New York, USA, November 5th, 2025, FinanceWire
What began as a personal struggle with letters on a page has transformed into a mission to amplify unheard voices. Winsome Duncan, founder of an award-winning charity dedicated to empowering marginalised young people, has partnered with global production house Creative Visions Foundation — the creative force behind hundreds of media productions for major platforms including Netflix and Amazon. Together they are producing the youth-animation series Kalaria, a ground-breaking show where Black and brown young people are not simply featured — they are the creators.
Representation Gap Remains Steep
Although the UK publishing and youth media sectors have pledged greater inclusion, the data tell a different story. According to the 7th annual Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) Reflecting Realities survey, only 17 % of children’s books published in the UK in 2023 featured a racially-minoritised character — down from 30 % in 2022. More strikingly, just 7 % featured a main character from such backgrounds.
In other words, while the momentum seemed promising, last year signalled a reversal in the representation trend.
“These most recent, more sobering results … remind us that the job is far from done.” — Rebecca Eaves, Chief Executive of CLPE.
Against that backdrop, Kalaria offers something more concrete than tokenism: a fully youth-led world, with Black and brown protagonists front and centre, built by diverse young creators themselves.
The Story Behind the Show
Based in Southwark, Winsome’s journey is one of resilience. Struggling early with reading and writing, she never envisaged becoming a top-selling publisher and charity founder whose mission is to put “the voices of otherwise unheard and unseen young people at the front of major media products.”
Kalaria was conceived and developed by young people from diverse communities under her charity’s mentorship. The entire concept, narrative, characters and world-building come from their lived experiences — not as add-ons, but as genuine creators. With backing from award-winning producers and companies, Winsome is now raising US $300,000 to fund the production’s launch and is already in talks with Hollywood agencies to take the series global.
Changing the Narrative, Not Just Adding Colour
“I am so proud of the dozens of young people involved in the development and production of this project,” Winsome says. “Kalaria is their world, their creation and will be their legacy. Our philosophy is to change the narrative. As a woman entrepreneur of Caribbean-heritage and with deep cultural roots, I know the divisive and fractured conversations we’re having need to change. Diversity is our strength and not a tool to divide us.”
Her words echo recent industry commentary: in a joint letter to the UK’s education secretary, prominent authors such as Malorie Blackman and Lee Child warned the English literature curriculum is “systematically failing to represent the diversity of our society”.
Similarly, younger audiences are feeling the impact: studies have shown children from ethnic minority backgrounds are significantly more likely to say they cannot “see themselves” in what they read, which correlates with lower engagement and reading confidence.
A Campaign for Youth, and for Change
Winsome’s charity is now amplifying the story of Kalaria in order to raise both awareness and funds. She hopes the series will not merely entertain, but will reshape how mainstream media tells stories of Black and brown youth — offering them creators’ seats at the table rather than background roles.
From the early days of letters jumbling on the page, to fronting a bold, youth-generated animation series with global reach, Winsome’s journey symbolises more than personal success: it marks a collective one for a generation whose stories have long been sidelined.
About Winsome Duncan
Winsome Duncan is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and founder of a London-based charity that mentors young people from diverse backgrounds. Her organisation focuses on literacy, creativity, and inclusion — empowering youth to tell their own stories through publishing, media, and the arts.
About Creative Visions Foundation
Creative Visions Foundation is a global nonprofit production house that supports creative activists in producing media with measurable social impact. Its projects have been featured on platforms including Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and National Geographic.