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Last week, a group of key leaders from the Â鶹ԼÅÄ in Birmingham made the short trip up the A38 and gathered at our site at the Drama Village in Selly Oak to share challenges as we embark upon rebuilding and increasing our presence in the city and region. 

The visit to the campus we share with the University of Birmingham was a fantastic reminder of the wealth and range of output we continue to deliver for audiences.

Over 200 hours of drama a year come from this hidden gem of a site, including Father Brown, Doctors, and WPC 56 – all filmed on location in the region and a great place for expanding our talent and craft base. The Â鶹ԼÅÄ Drama Village team are also currently working on a new comedy drama pilot filmed entirely in Birmingham, a collaboration with the Â鶹ԼÅÄ comedy unit – which we’d like to develop further. 

There’s been plenty of activity in the last month. have been filming at the Black Country Living Museum and Sir Bradley Wiggins made a surprise cameo on The Archers. There was also the announcement of a about life growing up in Dudley for Â鶹ԼÅÄ One

Last weekend saw the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Learning team set up camp at the NEC’s Big Bang Fair where the themes of technology, broadcasting and gaming were brought to life for young people interested in production and future media careers. Meanwhile the finals of the Songs of Praise: School Choir of the Year were being recorded in front of an audience at the International Convention Centre last Saturday where judges included Choir supremo Gareth Malone and Brummie songstress Laura Mvula.

These types of events are a great way of connecting with audiences and it’s very much our ambition to bring other big events and brands to Birmingham alongside opening up our buildings to our viewers and listeners

We have been doing some hard thinking on how we organize ourselves to become an integral part of the creative rebirth of a city that, despite the challenging times, is on the cusp of embracing new opportunities.

Birmingham has the youngest population of any European city – over 40% of our residents are under the age of 25. We are one of the most diverse cities in the world with 124 different languages being spoken. There’s a massive untapped pool of talent, ideas and skills that we need to embrace and develop for the future of the Â鶹ԼÅÄ and Birmingham as a whole.

This city has a proud tradition of arts and culture that continues to grow – from dance to opera, digital media to performance. The new public library includes one of the most extensive digital archives in the country and contains a new home and performing space for the Birmingham Rep – the sort of innovative partnership we seek to emulate.

Â鶹ԼÅÄ Birmingham wants to build on these initiatives and I very much hope to have an open and constructive dialogue with local partners to enhance our presence in the city. As well as creating new content, we also want to become more of a catalyst for creativity – where people meet and spark off each other.

Last week, the new library hosted the Birmingham Film & TV Summit – an opportune moment to discuss and reflect on where we are as a region. 

I was invited along with freelance producers, independent TV companies, film agencies and skills bodies to discuss the past, present and future of broadcasting in the region. An open and frank exchange of viewpoints, raised many important questions.

The one theme that many of us shared was our desire to create a story for Birmingham that would put us back on the broadcasting map. It won’t be an easy fix - but with a sustained commitment and collaborative approach, I am confident that good times really can lie ahead.

We need to focus on our own strengths if we are to re-assert ourselves and become an intrinsic part of the Â鶹ԼÅÄ offer to audiences – locally, nationally, and globally.

With this in mind, the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Two documentary series  fronted by Evan Davies has been the big talking point in many of my conversations over the last few weeks.

The documentary raised some interesting points on the relationship between London and the rest of the country – I didn’t concur with everything Evan said, however he certainly made valid points worthy of greater thought and discussion.

In particular, the model of clustering businesses has seen the creative resurgence of parts of East London and indeed Salford.  Areas that were once industrial wastelands have been transformed through a mix of private and public investment. The bars, restaurants, retail outlets and cafés followed to create vibrant urban neighbourhoods where people rub shoulders and build powerful alliances.

The Eastside of Birmingham is one area that is certainly looking to build the opportunities of the future.

Last week I attended the opening of Birmingham City University’s new Parkside building by the former Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Heseltine. The impressive site houses the Birmingham Institute of Art & Design and Birmingham School of Media – a campus that has opened four new television and six new radio studios – and which has ambitions to provide the most significant cluster of state of the art facilities between London and Salford.

A group of us from the Â鶹ԼÅÄ were also shown around the neighbouring (BOA). The academy houses almost a thousand 14-19 year old students, from across a range of backgrounds and academic ability, creating the right conditions for these students to excel in the creative, digital and performing arts – Brum’s own Brit School.

These students are the talent of the future. The emphasis on excellence through teaching, partnerships and industry links are destined to create the all-important pathways into the creative industries. I was inspired by their vision, drive and energy – certainly attributes that we at the Â鶹ԼÅÄ in Birmingham need to tap into as we ourselves embark on our own journey of creative renewal.

Birmingham City Council along with the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP have commissioned a feasibility study to develop a new ‘Digbeth Digital Studios’ complex sitting in the heart of this emerging Creative Quarter. Potentially, it’s visionary stuff and we are very much open to establishing closer links and play an active role in helping the vision become a reality.

Throw in the fact that they are located just a short walk across the new Eastside Park from the site of the proposed high speed rail station at Curzon Street, and you can just begin to imagine the potential.

I look forward to attending next week’s conference hosted by Birmingham City University. A great panel of contributors will debate, discuss and analyse future media trends.

It’s an opportunity for us to  look ahead and I’m delighted that we’ll have a significant Â鶹ԼÅÄ presence at the event including our Head of Strategy & Digital, James Purnell; Ben Cooper, Controller, Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 1 and Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 1Xtra; Inderpreet Sahota from the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Asian Network and Joe Harland, Head of Visualisation, Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 1 and Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 1Xtra.

We're renowned for not being easily impressed - The Brummie self-deprecation is what makes us what we are, but I do think it’s time to roll our sleeves up and shout about the great opportunities we have to offer as a city and region as opposed to what we believe we are owed due to our supposed ‘second city’ status.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a dose of healthy cynicism to keep us Brummies grounded, but when you start thinking about what this city and region has to offer – you can’t help but be optimistic.

 is Head of Business Development, Â鶹ԼÅÄ Birmingham.

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