130,000 sq ft studio due to open in May
A state of the art production facility has been confirmed to open in Leeds in May.
The 130,000 sqft, Leeds Studios will feature five world class production stages for TV, feature film and commercial clients on Whitehall Road, including 68,000 sq ft of premium sound stages and over 60,000 sq ft of flexible production office and service space, including prop stores, workshops, makeup and costume facilities.
This new production space is a joint-venture between All Studios, operators of the Manchester Studios complex (formerly Granada/ITV studios in the city), led by Melanie Jones, and Ben Hepworth, managing director of Leeds-based Prime Studios.
Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council said:“Bringing a state of the art studio to the city and now starting to see what will be brought to life ahead of the opening next year is hugely exciting.
“Not only is this development a real boost for the creative and TV sectors in Leeds, but the benefits will be seen for our local economy as we open new avenues for companies to come and work in the city whilst also bringing in new jobs.”
Ben Hepworth, said: “It has been a long held ambition of mine to develop a large scale studio facility for the city of Leeds and now, with the support of our partners All Studios and Leeds City Council, we can offer productions a world class facility in the heart of the city centre.
“Leeds Studios will act as a gateway to Yorkshire’s wealth of unique and historic filming locations and will cement Leeds city region’s growing status as a leading international destination for film & TV production.”
Melanie Jones, managing director of All Studios added: “The launch of Leeds Studios is a significant development in our strategy to build a market leading portfolio of film & TV production spaces across the UK.
“Leeds is at the forefront of the country’s booming film & TV economy. We’re excited by the partnership with Ben and Leeds City Council and look forward to becoming part of the city’s thriving media sector.”
The news the studio is opening in 2020 comes just months after the first information was released that the council were working closely with the project team to help secure the space and offer a loan for accousistic solutions on the property.
