The leading locations agency for Britain’s nations and regions, UK Locations, has secured exclusive rights to represent the property portfolios of Bruntwood and Kinrise as film and TV locations. The mutually beneficial partnerships will see UK Locations adding over 100 highly sought-after commercial properties across Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool to its library.
This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of Britain’s most impressive buildings and it comes as demand for film and drama locations across the UK is rapidly increasing, providing a welcome economic boost for all concerned.
Lauren York, Managing Director at UK Locations, says, “Britain’s film and TV industry is growing at a staggering rate. In 2020, film and high-end TV production spend was at £2.84 billion – down just 20% on the previous year, which is remarkable against the backdrop of the pandemic. As a long established and highly experienced locations agency, we’re in a prime position to help property owners tap into this lucrative revenue stream – and we’re thrilled to count Bruntwood and Kinrise among our partners.”
The iconic Grade II listed Martins Bank Building in Liverpool, which was acquired by Kinrise in July, has already been booked as a location for a prime time BBC drama, with two further bookings for productions by Netflix and Apple TV in the offing. Bruntwood’s properties are proving equally popular, with Disney+ securing access to one within days of it being made available.
But the benefits of partnering with UK Locations don’t stop at the financial gains, according Bruntwood’s Senior Asset Manager, Jordan Musker: “As a company whose fundamental purpose is to create thriving cities, we are delighted to have joined forces with UK Locations to make ours and our civic and academic partners’ assets available to a booming industry that’s creating thousands of jobs across the UK’s nations and regions and boosting the economy overall.”
Co-founder at Kinrise, Sam Lawson Johnston, says the agreement with UK Locations will also give its landmark buildings the exposure they merit. “We specialise in returning buildings to their former glory, with a real focus on natural light, subtleties of design and attention to detail. Our intent is to reveal character and restore the original features. We’ve invested in some truly magnificent buildings and getting them featured in films and on TV is the ideal way to make sure they’re seen and appreciated by people far and wide.”
UK Locations plans to partner with a growing number of commercial property owners across the UK, establishing itself as the leading location agent outside of London providing outstanding, exclusive and high-end commercial and residential locations for film and TV drama. The company’s decision to add more commercial properties to its locations library comes as part of a 5-year growth plan for UK Locations developed under the Goldman Sachs ‘10,000 Small Businesses’ programme.
