New studio complex planned for North East
- Details
A planning application has been submitted for The Northern Studios - a Hartlepool-based, 30,000sq.ft film and TV studio and production facility designed in partnership with Logic Architecture.
The new development would provide the North East with its first dedicated production facility capable of housing large-scale film and TV production. It will support specialist technical and skills training for undergraduates on a range of creative degree programmes available at The Northern School of Art, but will also be available for commercial studio use, allowing business users to take advantage of the specialised technical equipment for stage, screen and events production.
Pat Chapman, vice-principal (employability and external relations) at The Northern School of Art, comments: “As the specialist provider of education and training for the creative industries in the region, we are delighted to have taken this important next step in bringing about a new chapter of ambition and regeneration for the North East. The Northern School of Art has a clear role in championing the growing creative sector in the region and taking positive steps to help it grow in value and employment.
“The Northern School of Art is a long-established provider of degree programmes in the screen and stage industries, if approved, the development of the new studios will provide much-needed commercial studio space to accommodate the growing number of production and filming companies in the area as well as providing a focus for the local employment of our talented graduates.”
The plans include a flexible commercial sound stage for TV and features production, a green screen/smaller studio for visual/special effects and corporate filming as well as a training studio for students. The studios will also incorporate large workshop spaces with industrial scale 3D scanning and printing facilities for set and prop construction for the screen, stage and events industries, offices, parking, storage and a café/visitor centre for use by commercial crew, visitors and school visits.
The planning application, which will now be considered by the Hartlepool Borough Council, forms part of a wider plan which supports the development of a new ‘creative district’ - including The BIS - Whitby Street Studios,which will provide 28 serviced studios for a growing network of small to medium creative businesses when it opens in the spring. The BIS can support the new studios and the wider regeneration of the area, by providing a base for production companies and related businesses.
(Jim Evans)
