Member Article

New drama hub for Manchester's Sharp Project

Manchester’s thriving TV production base, home to some of the UK’s most innovative digital pioneers, has revealed details of a major new drama production hub.

The site in Gorton will become home to over 50,000 sq. ft. of production space spread across five high spec stages, along with a support infrastructure including construction workshops, prop stores, and flexible office space for short and long term production rentals.

Due to open in May 2014, the new site will supplement the successful production facilities at The Sharp Project, the city’s base for digital entrepreneurs, SMEs and content producers. Since it opened in July 2011, demand for the existing site’s 50,000 sq. ft. of production space spread across four stages from 3,700 sq. ft.to 28,000 sq. ft. has exceeded availability and capacity.

Programmes made at the Sharp Project include Channel 4’s hit comedy Fresh Meat and Sky Living HD’s Mount Pleasant, along with BBC1’s Casualty 1909 and ITV’s The Making Of A Lady. It has been used by production companies including Tiger Aspect, Objective and the BBC.

Capitalising on the UK’s drama production sector and fuelled by fresh demand expected to result from TV tax breaks introduced by the Government in April 2013, it’s hoped that the new site will attract interest from producers and broadcasters both in the UK and overseas.

With space ranging from 8,890 sq. ft. to 11,190 sq. ft. each of the five stages will include: air-conditioning, acoustic treatment for sound separation, enhanced reverberation and acoustic performance, lighting rigs with I beam, 1GB fibre internet with 36 wireless access points, secure overnight parking and designated hair & make-up facilities.

Dedicated support space adjacent to each of the stages will include a full suite of dressing rooms, shower facilities and an onsite laundry, as well as extensive flexible support space providing tenants with conveniently located production offices. The 8,000 sq. ft. construction workshop situated next to the loading area will benefit from an extensive canopy, protecting valuable set items from being exposed to the elements during transit.

24/7 security, a purpose built canteen, landscaped outdoor amenity area and screening room will provide the finishing touches to a development designed to give production companies access to extensive space options, combined with an intelligently planned support infrastructure benefitting from a highly competitive cost scale.

The new development was devised by Sue Woodward OBE, Project Director at The Sharp Project, who continues to oversee all aspects of construction, management and delivery.

She said: “Demand has grown for space since we opened the stages at the Sharp Project, to the extent that we have had to repeatedly turn productions away. This, coupled with the tax incentive programme, made a sound business case for investment. Production companies know that we go that extra mile to help them make great content and it is this attitude towards our clients, backed by great talent across the North, which is already driving huge interest in the new site, even before the steel is in the ground.”

Jenny Hay, Production Executive, Comedy at Objective Productions, said: “We couldn’t have been happier with our home here at The Sharp Project for the past three series of Fresh Meat, and everything the facility and its first rate team have been able to provide. It’s a top quality space and we’ll certainly be amongst the first to consider the new drama hub for any future productions.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .