Partner Article

Lights, Camera, Action!

Nearly £2m of new funding has been announced to help bolster the region’s burgeoning commercial and creative sector - creating over 130 new jobs.

One North East has awarded Northern Film & Media (NFM) – the Regional Screen Agency for the North East of England – additional funding to finance its on-going efforts to support the region’s commercial creative industries and drive its growing success as a hub for commercial creative talent.

NFM develops the content and media sectors of the region, covering Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham and the Tees Valley.Funding will help NFM step up its efforts to bolster the work of individuals and companies working across film, TV, games and music production up until March 2012.

Having already invested over £7m in 1,300 regional projects in the last five years, NFM will use the new investment to help further develop creative content across all platforms, provide expert business support to grow regional companies, host a range of leading industry events and link North East talent to national and international markets.

Ian Williams, Director of Business and Industry at One North East, said: “One North East is pleased to support NFM and recognises the valuable contribution it makes in providing business support to commercial creative firms, helping drive the sector in the North East.

“The region has a proud film making heritage and has provided the backdrop for top international films. Recent research has shown that the sector in North East England employs 35,000 people and contributes £1.1bn to the regional economy. We want to ensure that the region is well equipped to host and develop new and exciting media projects and businesses in the years ahead.”

NFM also plans to use some of the money to help relocate to new premises at Hoults Yard in Newcastle, set in the heart of the city’s creative quarter.

The new site will provide media company networking and ICT facilities using a high speed fibre network, supported by the Northern Way, which will allow NFM to deliver a ‘virtual events’ portfolio and bring live seminars and workshops from key markets to the region, as well as providing support for media editing and transfer.Tom Harvey, Chief Executive of NFM, said: “This is a huge vote of confidence from One North East and I’m very excited by the role NFM can play in developing a well connected, creatively and commercially successful media sector over the next three years.“With incredible talent in the region, new opportunities through converged media and closer working practices with key partners both inside and outside of the region, I am confident we can help build a robust and creative media sector in the North East.“The project is also set to create up to 130 new jobs and safeguard an additional 130 existing roles at a number of beneficiary creative regional businesses, which plan to develop and grow over the coming years.? ?For more information, contact Andy Aston (press office) on 0191 229 6894 or 07766 114798, or by emailing

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .