South West Screen transfers activities to Creative England

Bristol-based regional screen agency South West Screen has transferred all of its projects and activities into Creative England.

South West Screen initially transferred its responsibilities to distribute BFI Lottery funds to Creative England in September. It has now handed over all of its contracts and services, with Creative England becoming a “sole member” of the agency.

The agency’s staff have transferred into Creative England and will continue to work out of the same Bristol office. Projects to transfer to Creative England will be South West Screen’s iNet funding scheme, the iFeatures scheme, the rural pilot scheme, the European Creative Business Network and responsbility for Bristol’s new studio The Bottle Yard. The agency generated £56m in inward investment in the last financial year, according to its chair Kip Meek [pictured].

South West Screen’s former chief executive Caroline Norbury was instrumental in the formation of Creative England and was appointed to the post of chief executive of the new body in September. South West Screen’s talent executive Chris Moll was subsequently appointed head of talent development.

As a result, it was expected that South West Screen would be likely to be more co-operative with Creative England than the other regional screen agencies.

Screen West Midlands is the only other regional agency to completely fold into Creative England as yet, and Vision and Media has said that it intends to fold into Creative England next year. Currently, Screen South, Screen Yorkshire, EM Media, Vision and Media and Northern Film & Media are still operating independently of Creative England, although Creative England has taken over their responsibility to distribute lottery funds.