North East Screen Industries Development Programme

Project Overview 

The North East of England has a long history of investing in the cultural and creative industries and in recent years, this commitment has been further extended through particular focus on the contribution of the creative industries – and its strategic development – to local economic regeneration plans. 

The North East Screen Industries Partnership (NESIP) is a new vehicle, established to facilitate the strategic development of the TV & screen industry in the region, including screen industries and FE / HE organisations building creative talent in the region. It supports North East Screen, the regional screen agency to deliver the objectives of NESIP. 

NESIP was formed by Combined and Local Authorities from across the North East region to level up the regional film and TV industries by more than doubling its 2019 share of the UK production market and delivering an annual economic impact to the regional economy of £88m. 

BBC Partnership 

In September 2021 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between NESIP and the BBC.  This formally signified the beginning of a long-term partnership and the signatories commit to working together in the coming years to ensure that the delivery of the specific components contained within the agreement to provide the foundations for sustainable growth and catalyse a broader renaissance of the North East’s creative and screen economy. 

The MOU set out our shared ambitions for audiences and creators and the wider screen industries in the North East. It has been informed by the BBC’s need to serve its audiences by reflecting, representing and serving the diverse communities of the UK’s nations and regions, the requirements of the North East’s ambitious local creative content sector, and the region’s particular characteristics. 

The BBC will work with NESIP and local partners in the North East to support sustainable growth in the regional production economy and to highlight the BBC’s cultural and economic contribution to the region. 

Aims and Objectives of the project 

NESIP is jointly investing £11.4m over a five-year period to deliver a new Screen Industries Development Programme maximising opportunities for significant growth within the screen industries sector and developing a thriving and sustainable ecosystem. 

The Screen Industries Development Programme is focused on economic recovery, regeneration, and growth through the sustainable development of the screen industries.  This will be achieved through activity which:  

• Strengthens infrastructure;  
• Grows the sector: job creation and business creation, growth, and resilience;  
• Develops, attracts and retains talent;  
• Positively raises the profile of the region and builds wider awareness of the activity and offer of the screen industries; and  
• Supports the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s agenda to attract inward investment.