Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, Kingsman: The Golden Circle as well as Line of Duty, Hustle, Boon, Crossroads, Dalziel and Pascoe, The Game, Danny and the Human Zoo and Survivors were all filmed in the city.
The city is also the birthplace of many names in the film and television industry, such as national treasures such as Tony Hancock, Julie Walters, Jasper Carrott, and Joe Lycett, Theory of Everything star Felicity Jones, silent film star Albert Austin, Director Michael Balcon, and presenters Emma Willis, Alison Hammond and Toyah Wilcox.
Birmingham’s film scene is on the rise. Interest in the city has grown exponentially, attracting a swathe of domestic and international directors, including Hollywood legends like Stephen Spielberg.
Films such as Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Jawbone, and The Girl with all the Gifts, were filmed here, as were iconic television classics such as Peaky Blinders, Spooks, The Game, Dalziel and Pascoe and Line of Duty. It’s no wonder then that Peaky Blinders creator, Steven Knight, established his amazing Digbeth Loc. Studios here in Digbeth, creating huge industry opportunities for the area.
From the ancient to the modern, the city has everything to offer directors, designers, and producers the perfect canvas on which to paint their stories. With a multitude of studios, production houses and agencies around the city, Birmingham offers all the right resources to those in the film and screen industry. Events such as the Birmingham Film Festival and Flatpack Film Festival provide huge advantages to students wishing to make contact with industry professionals.
Birmingham has shaken off a formerly gritty image and is emerging as a cultural hotspot for up-and-coming talent.
Historically recognised for its industrial legacy as the ‘City of a Thousand Trades’ due to the vast number of industries and business that flocked to the area towards the end of the 19th century, Birmingham is actually one the UK’s greenest districts, featuring 600 parks and open spaces accumulating to over 8,000 acres.
It’s this multi-cultural mix of old meets new, nature meets industry, and art meets culture that draws crowds to the area, provides a striking canvas for filmmakers, and makes Birmingham such a fresh and innovative location for budding entrants to the film and television industry.
The city also holds over 50 festivals annually, including the Birmingham Film Festival, the Flat Pack Film Festival, the Birmingham International Jazz Festival and the Fierce Art Festival, to name but a few.
It’s not just an exciting and vibrant scene to enjoy socially; living in Birmingham is a golden opportunity to meet and work with talented individuals from all aspects of the industry.
Its collaborative and productive spirit is what makes Birmingham stand out. With 12 universities and over 185,000 students on average, the under 25s make up around 40% of Birmingham’s population, as the innovative and driven talent of tomorrow flock to one of the UK’s most up-and-coming cities for film professionals.
Birmingham Pride began in 2014 and has since awarded over £250k to deserving local community and support groups in the area, cementing Birmingham, as a diverse and welcoming city. Featuring a wealth of culture, galleries, theatres, cinemas and live music venues – including the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, the Ikon Gallery, The Jewellery Quarter, and The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists – creatives have everything they need to live and breathe their art in this beautiful city.
As film and TV productions worldwide look for new locations, space, flexibility, and economic viability, Birmingham’s position in the global market as a location and source of talent is growing.
Put your career centre stage: Birmingham could be the best location scouting choice you ever make for your career.
With over 600 parks and over 8,000 acres of open space, Birmingham is the ideal place to enjoy nature. Martineau Gardens, with its twisting paths, woodlands and orchards, is a bubble of tranquillity, whilst historic Winterbourne House and Gardens is home to stunning botanical beauty – the perfect retreat for a sunny afternoon.
Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens features 10 acres of baroque walled gardens, and includes a holly walk, summer house, and maze. The City Centre Gardens, located next to the International Convention Centre, are filled with exotic-looking plants. It’s a great location for a quiet escape in between lectures, or for a day of lazing in the grass.
Finally, Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses boasts 15 acres of stunning landscaped gardens, and four glasshouses for lovers of tropical plants. From cascading palms and ferns to Mediterranean citrus and cacti, it’s a fascinating and beautiful way to enjoy nature in the city.
Birmingham is a cyclist-friendly city, offering a variety of traffic-free cycling routes, on-road cycle lanes, signed routes, and canal towpaths. The city also boasts community cycling clubs and cycle centres for enthusiasts. Comprehensive maps and plans for exploring Birmingham’s cycling routes are readily available online. The city’s extensive bus network connects all areas, making it easy for students and residents alike to access the city centre. Birmingham buses are fully accessible, with low floors to accommodate wheelchairs and assisted walking equipment. For convenient travel, the Swift Pay As You Go card offers discounts on public transport, allowing easy payment on buses and the metro.
Taxis, including traditional cabs, Uber, and minicabs, are widely available across Birmingham. Always remember to pre-book with a licensed taxi firm. Birmingham New Street station, one of the UK’s major railway hubs, connects the city to destinations nationwide. The city centre is serviced by three main railway stations, with Birmingham International just 9 miles east, adjacent to Birmingham Airport. For air travel, Birmingham Airport (BHX) is a mere 7 miles from the city centre, offering international flights.
