BBC Studioworks to operate new Glasgow TV studio

BBC Studioworks is to operate a new TV studio at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, as it looks to open additional studio spaces across the UK.

The 10,500 sq ft studio, co-funded by the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council, is set to open in autumn 2022 and will house a wide array of entertainment shows across multiple genres.

The facility will be multi-camera, offering “state-of-the-art” gallery suites and ancillary areas including dressing rooms, a green room and offices to meet the needs of production.

Investment for the studio complex has come via the Scottish Government through Screen Scotland (£7.9m) and Glasgow City Council (£4m). The studio will be a catalyst to fuel the growth of the sector, boost local jobs and support the development of a skilled and diverse Scottish workforce.

The location of Kelvin Hall, in the heart of Glasgow, makes it easy for studio audiences, production crew and on-screen talent to access. The studio is built to be sustainable, using 100% renewable energy and designed for LED lighting.

Andrew Moultrie, CEO, BBC Studioworks, said: “Glasgow is a key creative hub, laying the foundations for our expansion outside London. Kelvin Hall provides much needed purpose-built studio space in Scotland, meeting growing demand from broadcasters, production companies and SVODs alike to produce there. Drawing on our decades of expertise and unrivalled customer service, we will help grow the local workforce to deliver more local productions and support the continued development of sector-specific skills in Scotland.”

Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, added: “Today’s announcement that BBC Studioworks will be the tenant operator of Kelvin Hall is fantastic news for the city. BBC Studioworks will draw on their wealth of experience in the industry to develop Kelvin Hall as an important and attractive film and television location, continuing Glasgow’s rise in this sector. Kelvin Hall will be a nationally significant production facility that will enable productions and jobs to stay and grow in the city, further driving the development of our thriving creative industries, and adding to Glasgow’s economic growth.”

Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson, said: “Our level of investment in Kelvin Hall, £7.9m, reflects the confidence we have in our fast-growing screen industries. There is unprecedented interest in Scotland as a production hub and Kelvin Hall will be a welcome addition to the growing range of studio space being used by film and television productions. We are working with partners to maximise the opportunities offered by the studio to develop expertise in the entertainment genre and build on existing skills and training schemes to further develop a sustainable creative economy.”

David Smith, director of screen at Screen Scotland, added: “It is almost two years since we first met with BBC Studioworks to discuss their ambitions for an entertainment-focused studio outwith London. We have worked with them, alongside the fantastic team at Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government since early 2020 to land this opportunity for Scotland. We look forward to working with BBC Studioworks on training and skills development opportunities around the Kelvin Hall studio, and with the BBC’s commissioning team on all of the new programmes and series from Scotland that will be made in the decades to come.”

PICTURED: From left (Tim Davie, director general, BBC; Angus Robertson, cabinet secretary for constitution, external affairs and culture; Andrew Moutrie, CEO, BBC Studioworks; Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council; Iain Munro, chief executive of Creative Scotland)