Arenas may be used for film and TV

ARENAS operated by Birmingham’s NEC group are to be turned into film and TV studios over the next few months, it has been revealed.

The announcement is good news for its 2,000 part- and full-time workers, who could be taken off furlough to staff productions at the Utilita Arena Birmingham, in the city centre, and the Resorts World Arena on the NEC campus.

Production companies also have the opportunity to use the NEC’s 250,000 square metres of exhibition space for productions. NEC chief executive Paul Thandi said: “It’s good news. It’s a market that we’ve been targeting, and we’ve filmed before in our halls. We’ve had JLR product launches, commercials and various other bits and pieces, take place.

“We are looking at targeting this market a bit more in terms of filming some programming. In terms of the arena, it’ll be our own staff.

‘‘One of the great things that the Chancellor and the Government have done is allow flexi-furlough, so you can take people off furlough, bring them back if there’s work, and then put them back onto furlough.

“There’s one particular piece of business, should we be able to contract it, that is a specific arena setting.

“I can’t tell you what it is, but if it does get filmed there we’ll announce it, because it’s quite poignant at this point in time.” Discussions have already taken place between the company and TV production companies.

The managing director of arenas, Guy Dunston, confirmed that he had been in touch with Film Birmingham (the council’s film and television office) to see where opportunities were available.