A COUPLE who met just a week before the start of lockdown have launched a YouTube channel for children – which is taking the North-East and schools by storm.

Musicians Jane Walker and Ryan Davidson first met last March at Mr Davison’s studio in Heaton, Newcastle, from which he produces music for TV, film and adverts.

They planned to write music together but a week later lockdown hit and they continued to work on music together remotely.

A romance flourished – with a lockdown relationship consisting of “romantic voice notes, sync watching movies, planning their first date, and most importantly, writing music together” – and they took the plunge and moved in together.

Recognising the impact of the pandemic on children’s mental wellbeing, the couple knew they had to do something to help and they concluded that the best way to support the mental and physical health of children was through music.

Mr Davidson said: “Within a few weeks of meeting Jane, she expressed an interest in potentially creating a channel for kids.

“At the time, I thought it was more important to work on our artistry, so we spent the first months working on a music project together.

“But, as the months of lockdown rolled on, the negative mental effects of isolation on kids were becoming more and more apparent.”

Alongside her career as a singer, songwriter and performer, Miss Walker works as a qualified early years teacher.

Bringing together her experience in music and education along with Mr Davidson's expertise in music composition, production and videography, they launched the music video channel Fuzzy Jane.

“We found that all of the videos that are currently available lack a certain panache,” Miss Walker said.

“We felt as musicians, it was important to deliver songs that not only entertained and educated kids, but could potentially be enjoyed by parents, too.

“After a little planning and some bouncing around of ideas, ‘Fuzzy Jane’ was born.

“The next step was to order a green screen, lights and a professional camera. Overnight, the conservatory was transformed from a cosy den into a Hollywood film set, although Spielberg may not agree.”

It has been live for just four weeks but schools, nurseries and parents have already started enjoying Fuzzy Jane’s unique videos.

It is being used by eight schools to help engage pupils before and during lessons and the couple is in talks with Tyne View Primary School to produce bespoke videos covering specific topics on the syllabus.

Mr Davidson said: “We have been delighted with the feedback from teachers and parents so far.

“It has given us a real boost to continue to create bigger and better content.”

Jane and Ryan have ambitious plans for Fuzzy Jane. Intending to keep up the momentum of their successful first month, the company is already working with an animator on a Fuzzy Jane children’s book.

The bedtime poetry book is inspired by the classic Studio Ghibli film, Ponyo and will include a link to lullabies for each poem recited by Fuzzy Jane.

As the world opens up, the couple also aims to adapt the Fuzzy Jane concept into a live show and bring the channel’s fun, educational content to stages across the country.

Looking further ahead, the couple has ambitions to create an animated series for a streaming service such as Netflix.

“We are of the mentality that if you don’t aim too high, you aim too low. With this in mind, we are aiming for Fuzzy Jane to become a household name,” Miss Walker added.

“From the feedback and success that we have had in such a short time, we feel like we are on the right tracks.

“We want to remain consistent while improving from experience and reinvesting any money back into the company.

“We welcome as many people as possible to subscribe to our YouTube channel for free and stay updated with our new and exciting content. Stay tuned.”