Bristol's screen industry sees rapid growth according to new research from UWE Bristol
See all news![Camera person adjusting large film camera with graffiti scene in backdrop.](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/go-west-2-report.jpg?la=en&h=507&w=760&mw=847&hash=FD9E072BBC2A733D017E13054E1D6185)
The screen industry in Bristol is booming, with turnover increasing by more than 100% in the last five years, according to new research from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), but more could still be done to further boost its development and expansion.
The ‘Go West! 2’ report builds on previous research by Professor Andrew Spicer and Dr Steve Presence from UWE Bristol’s Digital Cultures Research Centre (DCRC).
Their latest research has found that the industry is experiencing very rapid growth despite the COVID-19 pandemic and a historic lack of investment in the area from external sources.
By examining the evolution of the industry between 2016 and 2021, they found that aggregate turnover increased 105% from £140.3m to £288m, and the number of independent production companies increased from 131 to 189, demonstrating the economic significance of the industry to the region.
Their research also established that the number of full-time staff in this sector is up from 2,200 to 2,760, an increase of 25.45% during this period. Freelance numbers are up from 1,500 to approximately 2,500.
Professor Spicer said: “Bristol is home to the largest independent film and television production sector outside London yet, beyond the national beacons of the BBC’s Natural History Unity (NHU) and Aardman Animations, Bristol’s film and television industries tend to be overlooked by those outside the sector.
"As longitudinal studies of the media and creative industries are extremely rare, our two reports in 2017 and 2022 demonstrate both the evolution and the contemporary characteristics of Bristol's screen industries, how rapidly they have changed over five years, and their increasingly significant cultural and economic contribution to the region.
“This report demonstrates how the strengths of Bristol’s film and television industries derive from an incremental growth based on the talents, innovation and enterprise of its labour force and a culture of DiY, self-help entrepreneurialism rather than from any large-scale external investment. Indeed, we argue that Channel 4’s choice of Bristol as one of its creative hubs was based on these strengths.”
As well as establishing the rapid growth in the industry, the research found that the sector has become more diverse both in who it recruits and in the genre blend, including the emergence of a drama sector, and that there is increasing consciousness about environmental concerns and sustainability within the regions’ production companies and organisations. This is reflected in training initiatives and company practices to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.
It also noted there has been a good recovery from the pandemic, indicating resilience in the film and TV industry in the city.
Dr Presence added: “The long-established specialisms in natural history and animation remain the region’s principal strengths in terms of genre of production but the extensive infrastructure provided by the many facilities companies is a key asset too.
"The Bottle Yard’s three new sound stages are an exciting addition to the region’s offer and the arrival of Channel 4’s hub in 2020 has started to enhance Bristol’s status as a regional centre and reduce London’s dominance over the UK’s screen industries.”
However, the research highlighted an opportunity to enhance the strength and visibility of Bristol as a regional screen powerhouse and makes the following recommendations to policy makers.
- A screen sector summit should be convened by Bristol City Council under the City of Film banner to address the issues raised in this report and how best to tackle them.
- Reliable and up-to-date data about regional production spend in the film and television industries, both in the South West and in other UK nations and regions, should be provided by the British Film Institute and Ofcom.
- The provision of affordable office space should be addressed by Bristol City Council and other agencies in order to help enable microbusinesses in this sector to get established and to support freelancers to work in the city.
- Policy makers should explore ways of supporting more indigenous film and television drama production in the region. The development of a direct financial incentive – akin to the Yorkshire Content Fund or the Liverpool City Region Production Fund, both of which provide up to £500,000 per project – would be a major boost to the region.
- In order to address the lack of diversity in the industry, particularly class and ethnic diversity, and to overcome current fragmentation, sectors need to come together to create additional opportunities.
- The report findings suggest that a degree of informal co-operation and cross collaboration exists between the historically separate screen sectors in Bristol and Cardiff. It’s recommended a working group could investigate how this could be enhanced and strengthened.
- The sustainability of the region’s screen sector must be the number one priority for practitioners and policy makers. Bristol has an opportunity to take a leading role in developing sustainable initiatives with regard to both the carbon footprint of the industry and the health and wellbeing of its workforce.
The full ‘Go West! 2’ report is available online.
A Screen Summit (recommendation 1) is planned on 2 and 3 November 2022, during which the second day will be devoted to a series of focus groups to address each of the six remaining recommendations.
Related news
![Someone holds the world in their hands in a pool of water](/-/media/uwe/images/news/climate-theatre-project-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=671411EFE5D11C702F789A85526F61DF)
26 June 2024
Water security and climate action to be explored through theatre with communities
UWE Bristol will support an international research project that will embed theatre practice to work with less heard communities who face water insecurity.
![A photo of a sign which says general election 2024 with Big Ben in the background](/-/media/uwe/images/news/general-election-adobestock-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=32EF3AB7949BAEE17613D57B04C55384)
17 June 2024
Opinion: Stats, leaflets, and claims - how to navigate the political battlefield
As political leaflets begin to clog the letterboxes of homes across the UK, how can you discern the truth amidst the claims made by the political parties?
![Members of the Centre for Appearance Research standing for a group photo, with balloons in the background](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/car-anniversary-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=DB550ACB3604EBA25099B9C3D3944EDC)
24 May 2024
Impact of world-leading Centre for Appearance Research celebrated on 30th anniversary
It has grown from two researchers and a PhD student to become what is considered the largest research centre in the world focussed on appearance and body image. Now the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) has celebrated its 30th anniversary.
![Centre for Appearance Research logo in front of a backdrop of the city docks in Bristol](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/appearance-matters-banner-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=12AF26A023C1FCD612FF8DC455319B40)
22 May 2024
Psychology researchers set to stage world’s only international conference on appearance and body image
Researchers from UWE Bristol are getting ready to stage the world’s only international conference focused on issues around appearance and body image.
![A photographer using an old-fashioned camera to take an photo of Stonehenge, with a backdrop of a blue sky](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/stonehenge-photography-main-image-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=82D3AA342D3552BF0055E5180A7BFE8E)
22 May 2024
Academic retraces footsteps of Victorian photography pioneer behind Led Zeppelin album cover
A UWE Bristol researcher has used old-fashioned photography methods to recreate images by a Victorian photographer noted for taking an iconic photo that became a Led Zeppelin album cover.
![A choir, dressed in black, singing](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/sing-for-happiness-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=93348AAAB0FE92C6F3A08BF25933D518)
22 May 2024
Singers brought together by happiness research to take to the stage
The event is the grand finale of ground-breaking research by UWE Bristol and St George's Bristol exploring the links between singing and wellbeing.
![A sign with branding of the Future Space lab at UWE's Frenchay campus](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/future-space-expansion-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=EA4ACD0587C4C09E99C8DB97E1D4F4F4)
21 May 2024
Growth for tech innovation in Bristol as Future Space expands
UWE Bristol’s award-winning innovation centre, Future Space, has opened its doors to 10,000 square feet of brand-new office and laboratory facilities.
![A mother lies on a bed alongside her young baby](/-/media/uwe/images/news/motherhood-pandemic-adobestock-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=A5D13C5B88DEC68412A7FE9B32A3D1BD)
01 May 2024
The hidden work of new mothers exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic
New research has uncovered how the pandemic intensified and exposed the immense layers of unpaid work by mothers during maternity leave.
![Female with long fair hair with her back to camera holding a small brown dog in her arms, with the dog facing the camera over her shoulder](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/dog-theft-research-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=6B48D7A7D4C02FE382B0A4E65E6B75E4)
26 April 2024
Study reveals emotional turmoil experienced after dog theft is like that of a caregiver losing a child
A new study led by a UWE Bristol researcher has revealed that emotional turmoil experienced by dog owners after their pet has been stolen is like/ akin to that of losing a loved one such as a caregiver losing their child.
![A billboard in St Werbughs in Bristol shows children's illustrations and the words if racism vanished for day I'd wear my hair like this](/-/media/uwe/images/news/billboard-racism-vanished-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=AEF138B778B4ABA3532A6C5D2630EE94)
26 April 2024
New billboard to encourage conversations about what life might be like without racism
The billboard displays an illustration from the book ‘If Racism Vanished for a Day’, which explores the impact of racism on children's wellbeing.
![A female researcher dressed in protective clothing and safety goggles holding a pipette in a science laboratory](/-/media/uwe/images/news/news-items/research-concordat-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=C75E382A18894215622DD829F01C0DEC)
25 April 2024
UWE Bristol among first organisations to sign agreement to reduce environmental impacts of conducting research
UWE Bristol is among the first organisations to commit to a new national voluntary agreement to progressively embed environmental sustainability into all research and innovation practices.
![Representatives from UWE Bristol join Woodland Heritage and Forest Research with PhD student Alice Dibley](/-/media/uwe/images/news/woodland-heritage-phd-410x230.jpg?h=230&w=410&la=en&hash=45F19ADF3D96E7D660DDA620AEB3F667)
15 March 2024
UWE Bristol announces partnership PhD with Woodland Heritage
A Partnership PhD will research the effects of management practices on Acute Oak Decline and the rhizosphere microbiome of parkland oak trees.