Britain’s Creative Greenhouse Channel 4: working across the UK Location, Location, Location Hollyoaks Posh Pawn What’s inside Introduction 02 At a glance 04 Map: Where we work 06 Indies 08 Talent 14 Map: Reflecting the UK 20 Spotlights 22 WORKING ACROSS THE UK 01 Gadget Man Introduction Countdown Throughout our history, Channel 4 Our strategy for building a sustainable Channel 4 acts as a creative has commissioned from a huge sector outside London focuses on Connecting greenhouse. We nurture range of independent production facilitating contact between indies and companies across the UK and can point commissioners, seed-funding via our commissioners and bring to fruition new to numerous success stories. We have Alpha Fund, investment in talent and a continuing ambition to build a network skills development, and therefore with indies: creative and digital ideas, of programme suppliers of the highest growing hubs of creative excellence and in the process we drive calibre from across the UK. across the UK. • We facilitated 258 economic growth, create Since its launch, Channel 4 has invested Since 2011, the Alpha Fund has days of contact between £12.3 billion in content, with £455 million provided seed funding to independent jobs and support hundreds spent on UK-originated programming in production companies outside London commissioners and indies of SMEs across the UK. 2015. Each year we work with nearly 300 to develop their creative offering. and creative companies production companies across TV, digital The fund has helped to transform in the Nations in 2015 and film, accounting for 37% of all public the creative contribution of multiple Channel 4 is unique among public service broadcasters’ spending on UK companies all over the UK, increasing • 525 attendees from over service broadcasters in having a independent production. In doing so, we both their creative expertise and 338 production companies commission from more TV production business scale. publisher-broadcaster model. at 21 briefings, including 7 Unlike others, everything we air companies than BBC1, BBC2, ITV or is commissioned from external Channel 5, and more than ITV and We have regional offices in Manchester genre briefings and 4 shorts production companies. Channel 5 combined. and Glasgow. The Manchester office briefings houses our Northern sales team. Our Alongside our not-for-profit model, As stipulated by Ofcom, 35% of Nations and Regions team, based in • Cities visited include this means that Channel 4’s revenues all our hours and spend on original Glasgow, is a strategic arm of Channel 4 Glasgow, Belfast, Manchester, are invested back into content, going programming must come from content commissioning. The department Cardiff, Leeds, Bristol, outside of London. Channel 4 has provides strategic input, development straight into the creative economy Newcastle and Edinburgh and supporting the independent further increased its commitment to funding via the Alpha Fund, creative production in the devolved Nations, briefing and partnership to the best production sector – and all at no • Our annual Meet the cost to the taxpayer. In fiscal terms, from a quota of 3% to a commitment and most ambitious regionally-based Channel 4’s activities generate a £1.1 that 9% of its main channel programme indies across the UK. Commissioners event billion contribution to UK GDP each hours and spend will come from in London, run with PACT, year, and support 19,000 jobs across the Nations by 2020. saw 46 commissioners the UK. conduct 200 meetings with independent production companies over two days WORKING WORKING 02 ACROSS THE UK ACROSS THE UK 03 At a glance Over £1bn Fifteen to One spent on content from Food Unwrapped outside of London in the last 10 years Cucumber 9% of first-run originations programme £ 149m 53 % £28m hours were sourced spent on production of first-run originations from suppliers in the spent on production outside of London programme hours were Nations (2015) (2015) sourced from suppliers in the Nations (2015) outside of London 39% of the value of 21 indie briefing 7% of the value of Ofcom target: first-run originations sessions held outside first-run originations 9% of Channel 4 main was spent outside of London (2015) was spent in the channel programme of London (2015) Nations (2015) hours and spend coming from the Nations by 2020 WORKING WORKING 04 ACROSS THE UK ACROSS THE UK 05 Glasgow Where Birmingham Homes by the Sea – True North we work Supershoppers – Firecrest Films Gadget Man – North One Television Channel 4’s work and impact can be felt all over the UK. The map opposite details the locations of just some of our TV production partners, Film4 shooting locations, Games Leeds production partners, and our offices. Television programmes All 4 Games Higher education • Born Naughty? – commissions from partnerships and Birmingham • Tag Games – Dundee PTS locations (Maverick Television) • Chunk Games – Glasgow • Abertay University – Dundee • One Born Every Minute – • Lucid Games – Liverpool • De Montfort University Bristol (Dragonfly) • Pathos – Bolton – Leicester • Dispatches – • Crash Lab – East Midlands • Durham University Manchester (Blakeway) • Big Bit, Paper Seven – • Full Fat TV – Birmingham • Homes by the Sea – Brighton • Waddell Media – Belfast Leeds (True North) • Trusted Developments – • Newry – Northern Ireland Cardiff • Fifteen to One – Glasgow Oxford (Remedy Productions) • Strawdog Studios – Derby • Unreported World – Independent production • Evil Twin Artworks – Swindon Oxford (Quicksilver Media) company briefings • Underage and Gay – Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff (Rondo/Yeti) Film 4 shooting locations Cardiff, Leeds, Bristol, • Food Unwrapped – • High-Rise – Belfast Belfast, PACT London Revenge Porn – TiFiNi Brighton (Ricochet) • Starred Up – Belfast • Supershoppers – • The Selfish Giant – Bradford Channel 4 offices Glasgow (Firecrest Films) • The Lobster – Republic Manchester, Glasgow, Manchester • Gadget Man – Birmingham of Ireland London (Headquarters) Oxford (North One TV) • 71’ – Liverpool, Leeds • No Offence – and Blackburn C4 Pop Ups Manchester (Abbottvision) • Catch Me Daddy – Oldham Bournemouth, Norwich, Brighton • Jamie and Jimmy’s • Macbeth – Scotland Friday Night Feast – Wolverhampton, Preston, • Under the Skin – Scotland Brighton (Fresh One) Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, • Mr. Turner – South Yorkshire • Revenge Porn – Doncaster, Corby, Leicester Unreported World – Quicksilver Media • How I Live Now – Wales Cardiff (TiFiNi) • How to Talk to Girls at No Offence – Abbottvision • Inside Lego At Christmas – Regional sales offices Parties – Sheffield Belfast (Waddell Media) Belfast, Dublin Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast – Fresh One WORKING WORKING 06 ACROSS THE UK ACROSS THE UK 07 True North Leeds Gok's Fill Your House for Free Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It Supporting indies True North is an independent production company based in Leeds, producing programmes across an eclectic range The Growth Fund has been of genres including documentaries, instrumental in supporting a children’s content, factual, features, sustained period of expansion for Raise the Roof and factual entertainment. True North, helping the company Glasgow build a bridge from its base in From the early days hot-desking Creative Director, Sarah Walmsley says: Run by founders Andrew Sheldon and Jess Fowle, and supported by Managing the North of England to the rapidly at Channel 4’s Glasgow office, the “We’re keen to take on Channel 4 evolving global television market. trajectory of Raise the Roof Productions trainees whenever the opportunity Director Marc Allen, True North’s hit shows include Building the Dream, has been impressive. arises. They’re always of the highest Andrew Sheldon, Creative Director and Founder, True North standard and working with them has, Homes by the Sea, Too Many Cooks and Raise the Roof has gone on to produce without exception, been beneficial to The Last Leg Goes Down Under. In 2014, 242 hours of television for Channel 4. the company.” Channel 4 invested in True North through its £20 million indie Growth Fund, which Their most recent commissions include The company also provides an important supports creative SMEs to grow and the returning series, Goks' Fill Your As well as welcoming trainees, Raise training ground for new production talent remain independent without the need House for Free, and a brand new the Roof works closely with Channel 4 in the North of England. Their connection to consolidate with other production format, Big House, Little House. to support skills and talent development to Channel 4 has bolstered their companies or seek private investment in Glasgow. They have received long-standing commitment to nurturing loans. Channel 4’s investment was Launched in June 2010, they quickly development money through the Alpha diverse talent, with four BAME trainees critical in supporting True North to retain won their first commission,Vacation Fund and have worked together with recruited in the past 15 months, as well and expand its Northern base, without Vacation Vacation, and moved into their Channel 4 on schemes to develop as the placing of other candidates from the need to build a presence in London. own space in The Hub at Glasgow’s more senior members of staff. diverse backgrounds. Pacific Quay. Their focus on long running, returning formats, including Since Channel 4’s investment, Phil Spencer: Secret Agent, has True North has expanded its presence at allowed the company to invest in staff Media City in Manchester, grown