ReGlasgow

OPERATOR Of New Kelvin Hall Film And Broadcast Hub Announced

8 December, 2021 | Arts, Leisure, Entertainment and Sport

BBC Studioworks, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC which provides studios and post-production services to the TV industry, is to operate the new studio at the Kelvin Hall Film and Broadcast Hub.

The 10,500 sq ft studio, co-funded by Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government, will house a wide array of entertainment shows across multiple genres.

The studio will become the Scottish hub for major TV broadcasters and production companies and will help meet the growing demand for TV shows in Scotland when it opens in Autumn 2022, providing studio space and post-production services to companies including the BBC, ITV, STV, Sky, Channel 4 and Netflix.

As well as fuelling the growth of the sector, the £11.9million hub is expected to create and maintain new and existing local jobs in the industry and support the development of a skilled and diverse Scottish workforce.

The facility will be multi-camera, offering state-of-the-art gallery suites and ancillary areas including dressing rooms, a green room and offices to meet production needs. It will use 100 per cent renewable energy.

Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Today’s announcement that BBC Studioworks will be the tenant operator of the Kelvin Hall is fantastic news for the city.

“BBC Studioworks will draw on their wealth of experience in the industry to develop Kelvin Hall as an important and attractive film and television location, continuing Glasgow’s rise in this sector.

“The Kelvin Hall will be a nationally significant production facility that will enable productions and jobs to stay and grow in the city, further driving the development of our thriving creative industries, and adding to Glasgow’s economic growth.”

Andrew Moultrie, chief executive of BBC Studioworks, said: “We’re thrilled to have been appointed as the operator of this new facility in Glasgow, providing much-needed, purpose-built studio space in Scotland and meeting growing industry demand to produce there.

“Drawing on our decades of expertise and unrivalled customer service, we will help grow the local workforce to deliver more local productions and support the continued development of sector-specific skills in Scotland.”

David Smith, director of screen at Screen Scotland said: “It is almost two years since we first met with the BBC Studioworks to discuss their ambitions for an entertainment-focused studio outwith London.

“We have worked with them, alongside the fantastic team at Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government, since early 2020 to land this opportunity for Scotland.

“We look forward to working with BBC Studioworks on training and skills development opportunities around the Kelvin Hall studio, and with the BBC’s commissioning team on all of the new programmes and series from Scotland that will be made in the decades to come.”

Cabinet secretary for constitution, external affairs and culture, Angus Robertson, said: “The Scottish Government’s £7.9million investment in Kelvin Hall reflects the confidence we have in our fast-growing screen industries.

“There is unprecedented interest in Scotland as a production hub and Kelvin Hall will be a welcome addition to the growing range of studio space being used by film and television productions.

“We are working with partners to maximise the opportunities offered by the studio to develop expertise in the entertainment genre and build on existing skills and training schemes to further develop a sustainable creative economy.”

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