Image credit: Aardman Animations

Creative & Media

Bristol and Bath is the UK's third-largest media hub.

With a staggering £650 million Gross Value Added, our region boasts over 6,000 creative businesses. From the iconic Aardman Animations to groundbreaking video games, our creative talent is world-renowned.

Over 800 million people watch our content monthly, with hits like Blue Planet and productions for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+. Our region produces 35% of global natural history television and houses the largest film and TV studio in the West of England, Bottle Yard Studios.

A thriving production hub

Bristol & Bath hosts over 190 production companies, including major players like Plimsoll Productions, Channel 4, and Netflix. Our region is a thriving hub of creative talent and innovation, bolstered by initiatives such as the Centre for the Analysis of Motion, Entertainment Research, and Applications (CAMERA). MyWorld, a £30m global centre for research, innovation, and production, further accelerates growth in our dynamic creative technology industry.

UNESCO City of Film

Bristol is a UNESCO City of Film, recognised for its significant contributions to the global film industry. The city is also a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network , which connects more than 300 cities with the common goal of celebrating cultural diversity and sustainable development. The project is increasing the diversity of local access and engagement with film culture, improving access to employment within the industry and maintaining a skilled and diverse workforce and supporting cross-cultural initiatives locally and via the UNESCO network.

Together, it is creating a thriving film culture, expanding film accessibility, and preserving its cinematic heritage.

Video credit: Bristol UNESCO City of Film

The Bottle Yard Studios

The Bottle Yard Studios in South Bristol is the largest film and TV studio in the region.

11 stages are available, eight at the main site and three at TBY2, the Studios' neighbouring £12m facility which opened in 2022 offering premium sound-proofed shooting space, powered by a 1MWp PV array believed to be the largest community-owned solar rooftop in the UK and the largest PV installation on any UK studio.

Video credit: The Bottle Yard Studios

Visit the Bottleyard Studios

Video credit: Wildscreen

Natural history and creativity in the region

Our region has an impressive range of film and TV production companies and a fine heritage of broadcasting and media production.

The region hosts one of only three location hubs for the BBC (London, Manchester, and Bristol), and Channel 4 has opened its new creative hub in Bristol. BBC Bristol produces a variety of globally-renowned radio, drama, factual and wildlife programmes including the BBC's Natural History Unit, the world’s largest concentration of firms producing wildlife content.

Video credit: Netflix/Marcus Laing

[Dramatic instrumental music plays in the background] The video shows different footage of productions made out of the South West including Our Planet, Rebecca, Bridgerton, Robin Robin.

Dr Amy Frost, Senior Curator No.1 Royal Crescent "Featuring in a show, as watched, as influential as Bridgerton has been incredible, we've definitely seen an increase in visitors following other programme and films that Bath has featured in"

Monty Hill, Co-Founder, Eco Shoots "The kind of impact Netflix has had across the region has been massive really, from hotel bookings to restaurant reservations, through to crew bookings, and supply connections as well."

Harry Bret, Owner, Courtyard Café "We had all the cast and crew down for three to four days over a period of two months. They all came down, they all had coffees and teas, they hung out here, this was their sort of relax area"

Dr Amy Frost, Senior Curator No.1 Royal Crescent "If we can get young people interested in Georgian history, in Bath as a city, in our museums, it makes the work that we do as a sector in the South West relevant. That's extraordinary".

Netflix 'Made in the South West'

Showcasing some of the fantastic productions made out of the South West including Our Planet, Rebecca, Bridgerton, Robin Robin.

We're home to the MyWorld creative hub, which connects regional and national partners with global tech giants such as Netflix and Microsoft.

Computer game of a car being shot at in the desert

Image credit: Auroch Digital

Growing and diverse gaming sector

Bristol & Bath is also home to a thriving and diverse gaming sector, with developers specializing in animation, publishing, VR, and AR. The region is where developers behind popular games, such as Ndemic Creations, creators of Plague Inc., are based. The sector also includes the non-profit Bristol Games Hub and media companies like Network N and Yogscast.

Leaders in post-production, AR, VR and animation

The region is rich in expertise in post-production, editing, animation, and AR/VR technologies. A wide range of companies operates here, from startups and SMEs to global brands like Strava, Cookpad, Buro Happold, and the designers of the Garden of the Bay, Giants Associates.

Creative & Media

Bristol and Bath is the UK's third-largest media hub.

A thriving production hub

Curious about Bristol's creative scene?

UNESCO City of Film

Film & TV Studio Hubs

The Bottle Yard Studios

Natural history and creativity in the region

Netflix 'Made in the South West'

Design and publishing

Our expert partners

Creative & Media

Bristol and Bath is the UK's third-largest media hub.

A thriving production hub

Curious about Bristol's creative scene?

UNESCO City of Film

Film & TV Studio Hubs

The Bottle Yard Studios

Natural history and creativity in the region

Netflix 'Made in the South West'

Design and publishing

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Our expert partners