Two Yorkshire cities in Channel 4 running
Leeds and Sheffield in running to become one of new bases for broadcaster as it looks outside of London
MEDIA: Yorkshire remains firmly in the running to host one of three new Channel 4 bases after more than 30 locations across the UK were whittled down to a shortlist of favourites.
Both Leeds City Region and Sheffield are on the shortlist to meet Channel 4’s outward-reaching ambitions, its bosses announced yesterday.
YORKSHIRE REMAINS firmly in the running to host one of three new Channel 4 bases after more than 30 locations across the UK were whittled down to a shortlist of favourites.
Cities across the home nations are desperate to convince the broadcaster that they are the locations with the best talent and perfect conditions for Channel 4 to flourish outside of London, in what has been billed by some civic leaders as a “once-in-ageneration opportunity”.
Both Leeds City Region and Sheffield are on the shortlist to meet Channel 4’s outward-reaching ambitions, its bosses announced yesterday – although Hull’s bid has been overlooked.
Leeds is being considered as a possible home for the channel’s national headquarters or as a smaller ‘creative hub’, along with Greater Manchester, Liverpool, West Midlands, Glasgow, Cardiff and Bristol. Sheffield, meanwhile, is competing with Belfast, Brighton, Newcastle-Gateshead, Nottingham and Stoke-on-Trent to host one of two creative hubs.
The new bases will be established by 2019, creating 3,000 jobs in the regions, plus 3,000 more production jobs outside of London.
Dan Jarvis, the mayor of Sheffield City Region, told of his disappointment at Sheffield’s exclusion from the national HQ shortlist, but that he would now support Leeds’s claim.
Mr Jarvis said: “I am pleased that Sheffield is still in the running to host one of Channel 4’s creative hubs. We’re bold, innovative and not afraid to do things differently. We’re a place of makers, artists and performers, and we’re at the cutting-edge of digital technology. So, we must now work hard to build momentum and ensure that our region can benefit from Channel 4’s move out of London.”
Screen Yorkshire champions the region’s film, TV, games and digital industries and chief executive Sally Joynson said Leeds and Sheffield should be strong candidates in Channel 4’s final reckoning. “As Yorkshire locations on the east of the Pennines, we firmly believe they each have dynamic creative sectors that can both support Channel 4’s strategic plans and better reflect the rich diversity of voices in the UK,” she said.
Leeds, Bradford and York would benefit if the Leeds City Region bid wins and the leaders of their respective city and district councils, councillors Judith Blake, Susan Hinchcliffe and Ian Gillies, said in a joint statement that they will make “a strong and focused case for this once-in-a-generation opportunity”, adding that Channel 4 choosing Leeds would offer mutual benefits, create opportunities for the area’s young, diverse and digitally savvy population and would give Channel 4 access to new talent and the chance to “rebalance” the UK’s creative sector.
Leeds bid supporters told of why the city should be Channel 4’s national home at an event at Leeds College of Music.
Andrew Sheldon, creative director of Leeds-based TV producers True North, said: “Yorkshire is really high up on the list of places where people want to come and make programmes... but we have got the ability here to make those programmes as well.
“Channel 4’s pitch is about taking adventurous steps and there is no greater opportunity at anywhere else on that list than Leeds, working with Bradford and York, that actually transforms something.”
Independent Bradford and Leeds-based filmmaker Suman Hanif thinks if Channel 4 moved to Leeds it could halt a braindrain of creative talent.
She said: “Most of my friends who are filmmakers have moved to London because there is a lot of industry there... there is a great imbalance at the moment.” Roger Marsh, chairman of Leeds City Region, said it was imperative that the region “remains hungry” if it is to win.
“It’s about creating that opportunity for Channel 4 that helps them restate their brand and in their own words be that voice to and for Britain in a post-Brexit world,” Mr Marsh said.
Most of my friends who are filmmakers have moved to London. Suman Hanif, an independent filmmaker based in Leeds and Bradford.