Production Central WM and the Warwick Bar regeneration project promise to transform Birmingham’s creative landscape, positioning Digbeth as the new heart of UK film and television production.
A major new film and television production centre is set to make Birmingham’s Digbeth a global destination for creative talent. The new hub, named Production Central WM, will anchor the second phase of Digbeth’s regeneration and aims to attract international directors and blockbuster productions to the West Midlands, a move the region’s mayor has described as making Digbeth “better than Salford’s Media City.”
Unveiling the plans at Steven Knight’s Digbeth Loc Studios, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said the new development will propel Birmingham to the forefront of the UK’s creative industries. “Digbeth will be bigger, better, and bolder than Salford’s Media City,” Parker declared.
The Warwick Bar Prospectus, which outlines the next stage of Digbeth’s transformation, includes:
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110,000 sq ft of creative workspace for film, TV, and media professionals
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1,700 new homes to support the growing creative community
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The establishment of Production Central WM, a purpose-built production office designed to attract global filmmakers and industry investment
Production Central WM will be staffed by film and TV experts, offering hands-on support for productions across the West Midlands from independent filmmakers to major studios.
The announcement builds on a string of high-profile partnerships that are reshaping Birmingham’s cultural identity. Steven Knight’s Loc Studios, located within the Warwick Bar area, is already producing the next two series of Peaky Blinders and was recently used by Netflix for the film adaptation of the hit BBC show.
In September, the BBC also signed a landmark agreement with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to further expand its creative footprint in the region.
The wider regeneration effort will draw on the £25 million Creative Places Growth Fund, announced by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. “Birmingham and the West Midlands are full of untapped creative potential,” she said. “This development will empower local storytellers, drive economic growth, and ensure the region takes its rightful place on the world stage.”
Mayor Parker praised Digbeth’s unique character and potential, describing it as a place “known for its grit and graft” that now stands “on the cusp of a renaissance.” He highlighted the collaboration between government, broadcasters, and private partners as a model for sustainable creative growth.
“The BBC and Steven Knight are just some of the partners investing heavily in Digbeth’s future,” Parker said. “They recognise that this area, right in the heart of the country, has the talent, the backing, and the energy to become a creative powerhouse.”
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight shared an impassioned message to international filmmakers, celebrating the region’s diversity and cinematic potential:
“The West Midlands is old, new, green field, brown field, urban, rural, posh, poor — 16th Century to 21st Century, high-rise, high-end, low-end, back-to-backs, chimney stacks and babbling brooks… most of which have never been shot,” Knight said.
“If you want to shoot here, we now have a brand new, super-fit-for-purpose film production office which matches the region’s ambitions. Whatever location you need, we can find it within an hour’s drive of New Street Station. Try us.”
The regeneration project, owned by Homes England, will begin marketing its first phase next month, with Production Central WM leading the charge to position Birmingham as a new creative capital.
The initiative reflects a shared ambition to transform Digbeth into a dynamic hub where culture, innovation, and opportunity intersect, giving filmmakers from across the globe a reason to call Birmingham home.
