A new agreement between the BBC, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Create Central is being hailed as a “game-changing” moment for Birmingham’s growing creative hub, with leaders saying Digbeth could soon rival MediaCity in Salford.
The memorandum of understanding will see the BBC’s network television production spend in the West Midlands rise from £24 million to £40m by the end of 2027, alongside a £5m per year investment from the WMCA to support the region’s creative industries.
As part of the deal, the broadcaster will establish a new production base in Digbeth, following its move to the Tea Factory and the relocation of major shows such as Silent Witness and MasterChef to the area.
“Digbeth is going to be bigger, better and bolder than Media City in Salford,” said West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker.
“It’s so close to HS2 – it’s a hop, skip and a jump from the station at Curzon Street. We’re going to use that to attract investment that will create thousands of jobs in this sector across the West Midlands.
“Importantly, there is a commitment in ensuring as many of those jobs go to young people who are living, learning and training here, which is fantastic.
“Creative industries are one of our priorities for the region. This sector offers huge opportunities to so many young people, so this is a great statement of intent from the BBC and ourselves.”
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BBC director general, Tim Davie, added: “It’s quite a big moment actually because we’ve had one agreement in 2021 to invest in the region and put more productions up here.
“Since then, you’ve seen us announce we’re moving to the Tea Factory in Digbeth, and we’ve got titles like Silent Witness, MasterChef and other productions coming to the region.
“It worked – that first investment – so we’re now going to the next phase, signing our second agreement, and that means even more money.
“People will know this area has got incredible talent.
“Every Brummie will have a story, everyone from across the West Midlands. We have a great history of making television here through the decades.”
“We don’t want to be arriving and parachuting in for just a few weeks. We want to make dramas here, make shows like Silent Witness and MasterChef, shoot them here, produce them here.
“Over time we are talking hundreds if not thousands of jobs you can attract to a region in the creative industries. And the great thing about creative industries is they are high-value jobs – jobs that appeal to people with different skills.”
“I came here when the Tea Factory was totally undeveloped.
“We’re now in a position where, if you look down the street, we’ve got productions and hundreds of people working in this region that weren’t here in 2021. Let’s go again and keep growing – watch this space!”