BBC Scotland announces support for the creative industry during the Coronavirus crisis
BBC Scotland has unveiled a raft of measures including commissioning two new series on life during the lockdown, funding development of ideas for future production, re-licencing archive programmes from Scottish producers and working with network services to licence recent BBC Scotland programming in a bid to help support the hard-pressed creative sector.
Published: 6 April 2020
Scotland has a dynamic creative sector which delivers great programmes for our audience. We know how important it is to support Scottish producers, writers and performers during this unprecedented lockdown.
In addition the corporation will work flexibly with the creative sector on contractual terms including cashflow, editorial requirements and delaying programme delivery.
BBC Scotland is also supporting creative initiatives such as Scenes For Survival, a new season of short artworks from National Theatre of Scotland, featuring short pieces of theatre created remotely by leading Scottish actors, writers and directors.
“Scotland has a dynamic creative sector which delivers great programmes for our audience. We know how important it is to support Scottish producers, writers and performers during this unprecedented lockdown,” says BBC Scotland Head of Commissioning, Steve Carson.
In the last few weeks two new series - Socially Distant with Susan Calman and People’s News: Virus Diaries - have been commissioned as part of the move to boost production while BBC Scotland has also relicensed several programmes to provide non-News content for home-based viewers keen for entertainment content as well as public service news and education content.
The move is part of BBC’s overall five-part point plan to ensure continuity and back the broadcasting industry at this challenging time.
The measures announced will provide investment in purposeful activity and enable production companies to continue a pipeline of quality ideas and programmes, in both the short and long term.
The package of measures include:
1. A company-centric approach to impacted productions
2. Doubling our investment in the small indie fund
3. Supercharging development
4. Expanding BBC Three creative partnerships
5. Investment in archive rights
RT