TV folk make good neighbours, it seems, so canny local authorities are keen to support our industry, says Lynn Barlow
You will have spotted the rise in Bristol voices entertaining us on TV – Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws, Daisy May Cooper in Rain Dogs and, airing this month, Ruby Speaking, co-created by and starring Jayde Adams.
They share more than just the vernacular and location. All three series are warmly wrapped in empathy for their characters’ less-than-straightforward lifestyles and draw strongly on the colourful and complicated city itself.
Bristol took centre stage in The Outlaws. Adams uses her home patch – the southern slopes of Bedminster and Southville – to reveal her story as Ruby in the call centre comedy.
The production team at Yellow Door, which made Ruby Speaking for ITVX, was committed to casting local acting talent and providing that all-important first break for a newbie. Dan Hiscox, who plays Craig, was cast following an open call; 650 people applied for the part and 31 people were seen. Dan’s was the second tape received. Kiera Lester, who plays Melons, is a recent graduate of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
No wonder the RTS West of England preview of Ruby Speaking went down a storm with the home crowd.
One of the reasons for investment in the UK’s nations and regions is to provide opportunities for varying perspectives, and to discover different voices and to tell different stories.
Naturally, there is a sizeable economic return to be had, too. We also know that there is evidence linking the arts to increased wellbeing. The stronger the creative and cultural industries in a city or region, the more attractive it is.
Bristol is regularly rated as one of the best places to live and work in the UK. Of course, that’s not solely down to the people who are employed in the creative industries, but we do have a major role to play.
The rise of the Bristol voice is in no small part due to a £12m investment from the regional government, the West of England Combined Authority, into TBY2, an extension to The Bottle Yard Studios.
Last month, TBY2 won the Sustainable Initiative Award at Screen International’s inaugural Global Production Awards at the Cannes Film Festival for its solar rooftop array. There are more than 2,300 photovoltaic panels. “With its solar rooftop, Bottle Yard is putting in the work to maintain studio backlot and sustainability standards and it is working with the community to make it happen,” noted one of the judges.
The development is on course to deliver 1,000 new jobs in one of Bristol’s least affluent neighbourhoods.
The range of work undertaken at The Bottle Yard Studios is like the city itself: eclectic and shot through with a creative independence. Shows include Andy’s Global Adventures (CBeebies), The Flatshare (Paramount+), Am I Being Unreasonable? (BBC One), Showtrial (BBC One), McDonald & Dodds (ITV) and, of course, Poldark (BBC One) and Broadchurch (ITV).
None of this would have happened without writers. Later this month, the first cohort from Channel 4’s new writers programme in the region will “graduate”. Channel 4 has collaborated with the BFI, Unesco City of Film, the University of the West of England and The Bottle Yard Studios to support 13 new writers from across the region. They have completed a 10-month development programme.
The West of England Combined Authority is now in the final stages of considering how a regional production fund might be established, which would be an important step forward to establishing a bigger collaborative structure.
This is our moment to leverage the creative power of the city and the surrounding region. Listen out for more Bristol voices very soon.
Lynn Barlow is Assistant Vice-Chancellor at the University of the West of England, Bristol. She is also the English Regions Trustee of the RTS.
