SCREEN YORKSHIRE RESPONSE TO DCMS CREATIVE ENGLAND ANNOUNCEMENT (29/11/2010)
Screen Yorkshire has been supporting film talent and the creative industries for eight years and has built a reputation as being one of the very best of the screen agency network. Screen Yorkshire welcomes the arrival of Creative England and in a tough financial climate understands the need for consolidation - particularly in the north where it has long argued for closer working between the three northern agencies.
Sally Joynson, Chief Executive of Screen Yorkshire says: “Now we have confirmation of Creative England, the real work begins. If the network is to embark on a radical shake up in the way it supports UK talent there must be an open, transparent process, with industry consultation at the heart of it. This is the only way we can ensure that talent, wherever it is based, receives appropriate support.
This change does not take anything away from the achievements of the network of agencies in recent years. The challenge now is to build on the legacy of that network and deliver robust, cost effective and credible support for talent and commercial creative businesses wherever they are based.”
It is critical that in the new arrangements for film there is a genuine recognition of the need to support film talent in the English regions. This has been one of Screen Yorkshire’s key strengths and we hope to have a role in this respect in the future.”
Screen Yorkshire’s recent film activity:
- Currently shooting, in post or on recently on screen: Wuthering Heights (Ecosse Films); The King’s Speech (SeeSaw Films/Bedlam Productions); Son of Babylon (Human Films) The Damned United (Left Bank Pictures/Sony); Red Riding (Revolution Films); Tyrannosaur (Warp X), A Passionate Woman (Rollem Productions).
- Funder of Sheffield-based Warp Films and Warp X: This is England 86; Dead Man’s Shoes; Submarine; Complete History of my Sexual Failures; This is England; Tyrannosaur
- Key partner in Bradford becoming the world’s first UNESCO City of Film
- Partner and funder of leading UK festivals such as Sheffield Doc/Fest, Leeds Film Festival, Bradford International Film Festival.
- Lead agency for England for Regional Screen Heritage and sponsor of Revitalising the Regions (part of the Screen Heritage UK Programme, and partner with BFI and UKFC)
- Host and partner to one of only three English Regions managing the UK Film Council’s Rural Pilot Cinema scheme – bringing cinema to some of the UK’s most rural communities
Other non-film related activity:
- Current drama production shooting in Yorkshire, in post or on recently on screen: Monroe (ITV); South Riding (BBC 1); Room at the Top (BBC); This is England ‘86 (Channel 4/Warp Films).
- Three of five of successful companies on BBC’s @North programme (which Screen Yorkshire partnered on) were from Yorkshire: Brass; Numiko; The Workshop
- 4iP – Screen Yorkshire was a cornerstone partner
- Yorkshire is home to three of the world’s top 100 games studios Screen Yorkshire supports the games sector via Game Republic, one of the UK’s leading games networks, with members such as Rockstar Leeds (GTA for handhelds); Revolution (Broken Sword franchise); and Sumo (Dr Who)
- Eurogamer Expo in Leeds 2009 – held for the first time outside London
Statistics:
- Growth in Yorkshire and Humber’s creative and digital sectors was the highest in the UK – 16%, between 1998 and 2008. (Yorkshire Forward: Digital and New Media Industries Report 1998-2008)
- Second largest region outside London for screen media industries employment (Skillset Census 2009)
- Over the last four years Screen Yorkshire has:
- created 900 jobs and £82.9m of inward investment
- supported and facilitated 489 productions to film in Yorkshire & Humber
- provided locations, crewing and logistical support to the 420 productions which filmed in Yorkshire (2006-10)
Read the DCMS press release: Putting film in the spotlight, which includes the Creative England announcement alongside plans for the future for the British film industry at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/media_releases/7601.aspx
Screen Yorkshire media enquiries
Rachel McWatt, Marketing & Communications Officer
t. +44 (0)113 236 8224
e. rachel@screeenyorkshire.co.uk
