THE vibrant development in our screen industries over the last five years is continuing at pace as I saw for myself this week when BBC Studioworks were announced as the operators of the £11.9m Kelvin Hall Film and Broadcast Studio Hub.
Jointly funded by the Scottish Government through Screen Scotland and Glasgow City Council, this major new facility is due to open in Glasgow next autumn. It will create significant opportunities for programme makers and freelancers as well as adding to the sustainability of the sector by increasing our skills and talent base.
To maintain the expansion of our film and studio activity, building up a skilled and well-trained workforce is vital. Investing in training and developing our people not only enhances Scotland’s array of industry services, but means we’re not losing our talent. So often in the past to pursue a career in the screen industries people had to move to London or Los Angeles.
The Research Centre’s (TRC) recently launched Format Lab is well-placed to work with the new Kelvin Hall studios. Backed by Screen Scotland, the BBC, Channel 4 and Glasgow City Council, the Glasgow-based company has set up a comprehensive training programme to mentor and nurture the next wave of development talent in factual entertainment which includes game and quiz shows.
Screen Scotland also funds a range of skills and talent courses including the New Entrants Training Scheme, courses run by BECTU vision and the Outlander programme for trainees across the various departments of the successful television series. And people from under-represented groups will also have access to training, development and entry-level employment in the screen sector through GMAC Film’s Screen Start, a £70,000 initiative funded by Screen Scotland and Glasgow City Council.
Scotland is becoming increasingly more attractive to international productions as we continue to add to our existing infrastructure but we’re equally focused, as shown by our development work around Kelvin Hall, on building Scottish-based talent, skills and creative reach to win more sustainable business. The opening last month of Scotland’s Studio, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s world-class recording facility, is another feather in the cap for the screen sector. As the only fully functioning studio for recording sound to picture outside London, it will attract film, television and video game companies from all over the UK.
I have great confidence in the sector and this is reflected in the level of funding and support we give to the industry through Screen Scotland. In yesterday’s budget, they received an additional £750,000 to increase their engagement with the international film and television industries. This builds on their success to date in attracting major film and high-end television productions to Scotland in what is a very competitive market place.
This includes big-budget film productions such as Avengers:Infinity War and No Time to Die, Netflix’s Outlaw King alongside films and television series made in Scotland such as Limbo, Guilt and Crime. And let’s not forget that screen activity not only increases Scotland’s visibility internationally, but employs around 7,400 people (2019 figure) and makes a significant contribution to our economy.
Angus Robertson is Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
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