Birmingham City owners back new Sports Quarter in city centre

Local TV Sport

Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders and passionate Birmingham City supporter, wants to channel the excitement around the club’s forthcoming Sports Quarter by launching a dedicated Media Quarter in Digbeth.  As the Blues’ owners Knighthead commit up to £3 billion to transform east Birmingham into a sporting hotspot, Knight is doubling down with his Digbeth Loc. Studios initiative to catalyse film and TV production in tandem.

Transcript

00:00Stephen Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders and passionate Birmingham City supporter,

00:06wants to channel the excitement around the club's forthcoming sports quarter

00:10by launching a dedicated media quarter in Digbeth.

00:14As the Blues owners, Knighthead, commit up to £3 billion to transform East Birmingham into a sporting hotspot,

00:22Knight is doubling down with his Digbeth Lock Studios initiative to catalyse film and TV production in tandem.

00:29It's not as big, of course, but to do a similar thing, take an area of Birmingham which is challenged and give it a purpose, Knight told ITV.

00:37His ambition is clear and position Digbeth as the heartbeat of cultural regeneration,

00:43complementing the physical infrastructure and energy generated by the sports quarter.

00:49Knight's Digbeth Lock Studios have already made waves, backed by £1.3 million of public investment.

00:55The complex revived Victorian industrial buildings into an 80,000-square-foot film and media hub,

01:02three studios, production offices, workshops, creating around 760 local jobs.

01:08The facility now hosts high-profile shoots, Peaky Blinders, Masterchef this town,

01:13establishing Digbeth as the creative quarter of Birmingham.

01:17Knight acknowledged the slow pace of progress, glacier pace, but emphasized that momentum is building.

01:24The government's recent £2.4 billion funding pledge for transport,

01:29including the HS2-linked tram from Curzon Street to the sports quarter,

01:33is set to enhance connectivity to Digbeth.

01:36Reflecting on Birmingham's historic marginalisation overshadowed by London,

01:41Knight said it's now time the city took his lead in its own destiny.

01:45He praised partnerships with Tom Wagner and Knight's Head,

01:48galvanising a vision for cultural and urban revival.

01:53Alongside upcoming documentaries such as one on Birmingham City's record-breaking

01:58League One season for Amazon Prime, Knight hopes Digbeth media quarter will prove that

02:04Brum can host mega sports events and lead creative innovation firmly staking its claim

02:11on the UK stage.

02:18You

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