Leading creatives from across the West Midlands have given their backing to the /enterprise/birmingham-channel-4-creatives-relocation-14168603/WMGeneration push to get Channel 4 to move to Birmingham.
First it was - now others have followed.
The West Midlands has been pushing hard, both in the region and in Westminster, to campaign with the Government saying it wants the broadcaster to move out of the capital.
Anisa Haghdadi
Anisa Haghdadi founded The Beatfreeks Collective five years ago with the aim of bringing together a collective of companies and entrepreneurs in Birmingham which will use creativity for good.
Its community is made up of artists, activists, entrepreneurs, designers, technologists, researchers and more.
It currently has three companies in its portfolio - youth engagement agency Young Giant, data think tank Doink and art activism platform Free Radical.
Anisa said: "Brummies are self deprecating - it's our best and sometimes our worst trait.
"We need to be OK to shout at the tops of our voices and tell the world we are worthy. "This is that time. "Channel 4 moving here would make a big statement - for it as an edgy, contemporary broadcaster which seeks to reflect the debate and dialogue of the times and for us as the home of world-class talent with more stories than you could shake a stick at.
"It feels like it is the right time to realise this potential and be OK to say we're great at what we do."
Drew Roper
Drew, 30, founded his own stop-motion animation business in 2009 and has worked with a string of top companies in pursuit of an ambition to make a fully-fledged feature.
鈥淚 just think it鈥檚 the perfect fit for Channel 4 to be here when its target audience is here in the middle of who watches them,鈥 says Drew at his Digbeth studios.
鈥淲e鈥檇 certainly welcome them at Plasticine Palace here.鈥
Below are the thoughts of several other leading creatives who are all hard at work in the Midlands using the local knowledge basis to stretch their wings.
And they all agree on one thing: Channel 4 would be great for Birmingham 鈥 and Birmingham would be great for Channel 4.
Chris Randall
Chris Randall runs an animation studio called in Digbeth and is convinced it would both parties would benefit if Channel 4 moved to Birmingham.
Second Home has garnered multiple BAFTA and Royal Television Society awards in all styles of animation.
It has a reputation across the board for innovative and striking stop-motion, slick CGI and quirky, characterful 2D.
鈥淭he benefits to the channel would mean that they could immerse themselves in their remit of 鈥榬eflecting the cultural diversity of the 海角视频鈥, because that鈥檚 precisely what Birmingham offers,鈥 says Chris.
Mohammed Ali
Birmingham artist Mohammed Ali recently organised the Knights of the Raj exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to illustrate the origins and growth of the city鈥檚 curry houses.
Mohammed said: 鈥淎s an artist, I would absolutely hope that Channel 4 comes here to highlight Birmingham.
鈥淏irmingham is the flag that I am flying and I want my children and grandchildren to think I helped to change the city.
鈥淚 am taking Knights of the Raj to New York next and London will be after that.
鈥淲hat troubles me is that there is a balance that is needed, having travelled around the world expressing my passion for Birmingham.
鈥淏irmingham has an insecurity about itself.
鈥淲e are often too busy trying to present Birmingham as 鈥榯his great place鈥.
鈥淭hat makes me feel uncomfortable, trying to prove that Birmingham is 鈥榓 great place鈥.
鈥淭hat should be organic, so it makes me cringe sometimes.
鈥淭he Raj exhibition would have attracted interest from all over the world if I鈥檇 done that in London first, but here it was comfortable with itself.
鈥淚 support the campaign (to bring Channel 4) here, I understand the logic.
鈥淏ut I am not running after anybody. I say 鈥楥ome to me when you are ready鈥 鈥 I am not chasing after people.
鈥淭hat is the spirit of my work, to show that Birmingham is a place that should be listened to and respected.
鈥淭hen, when people come to Birmingham and you take them round to all places and communities and not just the city centre, they go 鈥榃ow鈥.
鈥淪eeing diverse communities is what impresses people.
鈥淲ho wants to bring anyone alone (to a party) if they are dragging their feet, just so that you can tick a box?
鈥淚s that really going to be fruitful?鈥
Temper
Leading graffiti artist Temper also backs the drive to persuade Channel 4 to move to Birmingham.
鈥淎nything that is creative and supports creative industries is definitely welcome in the region,鈥 he says the Wolverhampton-born artist whose collections include Timeless and Popcorn as well as charity projects like The Big Hoot.
鈥淲hen I was working for Saatchi & Saatchi in London, all but two of the people there were from the Midlands.
鈥淚nstead of people moving to creative industries in London, we have the talent that should be staying here.鈥
Temper, whose ambition is to be asked to paint a graffiti portrait of the Queen, adds: 鈥淐hannel 4 coming to Birmingham would be great for filmmakers, actors and editors.鈥
Marc Silk
is one of the country鈥檚 leading voice actors, working nationally and internationally on everything from Star Wars to Danger Mouse, Go Jetters, Scooby-Doo and Johnny Bravo.
Fresh from hosting Symphonic Star Wars recently at the Royal Albert Hall, Marc says: 鈥淚t would be a smart move for Channel Four to be based in the heart of the 海角视频.
鈥淏ringing Channel 4 to Birmingham will show it鈥檚 commitment to reflecting their public service promise to programme makers and viewers outside of London.
鈥淏irmingham is a desirable place to to live, work and produce creative content.
鈥淐hannel 4 can show its commitment to being innovative and distinctive by being based in our creative city.
鈥淚 perform voice work for television, films, radio, live shows and games.
鈥淚鈥檝e had opportunities that would relocate me to London, Manchester or even New York.
鈥淚 stay in Birmingham because of the great quality of life and the high standard of creative work that I am able to do based here.
鈥淣ew York trips are made easier thanks to Birmingham International Airport being just ten minutes from where I work. It鈥檚 a much easier experience than Heathrow.鈥
Marc, who is the voice of Scooby-Doo and Star Wars: Episode I character Aks Moe, says that when he works in London he can reach studios quicker than friends who live on the outskirts of the capital.
鈥淚t takes me just over an hour to get to London on the train from the NEC,鈥 says Marc.
鈥淭his a young, vibrant city. A fantastic place to experience diverse inspiration for new shows.
鈥淲riters, actors, musicians, technicians, artists and producers 鈥 these talented creative makers are ready to welcome Channel 4 to our city.
鈥淏ringing Channel 4 to Birmingham would be great for us, and great for Channel 4.鈥
The Brothers McLeod
Myles and Greg McLeod run their own BAFTA-award winning 2D animation studio in Stratford-upon-Avon 鈥 but can still see the benefits of a move by Chanel 4l to Birmingham.
Myles says: 鈥淐hannel 4 moving to Birmingham would be very positive for the region.
鈥淓ver since the BBC moved out of Pebble Mill there鈥檚 been a sense that Birmingham is a backwater for the media industry.
鈥淲hen the BBC moved its children鈥檚 department and Five Live up to Manchester that really invigorated the city鈥檚 media scene.
鈥淐hannel 4 moving to Birmingham would surely have a similar impact on the second city.
鈥淭he advantages to the broadcaster probably include lower running costs, which means they could potentially put more money on screen.
鈥淏irmingham is also still not far from the capital and the indies based there so there鈥檚 no major disadvantage in that respect.
鈥淚t鈥檚 too early to tell what effect it would have on our own company, but hopefully if the channel was based in the region it would help local businesses to develop a meaningful relationship.鈥
Shaun Magher
Animation director Shaun Magher runs and is also the lead lecturer on an MA Animation/Games course at Birmingham City University.
He has made ads for The Famous Grouse, Frubes, Fairy, Ribena, Strepsils and Cheese Strings, created station branding for clients including Sony Entertainment Television, Movie Mix, BBC3 and CITV and made many music videos, including one for U2鈥檚 鈥楬old Me, Thrill Me, Kiss me, Kill me鈥.
Shaun says: 鈥淵es! Channel 4 should move to Birmingham.
鈥淭he region needs a major broadcaster that sinks its roots deep.
鈥淭he lack of commitment from the BBC in the region is well documented.
鈥淎 move by Channel 4 will invigorate the local industry on many levels.
鈥淎 broadcaster needs facilities that can support its productions and if this happens, you will see facilities return to the region.
鈥淚t will also mean that the existing companies such as ours, SMA Studios Ltd will have the opportunity to pitch for projects locally.鈥
The majority of SMA鈥檚 work is for clients in London or the US.
Shaun adds: 鈥淚 cannot remember when we created animation content for a broadcaster or agency in the Midlands since working with BBC Pebble Mill or CITV when they were based in the city.
鈥淭he lack of a major broadcaster here has left the region barren. I don鈥檛 really count the pockets of the BBC that exist here.
鈥淭hey are a stipend. A nod to the region to keep the argument that the license fee is poorly distributed nationally at bay.
鈥淎 broadcaster of the importance of Channel 4 will help stem the drain of our talented film and television craftsmen from the area and there are many passionate talented folk here in the Midlands who want to live and work here.
鈥淚 am also a course director at Birmingham City University鈥檚 New Technology Institute and this proposed move would also offer our students fantastic opportunities for the future in many media based disciplines.
鈥淚t would be a win-win situation for this region and a win-win situation for Channel 4 as they would be able to tap into the wealth of talent here.鈥
Lee Kemp
Lee Kemp is a director and producer at working out of the Jewellery Quarter and London on high end commercials while also developing his first feature film script.
Brands that have worked with Vermillion, recognising the high standard of creative talent that exists outside of Soho and Westminster, include Chivas Regal, Team Sky, England Cricket, Polar, Paddy Power, Tough Mudder, Land Rover, Philips and Cisco.
鈥淭here is already a sizeable skill base here that has begun to flourish in recent years following years of atrophy,鈥 says Lee.
鈥淐harles Gurassa鈥檚 comments (as Chairman of Channel 4) are reflective of a pathologically London-centric approach and a regional prejudice that is out of date and lazy.
鈥淣ot only is there historical precedent for regional bases such as Pebble Mill in Birmingham and ITV hubs all over the country, but the current success stories of BBC Drama in Cardiff or BBC Natural History in Bristol demonstrate the model works.
鈥淢averick and North One have made hugely successful, award-winning, groundbreaking television out of Birmingham. Indeed much of it for Channel 4. 鈥淪o, frankly, Charles Gurassa can wind his neck in.
鈥淭he remit to develop talent around the 海角视频 is better served by a Birmingham base given our hugely convenient communications links to the rest of the country.
鈥淣ot only does this work for freelance production and creative talent but also the reduced living costs mean Channel 4 can deliver its remit with significantly lower staff costs.
鈥淚 understand the reluctance to uproot an established and successful organisation but there is a publicly funded obligation to work outside of London and Birmingham represents the best value for money and best regional opportunity to do that.
鈥淔or my company, Vermillion Films, it would mean greater access to creative talent, an increase in crew and craft skills such as costume and camera and this would in turn increase the ability of London based companies to operate regionally.
鈥淟arge London equipment rental companies and other companies have recently been looking at expanding into the this city and I know from detailed conversations that Birmingham is often seen as on the cusp of the risk envelope.
鈥淎 move by a major broadcaster would make this a no-brainer for many of these companies.鈥
In recent years Vermillion has produced work for national and global brands in the city, around the country and across the world.
Lee adds: 鈥淲hen the Liberal Democrat party wanted to produce something different and more creative for Vince Cable鈥檚 message for New Year 2017 and look forward to 2018, they chose Vermillion.
鈥淔or those people who don鈥檛 want to move up here we do just as good, bullsh*t, hipster, veganuary organic soy latte frapucinnos as that little place on Poland Street.
鈥淎nd your one bed Tokyo-style-living shoe box in Brixton will get you a 2,500 square foot Javelin Block converted Brooklyn-style loft apartment in Birmingham with polished concrete floor and zinc clad kitchen.鈥
