Category: Comedy Hot House

New Comedy Series Transaction, Starring Jordan Gray and Nick Frost, Begins Filming in Tees Valley

Posted on 19 November 2024 by North East Screen

ITVX has commissioned Transaction, a 6×30 comedy from Big Talk Studios, created by and starring award-winning comedy performer Jordan Gray.

Filming in Hartlepool, the workplace comedy also stars Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, How To Train Your Dragon, Get Away), Doon Mackichan (Two Doors Down, Good Omens), Thomas Gray (Peacock, A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder), and Francesca Mills (The Witcher, Boat Story).

Jordan Gray stars as Liv, a transgender egomaniac, causing havoc in the strange world of the supermarket nightshift.

Having been hired to work there by Pellocks boss Simon (Frost) after he inadvertently offended the LGBTQ+ community with an ill-conceived marketing campaign, Liv soon realises she’s unsackable and sets about turning the store into her own personal playground, unleashing chaos on everyone and everything around her.

Transaction promises to be a colourful and noisy comedy from writer-performer Gray.
ITV’s Head of Comedy, Nana Hughes, said: “Jordan Gray’s unique blend of humour and creativity certainly make Transaction an exciting and engaging comedy. We cannot wait to see Jordan Gray and Nick Frost in action.”

Big Talk Studios CEO and Executive Producer, Kenton Allen, said: “Transaction promises to be a very eye-catching contemporary comedy, with Jordan Gray, Nick Frost and Thomas Gray forming an unlikely but electric three-some. Jordan’s razor-sharp writing and timing paired with Nick’s legendary comedic presence is comedy dynamite. And of course, it’s always a thrill to work with Mr Frost, a Big Talk OG of the finest vintage.”

Transaction Creator and cast member, Jordan Gray, said: “My one true goal with this show is to create something as timeless as my implants.”

Transaction (6×30) is a Big Talk Studios production, which is part of ITV Studios, for ITVX. It was commissioned by Nana Hughes, Head of Comedy, ITV. The series is written and created by Jordan Gray. The Executive Producers are Kenton Allen, Lucy Robinson, Jordan Gray, and Nick Frost, and the Producer is Lara Singer (Peacock). The Director is Ollie Parsons (Breeders, Man Like Mobeen). The series is produced in association with and will be distributed by ITV Studios. Additional funding support comes from the North East Screen Industries Partnership delivered by North East Screen.

Zahra Zomorrodian named as a recipient of the BBC Comedy Collective bursary scheme

Posted on 23 May 202423 May 2024 by North East Screen

North East-based Zahra Zomorrodian has been named as one of the 10 recipients of the supercharged bursary scheme – the BBC Comedy Collective – as announced by BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie today [Thursday 23^rd May] at the BBC Comedy Festival in Glasgow.

The BBC Comedy Collective is a commitment to nurture the next generation of comedy talent. Previous recipients have gone on to make BAFTA award-winning TV series, win script commissions via new production relationships, land agents and received broadcast credits for work gained via the placements.

Zahra is an award-winning producer who started her career as a stage manager in various theatres in her hometown of Newcastle.

After getting tired of carrying heavy things, she started producing comedy shorts, then three micro budget features including the raucous comedy The Stagg Do – which featured Lost Voice Guy in his first screen role.

In 2019, after a detour in documentary with the RTS award-winning feature We Are The Geordies, she moved into producing comedy sketches for Channel 4’s Sparks. One of which – If Boobs Were Like Balls – won a commendation at the RTS Awards (February 2020), and to date has amassed over 3 million views online.

She currently heads up the comedy slate for Candle & Bell and has projects in development with BBC Comedy and BBC Studios, and she’s producing their first BBC Radio 4 commission Tom & Lauren are Going OOT! (TX August 2024).

On being named as a recipient of the BBC Comedy Collective, Zahra said: “I can’t begin to describe how excited I am to be part of the BBC Comedy Collective. This is a great opportunity for me to learn more about producing scripted comedy for network television and to improve my craft. And of course, as a producer, the better I am at my job the more opportunities I can create to get regional and underrepresented voices onto the nation’s screens. Being selected to be part of the 2024 cohort is a real honour and I can’t wait to get started.”

Lisa Laws, Development Director at North East Screen, said: “I am so pleased that Zahra has been selected for the incredibly competitive BBC Comedy Collective, following on from the success of North East writer Benjamin Bee last year.

“Zahra brings experience of producing content for a range of platforms and is a true collaborator and team player. Since joining forces with Candle and Bell as Comedy Development Producer last year, together they have already won their first audio commission for BBC Radio 4 and a range of paid script developments with BBC Comedy.

“Supporting our best regional talent through national initiatives like this is crucial, it creates real opportunities to get our stories on screen.

“We can’t wait to see what Zahra will do with the added boost from the BBC Comedy Collective.”

The 10 recipients of this year’s BBC Comedy Collective: Producers: Laura Ferguson (Scotland), Leah Draws (NW England / London) & Zahra Zomorrodian (NE England). Directors: James Button (Wales), Rian Lennon (Northern Ireland) & Sophie Worger (London). Writers: Caitlin Magnell-Kearns (Northern Ireland), Ethan Harvey (East Midlands / London) and writing duo Zak Torbadi & Kate Reid (Wales). Finally, Editor: Donya Majidi-Maguire (London).

Last year’s delegates attended the BBC Comedy Festival in Cardiff, the Belfast Media Festival, a directing session with Christine Gernon, an ‘Editing for Comedy’ session with Gareth Heal, and a private round table with Jesse Armstrong, with more tailored sessions and exclusive events to come.

Speaking at the BBC Comedy Festival, in Glasgow, Jon says: “BBC Comedy is committed to supporting the next wave of comedy talent, both on-screen and behind the camera. Our new Comedy Collective cohort promises a bright future for the genre and we look forward to working with them.”

Each bursary winner will receive up to £10k worth of paid shadowing on a BBC Comedy production, along with an allocated production mentor, plus a £5k development grant to put towards new material at the end of their placement. They will also have a dedicated point of contact within the BBC Comedy Commissioning team to help guide them through their year, as well as access to the Comedy Collective representatives.

The BBC Comedy Collective comprises of estate representatives, Geoff Schuman and Paul Whitehouse (for Felix Dexter), Tessa Le Bars and the Galton Family (for Galton & Simpson), Lucy Ansbro (for Caroline Aherne) plus the producer and director representatives; Ash Atalla and Christine Gernon, and our new editing ambassador Gareth Heal alongside the alumni of previous BBC bursary winners.

The Comedy Collective works in partnership with BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Scotland and BBC Wales, with the support of BBC Writers, BBC History, BBC Academy, BAFTA, Picture Shop, Fifty Fifty Post Production, Pinewood Studios and a range of screen agencies including Screen Scotland, North East Screen and Creative Wales.

Zahra Zomorrodian

Caroline Norris joins Candle & Bell as EP for Comedy

Posted on 9 June 202312 June 2023 by North East Screen

BAFTA award winning and Emmy nominated producer Caroline Norris has joined Candle & Bell as Executive Producer of Comedy. As a producer on Motherland, Tracey Ullman’s Show, and Horrible Histories (amongst many others) Caroline brings a wealth of knowledge in developing and producing comedy for television. Gateshead based Candle & Bell has a strong track record in producing scripted comedy films, and with the help of Caroline, the company is now breaking into the Television industry, by developing new ideas for sit-coms.

“I’m so excited to be working with Candle & Bell.” Said Caroline. “They have a wealth of fantastic ideas and talent relationships, and also an excellent office dog which is obviously of vital importance”

In June 2023, Candle & Bell celebrates 10 years in business. The company has come a long way from its humble beginnings, and has won two RTS awards and produced hundreds of hours of commercial content, as well as numerous award winning short films. Most recently Candle & Bell produced series 2 of ShortFlix for Sky Arts.

In February 2023, Candle & Bell was awarded Small Indie Fund for comedy from the BBC, alongside investment from the REACH Film and TV grant from North East Screen. This finance has been crucial in aiding the growth of the company and helping the team pursue their ambitions to grow their slate of TV projects. The company has also added award winning producer Zahra Zomorrodian to its team, to lead development of the comedy slate.

The company recently won a development commission on a TV sitcom idea with local writer Elijah Young, and founder Maria Caruana Galizia is looking forward to working with Caroline on developing the slate of projects even further.

“Working with Caroline has already had a huge impact on Candle & Bell. She is just as driven as we are to succeed and we knew from our first meeting with her she would be the perfect person to help us develop and produce outstanding comedy TV shows. The money from BBC and North East Screen has made a substantial difference to Candle & Bell, and by adding Zahra and Caroline to the team, our comedy slate has progressed at a rapid pace over the last few months. It’s a really exciting time for us and we’re incredibly grateful to the BBC and North East Screen for their support. ”

North East Screen is the screen agency for the North East, dedicated to helping production companies and talent in the North East of England thrive. Lisa Laws, Head of Talent and Business Development at North East Screen, commented ‘’NE Screen are thrilled to partner with BBC Comedy to support Candle and Bell with these exciting new appointments. Caroline brings an exceptional track record, connections and world class experience that will give the development team a real boost. We cannot wait to see what new voices and stories they uncover for BBC audiences.”

Two North East organisations awarded BBC Comedy grants

Posted on 26 May 202326 May 2023 by North East Screen

Laurels and Felt Nowt have both been selected to receive £5,000 from BBC Comedy to support their comedy outreach and inclusion projects.

The recipients of the comedy grants were announced by Jon Petrie at the BBC Comedy Festival in Cardiff on Thursday the 25th of May. The grants are an opportunity for BBC Comedy to increase engagement with companies and organisations that want to support growth and access opportunities in comedy.

Laurels, a popular entertainment venue in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, will be using their BBC Comedy grant to help move comedy talent from lower socio-economic backgrounds off social media and into larger-scale development.

Felt Nowt plan to use its grant to extend its programme to focus on workshops for LGBTQ+ comedy performers in the region. They said: “We were delighted to receive this grant, it will help us on our mission to bring more comedy to the region and we are excited to find some exciting new comedians from underrepresented communities”

Lisa Laws, Head of Talent and Development at North East Screen said: “I’m really excited to see what Laurels and Felt Nowt can bring to the region’s emerging comedy scene supporting talent and audiences to imagine possibilities for crossing over from theatre to screen. They are both already doing some amazing work, and I looking forward to seeing what’s next.”

North East comedy short Where it Ends is now on BBC iPlayer

Posted on 26 May 202326 May 2023 by North East Screen

A new BBC Comedy short called Where it Ends premiered at the BBC Comedy Festival in Cardiff and is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer. The short was filmed in the North East with a cast and crew who were also primarily from the region.

In the short, actor Jack joins a panto tour of care homes, where he is confronted with the reality of where it ends. The comedy stars Jack Robertson, Lauren Pattison, Charlie Hardwick and Dave Johns.

Where It Ends is a Tiger Aspect (a Banijay UK company) production for BBC iPlayer and BBC Three. The writer is Jack Robertson, the director is Fergal Costello, and the executive producers are David Simpson and Sam Ward. It was commissioned for the BBC by Emma Lawson and Navi Lamba.

Writer and star of the short Jack Roberston said: “Where it Ends is a personal story of something that actually happened to me and has stayed with me for years. So to be able to work with such fantastic people to bring the story to life, for screen, was amazing. But the best bit was the catering, the chips on set were perfectly seasoned.”

Head of Talent and Business Development at North East Screen, Lisa Laws said: “I’m thrilled that Jack, a hot new writer/performer has been given this first step to develop with BBC Comedy in mind. It is a brilliant opportunity to showcase original comedy characters rooted in real experiences and we are excited by the possibility that it could grow into a long-form series in the region. I have no doubt that this will not be the last we see of Jack, his comedy characters or, the on-screen talent showcased in Where it Ends.

“Hugely grateful to David Simpson, Head of Comedy Tiger Aspect who has pulled together an exceptional team and a stellar cast, including Dave Johns and Charlie Hardwick, to bolster our exciting new talent.”

The production of Where it Ends featured a number of fresh comedy talent stepping across into the industry including Mark Kenny, a Comedy Development Producer from Sunderland. Where it Ends was Mark’s first assistant producer role after crossing over from the teaching profession. He is now working on another scripted comedy from Tiger Aspect, part of Banijay. Mark has great transferable skills and an unparalleled drive and enthusiasm, which has enabled him to break into the industry at speed. Best of it is, in true Comedy Hot House style, he likes to keep the doors open for his fellow creatives too.

Also involved was Katija Roberts who was shadow director on the production. The North of Tyne-based director was given the chance to shadow on the short following the Film Hub North/BFI ‘Scratch me’ program.

On her time working on the short, Katija said: “It was a really great experience shadowing on Where It Ends. I’d just come straight from directing a BFI short, so for a start it was interesting to be part of a short film production with a much larger budget and to see what that gets you. I also found the discussions between David, Sam, Fergal, Jack and BBC really insightful from casting through to the final edit. It was a great team and everyone was super welcoming and invited my opinions all the way through the process.”

Where it Ends is available on BBC iPlayer from today (Friday 26 May) and will be shown on BBC Three in the coming months.

Benjamin Bee named as a recipient of the BBC Comedy Collective bursary scheme

Posted on 25 May 202325 May 2023 by North East Screen

BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie today announced the 10 recipients of a supercharged bursary scheme – the BBC Comedy Collective – for up-and-coming writers, producers and directors to develop their careers further in scripted comedy.

Newcastle’s Benjamin Bee has been listed as one of the recipients the scheme which is committed to nurturing the next generation of comedy talent. Previous BBC comedy bursary winners have gone on to make BAFTA award-winning TV series, secure script commissions, get agents and produce radio shows.

Ben is from Newcastle. A troubled childhood meant he left school aged 14 without any qualifications. Since then he has graduated from the London Film School and is a multi-award-winning writer, whose short-form work has been long-listed twice for the BAFTA awards and screened at over 400 festivals worldwide.

In 2019, Ben was selected as a Screen International Star of Tomorrow, and is currently in development on his first feature, Marwell, a touching, time-travel comedy-drama, without any time travel. Marwell was selected for Biennale College–Cinema, EIFF Talent Lab Connects, and is in development with the BFI Film Fund. Ben is also developing a number of projects for TV. He proudly identifies as neurodivergent and disabled.

On the announcement of the recipients of the BBC Comedy Collective, Head of Talent and Development at North East Screen, Lisa Laws said: “I’m really chuffed to see the range of North East talent considered for this opportunity, and I’m thrilled that Ben will be part of the first ever BBC Comedy Collective. Ben speaks with so much passion and enthusiasm not only for comedy, but for the North East as well.”

Speaking at the BBC Comedy Festival, in Cardiff, Jon Petrie said: “Some of the best writers, producers and directors in TV and film started their careers on BBC Comedy shows and we’re committed to giving the next generation of talent their big breaks. The BBC Comedy Collective supports on and off screen talent from across the UK and will provide brilliant opportunities to our first cohort. I can’t wait to see what they do next.”

The BBC Comedy Collective comprises of estate representatives, Geoff Schuman and Paul Whitehouse (for Felix Dexter), Tessa Le Bars and the Galton Family (for Galton & Simpson), Lucy Ansbro (for Caroline Aherne) plus the new producer and director representatives, Ash Atalla and Christine Gernon, alongside the alumni of previous BBC bursary winners.

The Collective will work in partnership with BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Scotland and BBC Wales, with the support of BBC Writersroom, BBC History, BBC Academy, BAFTA and a range of screen agencies including North East Screen and Creative Wales.

Benjamin Bee – Recipient of the BBC Comedy Collective Bursary

Newcastle based TV Post-production house lands work for BBC Comedy short film

Posted on 9 May 2023 by North East Screen

The Church Post, an editing facility in Byker, Newcastle has completed the post-production of a BBC Comedy short film, ‘Where it Ends’ for London production company Tiger Aspect.

‘Where It Ends’, a short film produced by Tiger Aspect was written, developed and shot entirely in the North East of England with all cast and crew from the region. The Church Post was commissioned by Tiger Aspect to complete the post-production of the comedy short making it a fully North East produced programme.

Lisa Laws, Head of Talent and Business Development at North East Screen said;

“We are delighted that The Church Post along with East Wing Sound were contracted to deliver this work which shows we have the talent and drive in the North East to grow businesses that will support more commissions to be developed, filmed and edited in the region.”

The Church Post provided Tiger Aspect with the Offline Edit, Online Edit, Colour Grade, VFX, Dubbing mix, ADR, QC and Dispatch. Their new editing suite in Newcastle has three offline edits running Avid and Premiere and one finishing suite in Resolve alongside the dubbing and ADR suite.”

Sheree Black, Production Executive at Tiger Aspect Productions said;

“This was our first time working with The Church Post and it has been an excellent one. It is a top end facility with a knowledgeable, creative and helpful team which helped make our BBC short, ‘Where it Ends’, something we’re extremely proud of. We are looking forward to working with the team again.”

James Baxter, Founder of The Church Post said;

“We are looking to expand to five edit suites over the next year and we have employed post-production producer Emily Ballantyne to support us in our growth. We are also looking to bring on two trainee editors/ edit assistants from the North East and invest in the infrastructure of the building with faster internet connection and a larger storage space.

I am delighted with how ‘Where it End’s has turned out which is thanks to our hardworking and talented team of Mark Lediard, Rich McCoull, Emily Ballantyne and David Scott. We would welcome more post-production in the North East.”

Lisa Laws continued;

“To have this sort of facility here is exactly what we’re aiming for as part of the wider North East Screen Industries Partnership as it shows a real commitment from broadcasters and out of region production companies to grow not only our talent and companies but also our infrastructure. It ensures that once a production company has filmed here, they can stay to complete the editing, keeping investment in the region and sustaining work for our talented and specialist post production crew.”

NE Screen Comedy Hot House wins regional RTS Centre Award 2023

Posted on 26 February 202326 February 2023 by Victoria Glass

North East Screen wins big at the North East and Borders Royal Television Society Awards with their Comedy Hot House winning the prestigious Centre Award for outstanding contribution to the industry.

The award, which recognises an individual, team or organisation’s work either in front of the camera or behind the scenes, was awarded for the team’s development of TV scripted comedy writers, directors, producers and production companies in the North East.

The Comedy Hot House helped attract the first BBC City of Comedy to Newcastle, which led to the region playing host to the BBC Comedy Festival in May 2022, which brought some of the biggest names in comedy to the city.

As part of the festival, BBC Comedy and North East Screen launched the Regional Partnership Scheme with Hat Trick Productions which resulted in the comedy giant working with Hartlepool-based production company Sea and Sky Pictures to develop a slate of comedy projects.

Working with partnerships has been key to the success of the Comedy Hot House who, among many great projects and schemes, supported and fully funded the first writers room to take place in the region with Tiger Aspect Productions, providing work for 8 comedy writers from the North East.

David Simpson, Head of Comedy at Tiger Aspect said;

“I could not be more impressed and complimentary of the work NE Screen Comedy Hot House are doing and the incredible contribution they are making to our industry. What sets them apart isn’t just the volume and breadth of their work, it’s that what they put in place makes a real, tangible difference.”

The initiative was co-founded in 2019 by Alison Gwynn, Chief Executive of North East Screen and TV executive, Emma Lawson, now Commissioning Editor for BBC Comedy, as an innovative partnership between a regional screen agency and an experienced scripted comedy executive from the region, to help increase connectivity between the region’s comedy community and broadcast opportunities.

The Hot House won its first commission to deliver an order of short form content to Channel 4, with a follow up commission from BBC Comedy to provide short form comedy content for its digital platforms, while in parallel carrying out high profile outreach activity and sharing the learning and opportunities as far across the region as possible.

They quickly won international recognition at the 2020 Makers and Shakers awards where they won the award for ‘Initiative to Grow Local Industry’.

Emma Lawson, BBC Comedy Commissioner and co-founder of the Comedy Hot House said;

“The Comedy Hot House has helped to raise a flag and draw attention to the brilliant comedy talent that has always been here in the region. The team have worked hard to make sure that people are being seen, heard and consistently championed and connected up with as many meaningful opportunities in scripted comedy as possible.

So many of the companies and talent that joined us for the ride back in 2019 are now working alongside experienced executives, award winning major indies, have developments in with BBC, C4 and other broadcasters and crucially, are now working as paid professionals in the genre.

Alongside this, the outreach activity that Hot House also provides has been majorly boosted by the BBC’s presence in the region and continues to benefit many aspiring producers, writers, directors and performers who want to work in comedy. I feel proud of the meaningful change, and championing of collaboration, that the Hot House team has helped to create in the region. Long may it continue.”

The NE Screen Comedy Hot House is led by Lisa Laws, Head of Talent and Business Development at North East Screen with outreach activity coordinated and delivered by Mark Kenny, Comedy Talent Co-ordinator. Lisa added;

“Creating and enabling new ways of working in partnership, between industry, broadcasters and local authorities, has been instrumental in shining a light on the region’s lively grass roots comedy scene and championing our talent. This year’s BBC City of Comedy initiatives have unearthed fresh new voices, kickstarted new regional companies and seen us make real inroads into TV.

All of these successes are thanks to the hard work of a wide range of amazing individuals in key organisations working together to make a real difference (screen agency, local authorities, broadcasters, indies) but none of it would be possible without the incredible pool of North East talent, on and off screen, who have risen to the challenge and are definitely up for sharing their love of comedy.

It’s great to receive this award which gives us another opportunity to shout from the rooftops that the region has exciting talent who have their sights firmly set on TV.”

New opportunity for North East comedy writers

Posted on 10 January 202325 January 2023 by North East Screen

We have an exciting opportunity for comedy writers who are over the age of 18 and based in the North East.

We are looking to introduce writing talent from the region to Schnoobert, a production company that aims to encourage, train, and facilitate up and coming talent in the North East.

Schnoobert productions was created by award winning stand up, actor, screenwriter and executive producer, Jason Cook. Jason’s writing and production credits include UK Gold’s highest rated show to date Murder on the Blackpool Express, Death on the Tyne, and Dial M for Middlesbrough.

Ten writers will be invited to take part in a writer’s round table with Schnoobert to aid the development of their writing and ideas.

This opportunity is aimed at writers rather than writer/performers (we have other opportunities for writer/performers planned for 2023). Both emerging and established writers can apply for this opportunity if they would like to receive an introduction to Jason and Schnoobert.

To apply, please send:

• A brief summary of your experience to date – please specify if you have TV credits

• Three example top lines

• A three-page writing sample (formatted)

• Completed NE Screen EDI Form (download here)

Please email these over as clearly labelled pdf attachments (with your name and which attachment it is) to hothouse@northeastscreen.org by midnight on Monday 23rd January. Please use “Introduction to Schnoobert” as the subject header of your email. Invitations to the writers round table will be sent out on the 20^th of February.

Jason Cook, CEO of Schnoobert Productions said: “We’re really excited to be talking to new writers and hearing their ideas. It can often be nerve wracking sending something in for the first time. Will it be terrible? Is it only me that likes this? But what we are looking for are just interesting stories from creative minds, nothing is perfect when it’s in its first iteration so please just give us your most exciting ideas and we will do our best to realise them!”

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email hothouse@northeastscreen.org.

National media conference to be held in the North East in 2023

Posted on 9 January 202325 January 2023 by North East Screen

The popular screen sector conference Creative Cities Convention will be held in the North East of England from the 26th to 27^th of April, with a packed schedule of sessions and activities reflecting the boom in film, tv and digital production that’s underway across the UK.

The Creative Cities Convention (CCC) is a unique meeting place where content creators working outside London can network together and discuss the big media issues that affect them every day.

The event will take place at the Boiler Shop in Newcastle, less than five minutes’ walk from the central station and an iconic building that started life in the 1820s as the home of Robert Stephenson and Company, the world’s first locomotive works. This beautiful, listed building has ample room for the main conference of over 300 delegates along with meet-the-commissioner sessions and a marketplace for different organisations to showcase their activities, topped off with a lively evening networking party.

There will be student masterclasses and sessions in other parts of the wider North East too, where production is soaring as the region scales up to meet record investment from organisations like the BBC, local authorities and independent companies.

The CCC team will be working in partnership with North East Screen to deliver the conference and with the North of Tyne, South of Tyne and Tess Valley Combined Authorities, who have together formed the North East Screen Industries Partnership to rise to the challenge of growing production across all genres.

Alison Gwynn, Chief Executive of North East Screen says ‘We are delighted to welcome the Creative Cities Convention to our region at a time when production is increasing, partnerships are strengthening and growth in the sector is becoming a reality. To be hosting a convention of this scale and stature in the North East, which attracts content creators from all parts of the UK, is a real honour and an opportunity and we can’t wait to be involved and showcase the North East as a hotbed of creativity and talent.’

‘We could not be more thrilled to take our event to the North East in 2023,’ says conference director Ruth Pitt. ‘The screen sector is growing rapidly there, and the venue is accessible to content creators from right across the UK, whether you’re in Glasgow or Belfast, Manchester or Cardiff, Brighton or Bristol. We’re extending our sessions to offer even better takeout for everyone so it’s an event not to be missed’.

Last year’s conference was a sellout success at the Fazeley Studios in Birmingham, a return to normal after two years of pandemic disruption. This year the event will be extended to offer a full afternoon of sessions and a networking party on Day One and then another full day of debate and discussion on Day Two. BBC Newsnight journalist and broadcaster Kirsty Wark will return as host.

As the Creative Cities Convention celebrates its fifth birthday in 2023 there will be something of value for producers, freelances, broadcasters, streamers and students alike.

North East-based Zahra Zomorrodian has been named as one of the 10 recipients of the supercharged bursary scheme – the BBC Comedy Collective – as announced by BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie today [Thursday 23rd May] at the BBC Comedy Festival in Glasgow.

The popular screen sector conference Creative Cities Convention will be held in the North East of England from the 26th to 27th of April, with a packed schedule of sessions and activities reflecting the boom in film, tv and digital production that’s underway across the UK.

North East-based Zahra Zomorrodian has been named as one of the 10 recipients of the supercharged bursary scheme – the BBC Comedy Collective – as announced by BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie today [Thursday 23^rd May] at the BBC Comedy Festival in Glasgow.

The popular screen sector conference Creative Cities Convention will be held in the North East of England from the 26th to 27^th of April, with a packed schedule of sessions and activities reflecting the boom in film, tv and digital production that’s underway across the UK.