Creative Wales has announced the successful applicants of its £840,000 Development Fund, with a number of fantasy and horror TV series’ among the prestigious projects announced as recipients of the grant.
Thirty-one Wales-based digital media and TV projects have received funding from Creative Wales through its Development Fund grant scheme, as part of a drive to help home-grown production teams fully develop their project ideas in Wales. The fund was introduced to support the development of new projects from Welsh creators, with the ambition of giving them a greater chance of being commissioned and produced.
With up to £35,000 available per project, approximately £840,000 has been awarded through this round of the Development Fund to projects across animation, TV, games and immersive tech companies. This includes support for potential new TV series from Carlam Ltd, Boom Cymru, Little Wander, Avalanche Productions, Hello Deer Studios Ltd and others.
Creative Wales is a Welsh Government agency that aims to promote and grow the creative industries in Wales. Its focus is to offer funding, support, and guidance for creative businesses and talent, including training and skills projects. The Development Fund is one of multiple grants it provides for the screen and digital sectors, promoting Wales as a supportive home for creative talent.
Companies awarded by the recent funding also included Barn Media, receiving a grant for its project celebrating Richard Burton’s centenary.
Brett Allen, Founder at Barn Media said:
“Celebrating the life and legacy of Richard Burton through this project is not just about recounting the achievements of a Welsh icon; it’s about preserving our cultural heritage and sharing it with the world. With the support of Creative Wales’ funding, our project aims to research a potential for a documentary on Richard Burton and create a ’sizzle’ to be pitched to broadcasters and other platforms. This funding is invaluable as it enables us to access vital archival resources, engage with key stakeholders, and ultimately, develop a treatment for a compelling narrative that resonates with audiences in Wales and beyond.”
Another recipient of the grant is Rondo Media, one of the companies behind Aria Studios, the new film and TV studios on Anglesey which was established with help from the Welsh Government via Creative Wales.
The studios were built to facilitate the increasing number of productions taking place across North Wales, as well as increase local training and development opportunities as the region continues to become a growing media hub.
Bedwyr Rees, Executive Drama Producer, of Rondo Media said:
“The Screen Development Fund has allowed us to invest in R+D that will potentially lead the company into new areas of creative development and commercial growth. We’re delighted to be partnering with Wales Interactive in developing the script for a brand new Interactive Drama, from which we’ll be looking to attract investment to take the project forward to production, with the end goal of selling Welsh creativity across the globe.”
Gerwyn Evans, Deputy Director of Creative Wales says:
“Helping Wales’ creative industries thrive is at the heart of what our Development Fund is all about, so it’s extremely positive to hear how some of the thirty-one projects across TV and digital media plan to benefit from this support already.
“Wales is a hub for existing and emerging talent for both sectors, and we feel extremely privileged to be in a position to support the development of these new projects by giving almost one million pounds in grants to nurture this creativity.
“Helping to grow already evolving and talented sector with a string of exciting new projects is hugely rewarding, and we can’t wait to see what else is on the horizon for the likes of Barn Media and Rondo Media”.
