The move marks stage one of BBC Studioworks’ ambitions to open additional studios across the UK, and is in direct response to growing demand to make more TV shows in Scotland.
The studio will be a catalyst to fuel the growth of the sector, boost local jobs and support the development of a skilled and diverse Scottish workforce.
The 10,500 sq. ft studio, co-funded by the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council, will open in autumn 2022 and will house a wide array of entertainment shows across multiple genres. The facility will be multi-camera, offering state-of-the-art gallery suites and ancillary areas including dressing rooms, a green room and offices to meet the needs of production.
The location of Kelvin Hall, right in the heart of Glasgow, is the ideal destination for studio audiences, production crew and on-screen talent who can enjoy the vibrant culinary hub and the many entertainment and cultural hotspots the city has to offer.
Sustainability is core to BBC Studioworks and being able to reuse an existing building was key to the appeal of operating the facility. The studio will also use 100% renewable energy and has been designed for LED lighting.
“Glasgow is a key creative hub, laying the foundations for our expansion outside London,” said Andrew Moultrie, CEO, BBC Studioworks. “Kelvin Hall provides much needed purpose-built studio space in Scotland, meeting growing demand from broadcasters, production companies and SVODs alike to produce there. Drawing on our decades of expertise and unrivalled customer service, we will help grow the local workforce to deliver more local productions and support the continued development of sector-specific skills in Scotland.”
“Today’s announcement that BBC Studioworks will be the tenant operator of Kelvin Hall is fantastic news for the city,” said Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council. “BBC Studioworks will draw on their wealth of experience in the industry to develop Kelvin Hall as an important and attractive film and television location, continuing Glasgow’s rise in this sector. Kelvin Hall will be a nationally significant production facility that will enable productions and jobs to stay and grow in the city, further driving the development of our thriving creative industries, and adding to Glasgow’s economic growth.”
“Our level of investment in Kelvin Hall, £7.9m, reflects the confidence we have in our fast-growing screen industries,” said Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson. “There is unprecedented interest in Scotland as a production hub and Kelvin Hall will be a welcome addition to the growing range of studio space being used by film and television productions. We are working with partners to maximise the opportunities offered by the studio to develop expertise in the entertainment genre and build on existing skills and training schemes to further develop a sustainable creative economy.”
“It is almost two years since we first met with BBC Studioworks to discuss their ambitions for an entertainment-focused studio outwith London,” said David Smith, Director of Screen at Screen Scotland. “We have worked with them, alongside the fantastic team at Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government since early 2020 to land this opportunity for Scotland. We look forward to working with BBC Studioworks on training and skills development opportunities around the Kelvin Hall studio, and with the BBC’s commissioning team on all of the new programmes and series from Scotland that will be made in the decades to come.”
