• Swindon & Wiltshire Property
• Monday November 7 2022
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios opens new facility

Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios has opened TBY2, its new premium facility, at an event that brought together leading UK film and High-End TV producers, local crew and companies and regional and national partners and supporters of the Bristol studios’ expansion.

And at the event it was announced that the first booking for the new facility will be revealed to be a new eight-part saga Rivals, based on the bestselling novel by Jilly Cooper, produced for Disney+ by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios.

Guests at the event included Bristolian actors Gamba Cole (The Outlaws, Hanna), Jayde Adams (The Fence, Alma’s Not Normal) and Joe Sims (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) alongside Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees, Mayor of the West of England Dan Norris, Karin Smyth, MP for Bristol South, and more than a hundred members of the region’s screen, business and skills sectors.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “The Bottle Yard Studios, our Hollywood in Hengrove, continues to go from strength to strength. Filming in Bristol is booming – a testament to Channel 4’s decision to relocate to our city in 2018.

“This year, the sector contributed almost £21 million to our economy. New productions by Disney+ and other major streamers and commissioners will only bolster our global growth. Shows like The Outlaws have looked and sounded like Bristol and TBY2 will help us punch above our weight in film and TV.

“I’m proud to have secured the funding for this state-of-the-art expansion during my first term as Mayor, delivering another 1,000 new jobs for Bristolians. Thanks to City Leap and the community-owned solar panels on TBY2’s roof, this will surely be one of the greenest places to film anywhere in the world.”

Dan Norris, Mayor of the West of England, said: “I’ve watched this expansion come alive, from a cold and empty space to the fully functioning facility we see today. I’m incredibly proud that this is down to £12 million of investment from the West of England Combined Authority I lead.

“Creativity runs through our region’s veins, and we are fortunate to have truly world-leading people working locally in our creative industries. With Netflix, Channel 4, the BBC and more, making shows like Bridgerton, The Outlaws, Tracey Beaker and natural history gems here in the West we have an exciting story to tell.

“Now the improved Bottle Yard Studios with three brand-new stages means we can continue to build on these successes to create even more top-notch film and television and bring thousands of highly skilled jobs to our region. Today’s official opening sends a strong message nationally and internationally that our amazing West of England is open for business. So please come here and invest.

“I look forward to watching as more films and TV hit the screens that were made in our amazing West of England region.”

Owned and run by Bristol City Council, The Bottle Yard Studios opened in 2010 and has accommodated more than 70 film and TV productions to date.

TBY2 is The Bottle Yard’s state-of-the-art second facility, offering an additional three premium quality, fully soundproofed stages.

Less than half a mile from the main Bottle Yard site, TBY2’s acoustically treated stages offer 20,000 sq ft, 16,500 sq ft and 7,000 sq ft of clear span build space with maximum heights of 34ft.

Backed by West of England Combined Authority investment, the £13.5m TBY2 redevelopment has been delivered by global construction specialists ISG. It is intended to maintain and grow film and TV production in Bristol and the West of England. TBY2’s opening increases the total number of stages at The Bottle Yard Studios from eight to 11.

TBY2’s three new sound stages are accompanied by more than 40,000 sq ft of ancillary space comprising production offices, prop stores, costume/makeup and break out areas, amounting to approx 82,000 sq ft of converted floor space in total. The site is supported with up to 10GB secure connectivity and 24/7 site security.

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