Creative union Bectu, which supports thousands of freelance and contract workers in the UK’s creative industries, has welcomed plans to build a new £700 million film and TV studio in Hertfordshire.
The planned Broxbourne studio involves the Los Angeles-based Sunset Studios, along with investors Blackstone and Hudson Pacific Properties. It is hoped that the studio could create as many as 4,500 film and TV-related jobs and Bectu has hailed the potential impact of new jobs and investment for creative employees and freelancers.
Freelancers in the UK’s creative sectors have been among the worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many losing work as a result and significant numbers being denied government financial support.
Discussing the planned new studio, Philippa Childs, Head of Bectu, said: “The pandemic hit the creative industries hard, inflicting an estimated 71,000 job losses and putting thousands of employees and freelancers out of work for over a year. To reopen successfully and safely, the creative industries need support. The new studios promise investment into the skillset of workers and the creation of new jobs.
“The UK film and TV industry competes in a global market, but it is the skillset and flexibility of the crew that attracts international productions. Our members that work as technicians and crew translate artistic vision into a tangible production. Foreign companies seek the talent and expertise of production workers, allowing the UK to become a cultural hub for film and television.
“Throughout the pandemic, the creative industries workforce has acted as a great example of what can be done when working together. Despite receiving little to no government support, technicians and crew successfully got production back up and running through determination and hard work. The optimism and skillset of the crew has allowed the industry to make progress, demonstrating why the UK is such a great place to film.”
