The Mayor of the West of England has launched a new £4.5 million production fund designed to increase the quantity, range and scale of film and TV productions made in the region. New grant funding from Greenlight West represents the biggest boost in more than a decade for production in the region, which is already home to the third largest hub of its kind in the UK.
Investments made by Greenlight West are forecast to generate £20.7 million in production spend in the region, supporting more than 230 jobs, while supporting freelancers, local suppliers, and the wider screen supply chain.
Awards of between £50,000 to £500,000 (varying by production routes) will be available for ambitious, commercially viable screen productions that can demonstrate the meaningful impact they will bring to the region in terms of local spend, employment, skills development and other benefits.
Eligible applicants include incoming productions filming in the region, productions made or led by regionally based companies, and productions carrying out significant post-production work locally. Unlike many other incentives offered in different geographical areas of the UK, funding is non-recoupable, a factor expected to significantly enhance the West of England’s competitive edge as a filming region.
Announcing the new fund at Bristol Old Vic today, Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “The West of England is already one of the most popular places in the UK to make TV and film. Whether that’s blockbuster drama, homegrown storytelling, globally renowned natural history, expertly crafted animation or cutting-edge factual production, this is the place to be.
“We’re serious about ramping up our region’s credentials as a filming hub even further, to grow this important sector and stimulate more spending, create more jobs and skills opportunities for local people.
“With this new incentive we’re sending a clear message to the sector. We want you to make more magic here in the West Country, tell more stories from our region, and show off more of our places on screen – with all the tourism benefits that brings.
“We’re here to help you invest, recruit, and train locally and we look forward to harnessing the power that your film and TV production can bring to the country’s fastest-growing regional economy.”
Philippa Lowthorpe, the three-time BAFTA-winning director whose credits include H is for Hawk (Film4/Lionsgate), Prisoner 951 (BBC), Three Girls (BBC), The Crown (Netflix), and Call The Midwife (BBC), said: “Bristol is a brilliant city to base any drama production. Its wealth of talent, its fabulous and versatile location opportunities both in the city and the region, the Bottle Yard Studios, and also its excellent post companies like Films@59 have made the West of England first choice for me over the years. I try and base my shoots here whenever I can, from “Three Girls” to my more recent series “Prisoner 951”. I’m excited that the new fund will encourage more drama into the region.”
Rachel Drummond-Hay, Chair of the Royal Television Society West of England, said: “The news of the regional production fund is a fantastic boost to the region’s television sector. At a time when the commissioning landscape is undergoing significant change, becoming increasingly competitive and hard to navigate, an investment programme of this scale will have huge benefits for production companies, suppliers and freelancers alike. Not only will the fund give companies based in the region an edge when it comes to pitching, tendering and financing new projects of scale, it will also help ensure talent stays in the region and new talent continues to be developed.”
A spokesperson from Bristol Screen Producers, an alliance of producers working across different genres in the region, said: “This is excellent and welcome news for the region’s production companies and freelancers living and working in Bristol and the South West. We particularly welcome the recognition of an indigenous element in the funding provision that will help build businesses, grow skills development and retain key talent. It’s fantastic that there’s a specific motivation to retain post production work that often misses out to London. The funds provide a necessary boost to the screen sector’s entrepreneurial spirit and finally gives us the opportunity to be equitable with other regions.”
Greenlight West is the first investment from the £25 million secured by the West of England from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport’s Creative Places Growth Fund. The West is one of just six regions to unlock the funding from government.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “Through the Creative Places Growth Fund, we’re putting funding in the hands of local leaders, giving them the freedom to invest in what works for their communities and creative sectors.
“Greenlight West is a great example of that approach in action: backing local jobs, skills and businesses, while helping the region compete for more major productions. I can’t wait to see the fantastic productions that come out of the West of England off the back of this.”
