Staffordshire film office’s £1.3m boost for county economy in first year

Staffordshire’s own film office which has attracted renowned TV and film productions for international audiences has provided a £1.3million boost to the county economy in its first year.

Screen Staffordshire celebrates its first anniversary today at Weston Park with partners which have helped the organisation make such an impact. Its value to the county in terms of investment, job creation and showcasing Staffordshire has been set out in an impact report released at the event.

The service, set up through the We Are Staffordshire place marketing partnership as a three-year pilot programme, has completed its first year with a total local economic impact of £1.323 million, generated from an initial investment of £125,000.

Over the past 12 months, Screen Staffordshire has supported productions across multiple formats, delivering 250 shoot days, attracting work from major broadcasters and production companies, and helping raise the county's profile as a filming destination.

The film office has also built a database of more than 150 filming locations, hosted location recces for productions working with organisations including Netflix, Apple TV, the BBC, Channel 4 and Amazon Studios, and secured filming on a high-end television drama and a BAFTA-winning reality series.

Martin Murray, Staffordshire County Council’s leader who is speaking at today’s event, said:

Screen Staffordshire has been a huge success in its first year – making an impact on the local economy and playing an integral role in expanding a sector which showcases our county to an international audience.

It’s fantastic to be able to celebrate the first anniversary with partners which have helped to make this happen. The team has demonstrated how it is making a difference to local businesses and the value of film production to Staffordshire.

We now look forward to building on this success and Screen Staffordshire going from strength to strength, as it continues to put us on the map as the beating heart of the country.”

The economic benefits have been felt across Staffordshire's hospitality, tourism and creative sectors. Productions generated more than £435,000 in local accommodation spending, accounting for over 3,300 overnight stays, while more than £200,000 in location fees was paid to venues across the county. A further £50,000-plus was paid directly to local crew and more than £35,000 was spent on ancillary local services.

Screen Staffordshire works closely with each of the districts and boroughs in the county and Stoke-on-Trent. And as part of Staffordshire County Council, it has strong links to local businesses and other organisations.

Deborah Aston, Chair of the Screen Staffordshire Steering Committee and a producer based in the West Midlands, said:

This first year has laid strong foundations. Our clear initial goal was attracting productions to the county and that focus has already paid off. Production brings significant local spend across services such as accommodation, logistics and catering, while also creating paid opportunities for local crew.

We’d like to thank everyone who has supported this work so far – collaboration is key to the pilot's success. We look forward to building on this momentum."

Alongside attracting productions, Screen Staffordshire has worked to strengthen local skills and industry connections. During its first year, the service created opportunities for local people through five local hires, three film office placements, careers talks and industry engagement events designed to inspire future talent.

The benefits of the programme have been recognised by businesses, venues and creative partners across the county.

Gary Stevens, from Stafford's Gatehouse Theatre, said:

Screen Staffordshire is an invaluable asset to the creative landscape of Staffordshire. They are helping shape our cultural and economic landscape by attracting talent, raising our profile and demonstrating our venues and local infrastructure can support high-quality production work."

Local producer Anderson West, owner of Jeruty Films, said:

Screen Staffordshire has become that link, mapping our resources together and providing a unified voice for the region."

People can view the report and find out more on the Screen Staffordshire website.