Bristol’s continued development as a leading centre for the global screen industry is to be explored at the first major event of its kind in the city next week.
As well as celebrating the significant cultural and economic contribution of the industry to the area, the inaugural Bristol and Bath Screen Summit will also look at the action needed for its further expansion.
One aim is to create a working party that will oversee how to leverage funding for the city-region’s production firms and then how it could be used most beneficially once the resources were in place.
The event, organised by UWE Bristol and hosted by Bristol-based broadcaster Carol Vorderman, pictured below, and The Outlaws actor Gamba Cole, pictured below, will bring together academics and industry organisation representatives with leading figures from Bristol production firms and decision makers next Wednesday and Thursday in the Arnolfini.
The summit is a key recommendation from research carried out by UWE’s Digital Cultures Research Centre (DCRC), which found that while the industry in the city-region is booming, more can be done to overcome the political and economic challenges it faces.
Latest figures from Bristol Film Office show an estimated £20.8m was generated by the industry in 2021-22 – a 22% increase on pre-pandemic figures and the largest contribution that filming-related activity has made towards the city’s economy in a decade.
The amount of filming that took place in the city was up by 10%, with 1,067 filming days in the city at the Bristol City Council-owned Bottle Yard Studios – where three new sound stages have recently opened – and/or on location assisted by the Film Office, a council department that provides free support to productions working in the city.
Among productions filmed in the city were Am I Being Unreasonable?, The Outlaws, Chloe, Showtrial and The Girl Before.
The summit begins on Wednesday with a series of panel discussions featuring programme makers behind some of the world’s biggest brands.
They will reflect on current issues as well as the city-region’s future as a screen centre, including how the industry can become more sustainable, reduce its carbon footprint, improve its inclusive talent pipeline and secure more funding.
Among the speakers will be Grant Mansfield, founder and CEO of Bristol-based Plimsoll Productions and recently appointed visiting professor at UWE, who will be in conversation with ITV Studios managing director Julian Bellamy.
The panel for the session titled ‘Are we still world beaters?’ will include Wendy Darke, founder of production company True to Nature, alongside BBC Studios Natural History Unit executive producer Jo Shinner, Vanessa Berlowitz, co-founder and chief creative officer of Wildstar Films, Huw Cordey, executive producer at Silverback Films, and James Honeyborne, creative director at Freeborne Media – all based in Bristol.
Other sessions include ‘The Future for Creative Technologies’, with experts from the UK’s leading animation and VFX studios, and ‘A view of scripted and non-scripted productions’ with speakers from regional and national TV production companies.
Day two will bring together academics from DCRC and the University of Bristol with regional and national policy makers and industry leaders to explore the potential interventions needed to sustain clean inclusive growth in the city region’s production community.
Up for discussion will be ways of supporting and extending the emerging indigenous film and television drama in the area, considering the benefits of creating a regional production fund and providing access to investment packages – either to companies already based in the city-region or to those looking to bring productions to the area.
Speakers from other regional screen agencies, including Liverpool’s regional production fund, will share best practice and provide an insight into its key learnings and successes.
Attendees will include representatives from the West of England Combined Authority, Bristol City Council, the BFI and Screen Skills, who will look at forming a working party to oversee both how funding might be leveraged and how it could be used most beneficially once the resources were in place.
UWE assistant vice-chancellor creative and cultural industries engagement Lynn Barlow said: “While the industry is bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels and there are exciting developments underway, including the opening of the Bottle Yard’s three new sound stages, the summit offers an opportunity for us to collaborate and find solutions to create an even brighter and sustainable future for the screen sector and wider creative industries in the city region.”
Tickets for Day One cost from £10 per person and are available via Eventbrite. Day Twp is not open to the public.
Screen Summit’s partners include Arnolfini, Bristol City of Film, Channel 4, BBC, ITV, Bottle Yard Studios, Invest Bristol and Bath, Visit England, Screenskills, BFI and the University of Bristol’s MyWorld creative hub.
Pictured, top: Productions filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location in the city in 2021-22 (clockwise from top left): The Outlaws series two (BBC One/Amazon Prime Video); Showtrial (BBC One) The Girl Before (BBC One/HBO Max); Chloe (BBC One/Amazon Prime Video)
