South Wales in prime position to establish itself as the leading region in creative sector
Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns highlights Wales’ vibrant creative sector during visit to leading Welsh creative industries
Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns will call for South Wales’ creative industries to make the most of UK Government support to become the leading region in the creative sector outside London – to bring more skilled jobs to Wales and drive further economic growth.
The Minister will meet senior figures from Green Bay Media, Boom Cymru, Gorilla and Bait Studios in Cardiff to see the important contribution the industry makes to the economy.
Last year the Chancellor announced our plans to extend the tax relief available to film and TV companies. Since its inception, the film tax relief has generated over £7.8bn of production spend in the UK, supporting 1240 films. Investment in film production was nearly £1.5 billion in 2014, and in the first full year of operation over £395m of investment was made in high-end TV programmes.
In 2014, over 50,000 people across Wales were employed in creative industries with 80,000 in the wider creative economy.
Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns said:
Creative industries in Wales and across the UK are a catalyst for our economic growth – out performing almost every other sector of the UK economy.
Regional broadcasting has come into its own, with nearly half of all UK production now outside of London. South Wales is in prime position to establish itself as the leading region in this rapidly developing sector – bringing more skilled jobs to the region and drive further economic growth.
We are committed to cultivating a vibrant creative sector here in Wales. The role these companies play in driving growth through the creation of jobs and attracting inward investment cannot be underestimated.
The UK Government will continue to do all it can to support creative industries across the country and maintain our innovative and creative reputation around the world.
The Minister will start his creative industry tour at Green Bay. The media production company have just announced that their latest series, Castle Builders, has been sold for broadcast across six continents – promoting Wales around the world. Viewers from Montevideo to Montreal will now be able to see how Welsh castles like Caerphilly were constructed.
The Minister will also visit Boom Cymru, producers of high quality content for S4C, BBC and ITV Wales. Boom Cymru produces a wide range of TV programmes such as 5 Star Family Reunion which has just been commissioned for a second series for BBC One following a highly successful first series.
Gorilla and Bait Studios will also receive a visit from the Minister. Gorilla, a Cardiff based TV and film producer which joined an exclusive group of independent TV companies in 2015 by receiving BBC Worldwide Quality Status. Alun Cairns will then see the exciting motion graphics and visual effects studio at Bait Studio.