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[Commlist] Channel 4 Symposium

Mon Jul 05 09:00:07 GMT 2021






*New Frontiers? Channel 4’s Move out of London*

*One Day On-line Symposium 7 July 2021*

**

*Hosted by the Digital Cultures Research Group, University of the West of England Bristol and **the BAFTSS Screen Industries Special Interest Group *

In October 2018 Channel 4 announced it would be relocating its National Headquarters in London to Leeds, with Glasgow and Bristol becoming regional ‘Creative Hubs’. Part of Channel’s ‘4 All the UK’ strategy, these new bases are designed to ‘attract and develop talent from across the UK, both on and off-screen, and support the significant increase in the organisation’s Nations & Regions spend on creative content’ (Channel 4 website). As one of the three main UK public service broadcasters, Channel 4’s relocation to Leeds, Glasgow and Bristol is arguably one of the most significant events in these cities’ screen histories.

Channel 4’s move was symptomatic of a longer history of the regionalisation of screen production, including the federated ITV franchises that were set up in the 1950s and the BBC’s relocation of five departments to MediaCity UK, Salford, Greater Manchester in 2011. It is embedded within broader political, economic and cultural strategies that aim to challenge London’s dominance and to ‘rebalance’ the UK’s screen ecology. The television regulator Ofcom sets stringent targets for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 to spend a significant proportion of their programming budget outside London. The broadcasters accept a responsibility towards inclusivity and diversity in their public statements. The BBC’s new charter (1 January 2017), for instance, renewed the corporation’s commitment ‘to reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all the United Kingdom’s nations and regions, and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United Kingdom’ (Public Purpose 4).

The aim of this one-day conference is to discuss the motivations, mechanisms and political machinations of Channel 4’s move out of London and to debate these broader issues about the role of regional screen production. Presenters explore the relationship between regional cultural production and the increasingly global dynamics shaping audio-visual culture, asking if relocation will be a force for progressive change, stimulating creativity, encouraging new voices and genuine diversity. These issues will be broached through a specific focus on the significance of location to Channel 4 as a publisher-broadcaster and its potential impact on the host cities – Leeds, Glasgow and Bristol. Academic papers will be followed by a presentation from Kevin Blacoe, Channel 4’s Head of Partnerships Nations and Regions, a panel discussion and a plenary. There will be opportunities throughout for audience involvement in the discussions.

For further information – symposium schedule, speaker abstracts and biographies and how to register for this free event – please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/new-frontiers-channel-4s-move-out-of-london-1-day-symposium-uwe-bristol-tickets-159430592193

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