Rising stars in the West Midlands’ fast-growing creative industries are set to benefit from a new round of funding to develop ideas for TV, film, and digital platforms. Mayor Richard Parker has announced that the West Midlands IP Fund will reopen for applications later this month, offering grants of up to £20,000.
The fund has already proven its value by supporting the revival of the much-loved children’s classic Bagpuss in Birmingham and helping secure the BBC’s new daytime drama The Hairdresser Mysteries. These projects are among five TV series and three feature films that received commissions after receiving early development support through the fund, which is backed by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Create Central, and Creative UK.
The creative and digital industries are central to the region’s Growth Plan as a high-potential sector to drive prosperity and jobs. Mayor Parker said the fund is designed to unlock local talent and keep productions rooted in the West Midlands.
“Our IP Fund is bringing Bagpuss back and won a BBC commission for a new drama. That’s the success I want for more of our homegrown creatives,” he said. “Big ideas will attract more investment, jobs, and opportunities and place our region at the heart of the UK’s creative industries.”
The announcement follows a new agreement between the WMCA, Create Central, and the BBC, which will see the broadcaster nearly double its regional production spend to £40m a year, creating more jobs and training opportunities.
Beneficiaries of the IP Fund include Ché from Wolverhampton and Anton from Birmingham, founders of the independent studio Acclaimed Content. Their BBC Three documentary Queen of Trucks, developed with Create Central’s support, spotlighted a Willenhall HGV school and launched their careers with major broadcasters. They are now producing the second series of their Channel 4 game show Family Face Off.
Ché noted: “Getting a chance to develop Queen of Trucks was the breakthrough we needed. It gave us our first commission and opened doors to multiple broadcasters.”
Industry leaders have praised the scheme’s impact. Ed Shedd, chair of Create Central, described ideas as “the lifeblood of the creative economy,” stressing the importance of nurturing them early. Paul Ashton, head of film and TV at Creative UK, added that recent successes from companies such as Mill Bay Media, Threewise Entertainment, and Full Fat TV show how transformative this funding can be for regional producers.
With the second round of the IP Fund imminent, local filmmakers and producers are once again being invited to take their stories from storyboard to screen — and to place the West Midlands firmly in the spotlight.
