just because I had the best marks at it.&nbsp;At the age of 24 I fulfilled my dream to live in Australia. After an internship in Sydney I got back home and became a working student at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the biggest research association in Europe dedicated to applied science. They gave me the job mainly because I was fluent in English.&nbsp;At the age of 30 they asked me to establish a 3D Innovation Center. Through that job I meet electrical engineers, filmmakers, digital &amp; fine artists and machine learning specialists. The intersection of arts and science really shaped my thinking.&nbsp;&nbsp;Although I struggled in physics and chemistry in school, I am now fascinated by quantum physics and neuroscience. I am a trained yoga teacher and did a permaculture design course. I believe the more we understand that humans are part of nature and that by nature humans are creative beings, the more we can tackle the big problems of the world we live in.

Kathleen Schroeter

Co-Founder & CEO

Whether it was working for the United Nations in war torn societies or in top tier consultancy companies like KPMG, from running ultra-marathons in the Alps to leading vulnerable kids’ groups on nature trips. I love to merge these experiences, build bridges between these worlds and connect dots of insights that others haven’t seen – yet. A common red thread is the art of decision making under pressure and how to lead others in volatile environments. Advising companies and individuals alike I try to pass on what I have picked up along the way so far.&nbsp;&nbsp;And when I was a teenager I finally managed to get lost in the Canadian wilderness, but that’s a story for another campfire.

Hendrik Wantia

Co-Founder & Cool Dude

That love of books quickly evolved into a love of writing, and at about 11 I managed to write half a novel on my parents' groaningly slow boulder of a computer (it didn't even have a mouse!) before the ancient thing died an unassuming death and took my novel with it. My mum was heartbroken but I was secretly relieved as they would never realise I'd just completely plagiarised The Children of Cherry Tree Farm.&nbsp;&nbsp;After studying English with American Film and Literature at Loughborough University, I stuck around for an MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature and some time after completed a Diploma in Professional Proofreading. I now look after all the words you see on these pages and make sure they're all spelt correctly and put in the right order; I do still make the occasional spelling mistake (please email me on <a href="mailto:amanda@ootiboo.com">amanda@ootiboo.com</a> if you spot one on ootiboo.com and don't mention it to anyone else) but I try very hard not to and I usually do okay.&nbsp;I also enjoy lino printing and making buttons in my spare time.

Amanda Angus

Content Manager & Word Spinner

As a Headteacher, I enjoyed creating a creative curriculum for all the children in my school. I aimed to provide an education for the children that went beyond the constraints of the National Curriculum. Working together with ootiboo on their World Builder Project opened my eyes to even more exciting creative possibilities for all children, not just the ones at my school. I joined the ootiboo team in 2022 as the resident Headteacher to help develop the school strategy and grow school participation with the ootiboo platform. I firmly believe that creativity is for all and can’t wait to engage as many schools and children as possible with the exciting projects ootiboo has to offer.&nbsp;&nbsp;I write most of the posts on <a href="https://teachers.ootiboo.com/blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ootiboo's teachers blog</a> - come and have a read!

Chris Green

ootiboo's education liaison

A primary school teacher for 13 years, I have always searched for ways to enhance the creativity of the children and my practice. Living in a rapidly evolving world in which creativity is becoming stifled in the classroom while becoming a greater requirement to get ahead in all aspects of life, I want to ensure that the children in my care are agile, flexible thinkers able to conquer the challenges of an uncertain future.I am enthused by finding opportunities for children to take risks in their learning which help them move outside their comfort zones and into a world of possibility and imagination which will place them in great stead for the future.

Andy Wright

Teacher & Practitioner

As a child, I was the weird kid who loved to make my own flower fairies and collect spiders for my indoor tent/spider cave. I was rarely fully dressed – unless the opportunity presented itself for a spot of fancy dress. My grandparents ran and lived above a country pub in Kent, and I lived there with my mum, little sister and extended family. It was less Waltons, more Emmerdale Farm. I loved it. My favourite hobby at the time was to sit at the bar and write little stories about the regulars.
 
In my last year of primary school, my mum developed a drinking problem and I started to use my writing as a means of escape. I’d create wonderful, complex worlds through my stories – and I’d retreat there whenever I needed to.
 
In my 20s, after studying English, Media and Sociology, I took a distance learning course in writing for children. I started work as a copywriter and journalist and spent 12 years writing for Hamleys.
 
Whilst on holiday with my youngest son in 2018, he said something that gave me the idea for <a href="https://play.ootiboo.com/about-us/partnerships/picture-this-books" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Picture-This Books™</a> : “That’s not how I imagined it in my head, Mummy” – on seeing the illustrations in a book I was reading him.
 
A mouth of babes, pure of heart statement that transported me back to being a child myself.
 
I began to research the importance of imagination and creativity in childhood, particularly in response to trauma, anxiety, and mental health more generally. This took me down a rabbit hole and led to me exploring the issue of representation in children’s books. I learned about the importance of children seeing characters who look like them – yet how little that actually happens.
 
At the same time, I was alarmed to find out that more and more schools are decreasing access to “soft subjects”, that the curriculum is being squeezed, that, between school and screens - children are being given less opportunity for investigative, trial and error learning. Less opportunity to be creative, to use their imagination to problem solve and invent.
 
I am a mum of two. I’m also a neurodiversity advocate. I am passionate about the power of imagination and the importance of creativity to the arts, the sciences, and wider societal progress.

Holly Wadsworth-Hill

Partner In Crime

My current role is as Publishing Strategy Director for Farshore, where I have responsibility for both the editorial and marketing teams.&nbsp; As a dedicated children’s imprint, I get to work with some of the brightest and best authors, illustrators and content creators to acquire the right books and position, publish and market them effectively to ensure every child can find a way into reading through our portfolio. I am passionate about sharing the joy of reading with children to inspire a love of stories, magic and imagination that will arm them to be a happy, resourceful and successful generation of critical and creative thinkers.

About us