£36m boost for North East film and TV industry takes next steps via BBC partnership

North East local authorities are set to confirm a commitment that will secure a combined £36m boost for the region’s TV and film production industry.

Local Authorities and Combined Authorities across the North East and Tees Valley, working together as the North East Screen Industries Partnership, are set to sign off an £11.4m investment that will pave the way for a new Screen Industries Development Programme in partnership with the BBC.

The five-year plan will see the region’s screen agency, Northern Film + Media, which will soon be rebranded NE Screen, scaled up to deliver increased activity, alongside a production development and support fund, with further opportunities to develop businesses and skills that the sector needs to thrive.

NE Screen will act as a strong single screen agency, working closely across the region as the ‘front door’ for industry of all shapes and sizes. The investment from the authorities will unlock the BBC’s £25m pledge to the North East, which was made in a regional Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed last September.

Councils in Durham, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland will sign off their commitments at Cabinet meetings, with the North of Tyne Combined Authority approving the investment of Newcastle City, North Tyneside and Northumberland Councils. The

Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority has allocated £4.75m of investment on behalf of the five authorities of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees.

The investment in the North East’s TV and film industry is another boost for the North East’s creative sector, and comes as County Durham seeks to be named UK City of Culture 2025. Durham County Council is spearheading that bid which features a significant broadcast and film strand, and will find out later this month whether it has made the national shortlist.

Leaders and elected mayors of the authorities that form part of the North East Screen Industries Partnership said the commitment represented a significant boost to creative industries, which would unlock exciting opportunities for businesses and people across the region.

A statement issued by the North East Screen Industries Partnership reads: “The North East and Tees Valley is rich with creative talent, and we’re committed to maximising that, in partnership with the BBC, and creating more and better opportunities for our businesses and residents.

“Combined with the £25m pledge made by the BBC, this funding will allow us to develop and nurture the existing industry and help create the jobs of the future, ensuring that people who live, study and work in the region can build a meaningful career in film and media here.”

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