ELSKA is a musical preschool series set on the edge of the Arctic Circle

Series Concept

Stage: Early Development
Audience: 3-6 years
Format: 26 x 11’, Live action & CG-animation
Seeking: Commissioning & Co-production opportunities

ELSKA is music-driven preschool series set on the edge of the Arctic Circle, where a cast of characters celebrate free-play, imagination, and wonder. After an oil spill upends her fishing village, Elska leaves home and discovers a small Arctic island teeming with quirky creatures and a colony of lost socks who embrace her as family. Each episode is a music-filled journey filled with discovery, resilience, and friendship, inviting young viewers to explore everything from geothermal activity to painting to friendship, bravery and always the breathtaking wonder of the Arctic. Each adventure is scored with Elska’s award-winning, critically acclaimed, pop-electronic music.

Imagined as a combination of live action and animation, the first season of 26 x 11’ episodes follows Elska’s first year on the island as she experiences the wonder and challenges of the four Arctic seasons. As she explores, Elska builds a home, forms unexpected friendships, and maps the island’s breathtaking fjords and geothermal wonders to its mossy fields of lava rocks. Through her adventures and with the support from her friends, Elska confronts her fears to become a brave Arctic pioneer.

“Childlike and playful, sophisticated and clean, the sound, concept and presentation are fresh, inventive, and inviting.” 

—Claire Green, President, Parents’ Choice Foundation

The Characters

“Images and melodies that are like nothing that has ever come out of this genre previously.”

Darren Critz, Symphony Space

MUSIC & DANCE

In ELSKA, music and dance are integral to the storytelling, enriching each episode with playful energy and engagement. The series features original pop-electronic compositions, including both instrumental and lyrical songs, designed to encourage children to sing and dance along with the characters. Elska’s music has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Parents’ Choice Silver Award and the NAPPA Award. The music has also achieved significant commercial success, with multiple tracks reaching #1 on SiriusXM’s leading children’s music channel. All music is written and produced by Shelley Wollert, who brings an award-winning album to the project, along with 60 additional unreleased tracks.

Elska’s choreography incorporates modern dance styles reminiscent of David Byrne’s bold gestures from Stop Making Sense, alongside elements of hip-hop dance. Children are encouraged to dance along with the music and/or mirroring Elska through choreoghaphed hand gestures that follow the lyrics of songs.

GUIDING PRINCIPLE: PLAYFUL MINIMALISM

While creating ELSKA, the team continually asked two simple questions: “Is it playful?” and “Is it minimalist?”

Inspired by collaborations with educators from Iceland and the UK, we embraced the concept of “free play”—giving children just enough elements to spark their imaginations. This approach celebrates minimalism as a means to fostering open-ended experiences that encourage creativity and self-expression.

Elska invites children to explore, interpret, and contribute their own ideas to the series. We play with colors, shapes, and sounds as if they were simple building blocks, so that curiosity thrives and imagination leads the way.

Educational & Emotional Themes

ELSKA is a preschool series that offers rich educational opportunities through engaging storytelling, music, and imaginative play. Set against the vibrant backdrop of a whimsical Arctic island, the series introduces young viewers to a variety of educational themes, including geothermal activity, geology, weather, the aurora borealis, Arctic animals and flora, navigation, and even gardening. Through creative exploration of the arts—singing, dancing, writing, and painting—children are encouraged to express themselves while learning about the world around them.

Alongside these educational opportunities, ELSKA fosters emotional growth by addressing important themes such as friendship, teamwork, courage, self-confidence, and belonging. The series gently navigates complex feelings like loss, loneliness, fear, and the challenges of saying goodbye, while celebrating the power of free play, imagination, and the bravery it takes to face new experiences.

Elska’s Map of the Island

The Island of Elska is divided into four distinct quadrants—North, East, South, and West—each with unique topography. Elska lives in the West, surrounded by tiny pine forests and views of the Whale Trail, where whales migrate. The North features Puffin Cove, the Tumbled Mountains, and Fox's Fjordland, while the East boasts geothermal activity due to Mount Glimpi, the island’s active volcano. In the South, black sand beaches and moss-covered lava fields create a striking, rugged landscape.

Series Textures & Elements

  • Felted Wool

    The warmth and texture of felted wool, deeply rooted in Icelandic culture, reflect a rich tradition in fabric arts. All animated characters from the Socks to the Goobler to Winter Bear should have the texture and warmth of felted dolls, which in direct contrast to the sharper elements of the Arctic Island.

  • Moss

    Moss offers a bouncy, soft, and enveloping texture, creating a natural, springy surface that feels like a trampoline underfoot. In fact, there is an area on the island where the moss has pockets of trampolines where characters play and bounce.

  • Bold Letters

    A variety playful captions are weaved throughout the show, adding to the learning opportunities for our preschool audience. They emphasize certain lyrics and discoveries in each episode.

  • Ice

    Icebergs and ice caves dazzle in the series, majestically drifting and often used as transporation.

  • Celestial Wonders

    Arctic Stars and Northern Lights dance over the Island Elska, inspiring Winter Bear’s poetry, Elska’s songs, and storytelling sessions around the firepit.

  • Lava flow

    Often trickling down the side of Mt. Glimpi, the island’s active volcanic, a ribbon of glowing magna is easily seen from a distance.

MERCHANDISING

The preschool series ELSKA presents a strong merchandise marketing opportunity, leveraging its charming characters and engaging storytelling. A standout product would be Elska’s costume, allowing young fans to dress up as their favorite character. Additionally, character plush dolls would offer a cuddly and collectible appeal, fostering deeper emotional connections with the brand. Beyond these, a host of opportunities exist, including apparel, storybooks, themed playsets, and interactive toys, all featuring Elska’s beloved characters. With a visually distinctive and imaginative world, Elska is well-positioned to thrive in the preschool merchandise market.

Next Steps

ELSKA is participating in the annual Kidscreen Summit 2025 in San Diego, CA from Feb 9-Feb 12th. We are excited to build connections and are seeking commissioning and co-production opportunities. Please reach out if you’d like to meet!

shelleywollert@gmail.com