Huge win for Tees Valley’s screen industries as Tees Valley Screen was awarded the Centre Award at Saturday night’s Royal Television Society, North East and Borders ceremony! The prestigious Centre Award goes to the person, team or organisation whose work has made an outstanding contribution to any aspect of the film and TV industry.
Supported by the European Regional Development Fund, Tees Valley Screen develops SMEs and companies across the film, television, artist moving image and broader screen industries.
Launched in March 2019, the first year of the project has resulted in huge growth for the region. Aided by the TVS Production Service, approximately £1.4m was spent by visiting productions in the Tees Valley. Supported by Arts Council England, TVS commissioned an Artist Residencies programme alongside Creative Factory and The Auxiliary, supporting two artists with a screen-based practice to develop new works using experimental technology.
In association with BFI.NETWORK, TVS produced six microshorts, showcasing the brilliant, surreal and unexpected comedy that defines the Tees Valley region. Some of the talent who worked on these microshorts went on to join the North East Comedy Hot House x Channel 4 original comedy project. Elsewhere, TVS host regular Screen Socials, one-to-one Surgeries, and meetings with their Steering Group – supporting the region’s screen industries and meeting the needs of the sector in any way they can.
Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, said: ‘We have an amazing wealth of creative talent here in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool with film directors Tony Scott, Sir Ridley Scott and artist Mackenzie Thorpe learning their craft at the West Hartlepool College of Art.
We are committed to supporting, developing and championing screen industries in our region and this success by Tees Valley Screen shows we have the talent to be proud of.
We know the value that the film industry can bring to our region, that’s why I signed off £6millon for Hartlepool’s Innovation and Skills Quarter, including the BIS workspace for creative industries, and £14.5million for a purpose-built, state-of-the-art building in the centre of Middlesbrough for The Northern School of Art. These investments in our creative talent reflect our ambitious agenda for economic growth, which Tees Valley Screen will continue to play a great part of.
Investment into our creative and cultural industries is a key pillar of our Strategic Economic Plan and has been from day one. The sector-specific development programme, Tees Valley Screen, is indicative of our long-term ambition for the sector in our region and the growing momentum of work undertaken to date: Tees Valley is on an exciting journey. Tees Valley has high ambitions, is committed to the journey and has much to offer to partners in the screen industries.’
Alison Gwynn, acting Managing Director of NFM, adds: ‘We are absolutely delighted that our Tees Valley Screen has won the Centre Award! The project is still in its infancy, but this award is testament to how much we’ve managed to achieve in just one year. Roll on year two, we can’t wait to see what it brings for the region!’.
We are so proud of our team!