Screen Staffordshire update – March 2025

Throughout March, our new film office continued to grow at pace ahead of our official launch in June.  

Our broad aim of stimulating economic growth and impact in both the long and short term is a key factor in the decisions we make, and actions we take. Naturally, with a desire to support the UK Film and TV Sector well into the future, it’s important that we engage with the potential crews of tomorrow wherever we can.  

To that end, we were delighted to be invited along to Stoke-on-Trent College as part of National Careers Week! The the film office shared insights into the sector with a cohort of Media students, highlighting the vast array of careers in the industry.  

Rather serendipitously, a local freelancer (and University of Staffordshire student) undertook a crewing role on a local commercial production the very same week – the first paid work for local crew secured by Screen Staffordshire, who were approached by the production company directly for support. And, to boot, some lovely words of feedback: “The film office team could not have been more helpful, and the crew were excellent. A very positive experience!” 

Conversely, in the short term, the film office has been working hard to ensure that the right people know who we are and what we have to offer; catch ups with industry figures at both the Liverpool Locations Crew Night and Filming in England Industry Mixer in MediaCity have provided great opportunities in March for this, alongside going to see Location Managers (who, in many cases, are old friends). One such figure has a CV boasting such recent work as Toxic Town (Netflix), A Gentleman in Moscow (Paramount+) and The Full Monty (Disney+); the other’s featuring Peaky Blinders (BBC), Everyone Else Burns (Channel 4) and This Town (BBC), amongst many others.  

Additionally, we were really excited to go and visit the sets of a HETV Drama and a feature film that are both shooting with us in county – plus, it was wonderful to meet with Shine TV, in Masterchef’s new home of Digbeth. We also showed some very prominent Location Scouts and Producers around, which we can’t expand on too much right now, but watch this space! 

Whilst the film office is, naturally, here to support production, it can only do so by presenting our whole offer to them; to do that, we recognise the need to get to know as many local stakeholders as we possibly can. My new colleagues have been ever-present in supporting this endeavour – our Film Office Manager’s invite to attend the (brilliant) Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Tourism Awards presented the perfect opportunity to meet very best in the sector across the county, and we were pleased to get some time in with Staffordshire Police, Fire & Rescue too!  

Speaking at the Visitor Collective at the Emma Bridgewater was two birds with one stone; meeting brilliant people, at a very exciting location; a tour of Shugborough Hall presented a similar opportunity too. Photography of these locations helped us to add nine new locations to the Filming in England Locations Directory, as we build to having our own in time for our launch.  

The film office also joined its first Film Offices UK meeting; attended by those said on the tin, where current goings-on, opportunities and challenges were shared, in addition to best practice.  

Onwards and Upwards for April!