A new deal between the Welsh Government and award-winning
Cardiff-based production company Bad Wolf will ensure a slate of
high-end TV dramas will be made in Wales over the next four
years.
The £4m deal, which was brokered by Creative Wales, the Welsh
Government agency charged with supporting and growing Wales’
creative industries, will enable Bad Wolf to consolidate its
position and continue to grow in Wales. Bad Wolf will maintain
its principal base at Wolf Studios Wales in Cardiff and build on
the global success it has achieved with huge returning hit shows
such as Doctor Who, Industry, I Hate Suzie, The Winter King, His
Dark Materials and A Discovery of Witches.
It will ensure that at least four Bad Wolf productions are shot
and produced in Wales in the period up to March 2027, providing
continuity to Wales’ screen industry and ensuring longer-term
security for crews and supply chain companies operating in Wales.
The deal is projected to deliver a return on investment of 15:1
helping to drive further growth in Wales’ thriving TV industry
and committing Bad Wolf to a minimum Welsh spend of £60m over the
four-year period. It will also provide a minimum of 42 meaningful
paid trainee placements on high-end productions.
Bad Wolf will continue to prioritise and commit to working with
Welsh-based talent during the four years, with many actors,
directors and writers already engaged across several projects.
Deputy Minister, visited a shoot for the latest
Bad Wolf production ‘Dope Girls’, and met cast, crew and trainees
working on the show.
Dope Girls is a major new six-part drama commissioned by the BBC
and produced by Bad Wolf in association with Sony Pictures
Television. It has been created and written by
multi-award-winning writer Polly Stenham (That Face, Julie, Neon
Demon) and Alex Warren (Eleanor) and is inspired by a forgotten
time in history when, after the losses of World War One, women
were running the clubs of Soho.
The Deputy Minister said: “This four-year deal is excellent news
for the creative sector in Wales. The high numbers of Welsh
crew and supply chain companies working on the productions will
secure invaluable production credits which will only strengthen
Wales’ reputation as a first-class filming location with talented
and skilled crew able to service high-end production.
“The industry is a stand out success with global reach that is
helping young people plan ambitious futures in Wales. That goal
is at heart of our Economic Mission and the creative sector is
proving what’s possible thanks to a sustained partnership with
the Welsh Government.”
Jane Tranter, CEO and co-founder of Bad Wolf said: “The continued
support from Welsh Government to the creative industries in Wales
has been invaluable to the growth of TV production here. When we
first located Doctor Who in Wales almost 20 years ago, we could
have hardly dared to hope that two decades later we would see
such a diverse slate of TV drama being made by a plethora of
different companies. Bad Wolf is honoured to be part of an
energetic and vibrant industry that we are sure will continue to
bring investment and employment to Wales for many years to come.”
The funding will ensure increased opportunities for crews with
progression and up-skilling taking place across several
productions. A key focus of the funding is a trainee
programme across the 4-year period to include at least 42 paid
trainee placements and a minimum of 1 Criw Cymru apprentice on
each production.
25 work shadowing placements will also be provided as well as a
new Wolf Cub initiative focused on increasing diversity and
industry accessibility. The productions will also provide a
continued platform for Screen Alliance Wales’ (SAW) outreach and
practical workshops, with the non-profit organisation confirming
recently that it had reached over 50,000 individuals since 2018.
Notes to editors
A review of the economic impact of Bad Wolf in 2015-2020 by
Saffery Champness/Nordicity showed that Bad Wolf’s spending on
local employment and businesses yielded substantial economic
benefits for the Welsh Economy. On a gross basis, it created a
total of 2,243 FTEs of employment between 2015 and 2020, along
with £114.0 million in GVA for the Welsh economy.
For more information about Bad Wolf go to www.bad-wolf.com
