The deal is simple: you provide the space, which needs to be equipped with plenty of electrical sockets, a TV, a DVD player and a gaggle of children (maximum 15 usually). Jekino will show up with the rest of what’s needed, including in some cases a portable cinema museum.

The contents of the package depends on the workshop.

For kids about six to 1o, a one-day animation workshop includes monitor, digital cameras, laptops and other audio-visual equipment. A two-day workshop includes editing and a DVD of the final result. For 10- to 18-year-olds, a three-hour workshop provides the “ABCs of Film”, with cameras and film clips.

For youth workers and teachers, meanwhile, there is a one- to five-day tailor-made workshop on media education and the use of audio-visual methods in teaching.

The cost is generally around €150 for a half day or €300 for a full day. Most customers are institutions like youth centres, cultural centres and schools, explains Jekino’s Sam Geuens, but if you’ve got the kids, they’ve got the workshop. They are mostly done in Dutch, but, says Geuens, “the teams of animators and monitors are freelancers, and the possibility exists to do a workshop in French or English.”

Jekino also offers a film-hire service, from choosing the most suitable film for a group, to providing the film and the equipment required to show it. For films that are distributed by Jekino, like the recent animated hit Brendan and the Secret of Kells, there are also lesson packs provided.

www.jekino.be