Cornwall's screen industry is to be given a boost after funding for Screen Cornwall was secured through the Shared Prosperity Fund.
Screen Cornwall, received £395,650, and is set to grow Cornwall's film sector, raise the profile or Cornish media, including Cornish language content, plus extend its outreach and talent development programme.
The successful funding bid follows research conducted by Screen Cornwall, funded by the BFI (British Film Institute), which found the screen industry in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has the potential to become a “cluster of national significance”, building on growing momentum for Cornish independent films and location filming.
Recent figures calculated using Creative England’s Local Economic Impact Toolkit, suggests that film and TV currently contribute just over £5m in GVA to the Cornish economy.
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Screen Cornwall has received £395,650 from the Ƶ Government's Ƶ Shared Prosperity Fund. The money was allocated from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Cultural Events and Talent Programme, which has been earmarked for £4.4m of investment from Cornwall and Scilly's three-year £132m Shared Prosperity Fund allocation. Cornwall Council has been chosen by Government as the lead authority for the fund.
The success of domestic independent filmmaking rooted in Cornish heritage – such as Mark Jenkin’s BAFTA-winning 2019 debut Bait, and 2022 follow up Enys Men – coupled with Cornwall's long-standing popularity for inbound location filming with international titles like HBO’s House of the Dragon and most recently a second series of the BBC's Death in Paradise spin-off Beyond Paradise, is said to provide a foundation for "sustainable growth" for businesses, specialist freelancers and creative talent.
Screen Cornwall’s managing director Laura Giles said: “A diverse and robust talent pipeline is vital to developing a healthy screen ecosystem, so people are at the heart of our vision for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to become the Ƶ’s most vibrant rurally dispersed content production region.”
Screen Cornwall said it will continue to build links with local education providers so that new entrants can build essential credits on their CV.
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