We can hit a new creative peak Peaky Blinders creator offers fresh vision for Birmingham’s future
PEAKY Blinders creator Steven Knight says “the time has come” for a creative revolution in Birmingham.
“It’s time we let the world know we’re here, and what we’re all about,” said the Birmingham born screenwriter.
Knight envisions a new identity for Birmingham ahead of significant prospects for the city including the construction of his own film studio, the introduction of HS2 and the possibility of Channel 4 deciding to open a base here.
“It’s always been a place where people have made things,” says Knight. “And now they’ll be making films instead of cars. With the change in the way the world works, the end of the manufacturing workshop of the world profile, it’s taken a while for Birmingham to find its new identity,” he says.
“But right now, with Brexit and with all of those other things, Birmingham needs to stamp its mark on the culture and on the consciousness of people all over the world.”
So why hasn’t Birmingham achieved the same cultural recognition as comparable cities such as Liverpool and Manchester?
Knight suggests it’s because Brummies “aren’t ones to get carried away and bang their own drums”, adding that “it’s not a city that craves attention”.
Rather than see this as a failing, he believes that a mine of untapped creative potential exists in the region.
“This has never been a place where the culture has been exhausted,” he says. “This is all fresh stuff.
“Creative people have always originated in this city and done their stuff in this city and changed the world.
“From William Shakespeare, Arts and Crafts, making cars – we want to tell that story, and at the same time we want to become part of that story.”
Birmingham finds itself on the cusp of an exciting period in its history. The imminent arrival of HS2 and 5G and the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games have created a real buzz around the city.
Knight is building on this momentum by constructing a brand new film studio in the heart of Brum that he hopes will be the calling card for American filmmakers.
The writer reveals that an announcement on his new studio is “imminent”, with the project expected to be underway during the next year.
And the award-winning director believes the introduction of HS2 will only boost trade for the creative industries in the West Midlands, slashing travel times from Heathrow for Hollywood executives.
“What I want them to understand is that they can fly in and fly out. That they are very close to London, when HS2 comes in,” he says.
“We want to work and function completely as a destination where people can fly in from New York, walk with a wheeled hand luggage case to the studio, make their film, and then walk back to the airport.
“We’re very connected nationally and internationally.
“It’s about momentum, and you get a magnetism around certain places at certain times, and it starts to attract all sorts of people.
“I’m also really hoping that Channel 4 come because their profile and Birmingham’s profile have a lot in common. It’s very young, alternative, it’s free-thinking, and Birmingham has been all of those things for the last century.”
Revealing his plans for a “media neighbourhood”, Knight’s vision reflects an inclusive and open culture that will harness young local talent and promote the city as a true contender on the world stage.
“There is a pool of young talent here, in the city of Birmingham, that will make filmmaking easy,” he says.
“We’re going to have film studios, television studios, post-production facilities, but also bars, restaurants, cafés, a cinema, a theatre. We’ll make it a place where people want to go as a destination, as well as a place where we make great film and television.”
Highlighting the huge demand for studio space in Britain, Knight plans to create an international destination that’s purpose-built for big productions. And he points to some of the city’s vacant industrial plots as perfect examples of the fertile ground and building stock ripe for development.
“Digbeth for me – and it’s not stretching the point at all – Digbeth reminds me of Tribecca, before it became Tribecca in New York,” he says.
“You know that was an industrial meat packing district, and then that stopped and the places were empty for a while.
“Then somebody comes along and goes, ‘Hang on a minute, think of what we could do with this! Look at the potential, look how close it is to everything!’ ”
It’s about momentum, and you get a magnetism around certain places at certain times, and it starts to attract all sorts of people Steven Knight