Local boy, Kyas Ako-parker from Liverpool, wins nationwide competition to be lead-voice in new Animated Series about cleaning-up our planet.

A nationwide competition to find the voice of the lead character for a new animated series has today announced that local school-boy, Kyas Ako-parker, from Liverpool, has won the main prize to narrate “Clean Our Planet: Energy Of Change”.

Kyas, aged 11, along with five other children from around the country were selected after a six-month process that searched across 40,000 families. Run by Clean Planet Energy and partnered by the UK’s leading child talent agency Scallywags, participants were asked to create a short video about how they are helping protect the planet.

“Kyas showed us when he entered the competition that he was already making a number of changes to his life to help clean our planet. From taking the local electric bus to school rather than be driven, using paper bags instead of plastic ones, and stopping his family from using plastic straws, he was a perfect example of the Energy of Change we need to look up to ”, said Bertie Stephens, CEO of Clean Planet Energy

“The purpose of the new animated series is to help both inform and engage people of all ages as to how our lifestyles impacts upon nature. We must take a step back and realise that the current balance between nature and society is untenable, but importantly we must have the courage to make incremental changes so that we can live the life we want, but in harmony with the nature around us”, continued Stephens.

At just 11 years of age, Kyas, decided to make changes when he saw the devastation on nature pollution was having; “I first found out about pollution in the news. It was very upsetting to see lots of animals getting hurt because of our own selfish human deeds. The world definitely needs to change, humans are not the only ones living on this beautiful planet.”

Upon finding out about his win, Kyas, who himself is an aspiring cartoon artist, believes the animation can make all the difference to those around him, “I have always loved drawing and making cartoons, so when I found out I got the part, my excitement ROCKETED up to space!!! I like to think that since most young people like cartoons, when they see this one, they could be encouraged to make a change!!!”

The animation is slated to deliver a narrative that will take the audience through the ages, on an arc of discovery. Mixing key messages with entertainment is difficult, but Kyas, along with the other five winners were picked as they have an edge to make people of all ages sit up and listen. “If we’re going change the world, achieve the seemingly impossible, we’ll have to achieve it with those whose future it impacts most, for people and businesses alike we’re entering an era of the Clean Planet Economy”, Stephens concluded.

The animated series will go into voice-over production this Summer with an initial release date scheduled for Q4 this year. The primary target audience will be school-children but like all good animations the purpose is to bring-together the entire family.

From the initial entries that reached 40,000 families, 15 finalists were shortlisted by a team of 5 judges. All finalists will receive a certificate, and the winners, in addition to winning the voice-over prize, have also been awarded a cash prize of £125; the family also receives a set of Clean Planet t-shirts.