If you are currently looking at investment planning in the Oswestry area, nearby Telford is rapidly establishing itself as a prime location for the film industry.
Its credentials have been further bolstered with the announcement of a new high-spec film and television studio. The planned development will occupy a currently vacant 60,000 square foot warehouse space in the Hortonwood area of the town.
AIB Live, an independent film production company, will drive the First Central Studios project. They are based in London, and have hired BHB Architects, a Lichfield-based company, to oversee the project.
Work is set to commence this month, with the studio complex scheduled to finally open in spring 2025. The planned facility will comprise four sound stages, taking up over 40,000 square feet, alongside a number of workshops, dressing and makeup rooms, and production offices.
First Central Studios are keen to nurture young talent via a film academy in conjunction with local educational institutions like Telford College, focusing on diversity and accessibility. AIB LIVE added that they are committed to building the creative sector in the West Midlands, with First Central Studios being established in a part of the country featuring a number of stunning locations unique to the area.
For their part, Invest Telford said in a statement that they were ‘delighted’ that AIB Live had selected Telford as the setting for its first television and film studio in the region. The studios will play host to a number of different streamers, production companies and independent producers, as well as in-house productions.
