Action, not Talk
28
November 2001 
Printable version
Speech given
at the Television from the Nations and Regions Conference, Salford -
Creative Cities Session
The Creative Cities that
I'm concerned with are the three vibrant and creative bases of
Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow. It's from these cities that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
is launching the most radical shift of network commissioning ever seen
by any broadcaster in Britain. This is action, not talk.
Already, in this financial
year, the network commissions from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
in the genres of Drama, Entertainment, Factual and Music & Arts
have increased by 28% to Β£70 million; and they are planned to
rise by a further 14% to Β£78.1 million in 2002/03. Commissions
in Children's, Current Affairs, Education and Feature Films account
for a further Β£9 million. And there is yet further investment
of Β£33 million going into programmes specifically designed for
the audiences in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is not doing
this for reasons of political correctness or industry point-scoring.
It's doing it because it recognises that the audience - across
the UK - wants to see itself reflected to the rest of the UK. That an
effective UK broadcaster has a responsibility for encouraging a diversity
of views about how we live today, and that you can only do that with
programme-makers rooted in their own communities and cultures. And that
there has been an historic imbalance of investment - both in funding
and in talent - to encourage programme-makers to deliver effectively
from the great cities of Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow.
To deliver this - and
to deliver it so we win the absolute trust and confidence of the network
commissioners - the Creative Cities are going to need to be populated
with Creative People - and lots of them. Execs, Producers, Directors,
Designers, DoPs, Artists, Actors, Entertainers and Presenters. We need
to focus all the talents and experience that already exist in these
Nations, and enhance them with names old and new, people who can recognise
the new network energies emerging and who want to be part of them. A
reverse Β‘brain-drain' if you like.
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will not, cannot,
do this on its own. It will need partnerships: with Independent producers;
with other broadcasters where appropriate - Stuart (Cosgrove) and I
are already working closely over our mutual talent needs; with local
authorities and development agencies; with PACT; and with the freelance
community.
So it is with great
pleasure that I can use this opportunity to announce a brand new initiative
in a partnership between the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and The Research Centre to establish
a Producer Development Programme. This will be modelled on their highly-successful
Researcher Development Programme and fully-funded by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Nations &
Regions. It is aimed at experienced programme-makers in the indie and
freelance marketplace with a strong network track-record, who are either
currently working in the three nations or who wish to relocate and live
and work in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The programme will
deliver a range of high-level masterclasses aimed at building the network
skills - particularly to Executive Producer levels - in the Nations.
The programme will start in April 2002 and run for one year, with around
9 places available.
I intend this as only
one of a range of initiatives to support the in-house and indie network
television teams in Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow, ensuring that they
are in as strong a position as possible to deliver to all the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's
network television outlets. It should be the start of a Β‘Nations
Network' a loose federation of those programme-makers committed
to living and working in the Nations, but committed to providing the
best of network television as well.
We are being set stretching
targets by the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ in all genres, and they will only be met if we can
win, not only the commissions, but the full and continuing trust of
the commissioners. They need to believe in their hearts - not just in
their policy pronouncements - that we have the talent and imagination
to meet their needs. We have great indigenous strengths - which are
often undervalued - and we need to draw on them, but also supplement
them with new people, new energies, new thoughts that make us truly
competitive. We need to let out our little secret - remind the expats
- and tell the harassed metropolitan commuter - that to work in Wales,
Scotland or Northern Ireland is not only to have a fantastic quality
of life, but a terrific slate of creative programmes too.
