Mayor highlights plan for the West Midlands to be 'centre stage of the UK’s growing creative industries' with more funding announced for new TV and film projects

The West Midlands IP Fund will open for a second round of applications later this month with grants of up to £20,000 available.

The fund is to thank for the announcement that 1970s children’s classic Bagpuss is to be revived in a new live action and animated musical adventure, created by Birmingham-based Threewise Entertainment, and new BBC drama The Hairdresser Mysteries is to be filmed locally in the West Midlands.

They are among five TV series and three feature films commissioned after being developed by production companies in the region with funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Create Central and Creative UK.

The digital and creative industries feature in the Mayor's Growth Plan as one of the high growth sectors that it's hoped will drive the economy into a new era of prosperity.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We’re already unlocking the potential of our homegrown creatives to help them get their ideas off the storyboard right here in the West Midlands.

“Our IP Fund is bringing Bagpuss back and won a BBC commission for a new daytime drama. That’s the success I want for more of our local talent. Because it’s the big ideas that will bring in more investment and exciting jobs and opportunities. That’s our plan to be centre stage of the UK’s growing creative industries.”

Last week the Mayor, Create Central and the BBC signed a new agreement for the corporation to almost double its production spend in the region to £40m a year, creating more screen industry jobs and training opportunities for local people.

Backing up the BBC commitment, the WMCA's IP Fund will help more local filmmakers and producers like Ché Chumber from Wolverhampton and Anton Inwood from Birmingham to develop new on-screen ideas.

They run the Birmingham-based independent studio, Acclaimed Content, and secured their first commission thanks to support through Create Central.

Their 30-minute documentary, Queen of Trucks, was commissioned by BBC Three and followed Shannan Paterson as she ran a HGV driving school in Willenhall, with the goal to get young people into careers behind the steering wheel.

It was the springboard Ché and Anton needed and has led to more work from the BBC and Channel 4. They are currently filming a second series of their gameshow Family Face Off for Channel 4.

Ché said: “We had been pitching but just hadn’t been able to make the breakthrough, so getting a chance to develop the idea for Queen of Trucks with the BBC was the opportunity we needed. It was vital and valuable and without help it wouldn’t have been there.

“It gave us the first commission on our slate and got us in the room with commissioners. We’re now in an exciting position working with multiple broadcasters and now operating in the digital, branded space.”

Ed Shedd, chairman of Create Central, said: “Ideas are the lifeblood of our creative economy and nurturing them early is essential to building a sustainable and thriving screen sector in the West Midlands. We’re pleased to be able to announce that the next phase of the West Midlands IP Fund will be ready for a new call out before the end of the month.  

“It's more opportunities for production companies in the WMCA area to access targeted development funding to grow their own original IP."

Paul Ashton, head of film & TV at Creative UK, added: “We know how valuable development funding is for regional screen SMEs and we’re pleased to be working with WMCA and Create Central again to keep delivering this critical support."

To register an interest in the West Midlands IP Fund go to the Creative UK website.