Back at the turn of the century, it could be something of a challenge to persuade film and television talent that Wales was the place to make world-class drama.
Twenty-odd years on, figures reveal that Cardiff’s creative sector is growing more rapidly than any UK city apart from London. And this weekend Bafta Cymru is celebrating a “golden age” for film and television production in Wales at its annual awards ceremony.
From Doctor Who and His Dark Materials to Men Up, which tells how Viagra was developed in Swansea, and the thriller Dal y Mellt (Catch the Lightning), the first Welsh language-only show to be bought by Netflix, the hits keep coming.
“It is definitely a golden age for Wales-based production in TV and film,” said Angharad Mair, the chair of Bafta Cymru. Mair said young people keen to get into the industry no longer had to leave for London or Hollywood. “If I was a young person now in school in Wales, with aspirations to work in television or film, I would be so enthused. I’d think, wow, I can be part of that without having to work out how to get away. That’s a massive change.”
Figures from the Centre for the Creative Economy at Cardiff University found business turnover in the Welsh capital’s audiovisual media sector between 2021 and 2023 grew by 55% – the highest for any UK city outside London.
More than 15% of enterprises in Cardiff are in the creative industries, and south Wales is said to have more television and film studios than anywhere in the UK outside London. The Welsh government has ploughed millions into the sector, with regional and local authorities also seeing it as a priority for economic growth.
One of the architects of this golden age, Julie Gardner, the co-founder of the production company Bad Wolf, which is behind shows including Dr Who, A Discovery of Witches and The Winter King will receive an outstanding contribution to television award at the Bafta Cymru ceremony.
Mair said: “What they are doing there in Wolf Studios is absolutely incredible – a centre of excellence producing some of the best work that’s ever come out of Wales. They are very involved with local schools and colleges. They bring young people in and show them that this great work is happening in Wales.”
Gardner said there were negative preconceptions about Wales two decades ago: “There was suspicion and a lack of confidence that Wales could produce the sort of projects the country is creating now. When I would be doing meetings with talent, I’d ask them how long they thought the journey from London to Cardiff was. Everyone thought Cardiff was five, six hours away. No one thought it was two hours. It felt like such a distant place. There were a lot of preconceptions.”
She said the revolution began in the early 2000s when the rebooted Doctor Who was based in Wales. “It was such a major moment in the evolution of the creative industries in Wales. In terms of network television, it was a lightning rod. And as Russell T Davies [the Doctor Who show runner] always says, work begets work.
“When we were setting up Bad Wolf, we knew we wanted to come home to Wales. Knowing how great the crews are, how great the locations are, how extraordinary the Welsh government is in supporting that sector. This is an incredibly fertile, joyful time for Welsh-based production.”
Also receiving a special award is Mark Lewis-Jones, who is recognised globally for his work on shows such as The Crown and Baby Reindeer – but also starred in Welsh hits such as Men Up (six Bafta Cymru nominations) and works in Welsh and English.
The success of the industry is boosting Cymraeg, the Welsh language. Shows such as the dark comedy Pren ar y Bryn/Tree on a Hill, which has five nominations, have been shot “back to back” – in Welsh and English.
Sara Pepper, the deputy director of Media Cymru, a 22-partner consortium delivering projects in and for the sector in Wales, said: “We are witnessing impressive growth in Wales, particularly within the Cardiff capital region’s media cluster.”
Moves are afoot to form a film and TV “supercluster” with Bristol, the city with the second-highest growth rate, at 41%.
Pepper said: “The potential for further growth is apparent. To build on existing successes and create new opportunities, it’s essential that innovation remains a top priority.”
The Bafta Cymru ceremony will be livestreamed from 7pm on Sunday on the Bafta YouTube channel.
