The Scottish Government has announced that BBC Studioworks, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC, is to operate the new £11.9 million TV studio at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow.
The Kelvin Hall Film and Broadcast Studio Hub has been jointly funded by the Scottish Government through Screen Scotland with £7.9 million and Glasgow City Council with £4 million.
“The 10,500 sq ft studio will be operated by BBC Studioworks, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC providing studios and post-production services to companies including the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and Netflix,” said the Scottish Government.
“Kelvin Hall in Glasgow’s west end, will become the Scottish hub for major TV broadcasters and production companies and will help meet the growing demand for TV shows in Scotland when it opens next autumn.
“As well as fuelling the growth of the sector, Kelvin Hall is expected to boost local jobs and support the development of a skilled and diverse Scottish workforce.
“Through their Across the UK Strategy, the BBC is expected to spend an extra £700m cumulatively across the UK by 2027/28.”
BBC Studioworks CEO Andrew Moultrie said: “Glasgow is a key creative hub, laying the foundations for our expansion outside London.
“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.”
Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken said: “Today’s announcement that BBC Studioworks will be the tenant operator of Kelvin Hall is fantastic news for the city.
“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.”
Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson said: “Our level of investment in Kelvin Hall, £7.9m, reflects the confidence we have in our fast-growing screen industries.
“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.”
David Smith, Director of Screen at Screen Scotland, said: “It is almost two years since we first met with BBC Studioworks to discuss their ambitions for an entertainment focused studio outwith London.
“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.”