The BBC and Birmingham City University have entered a 10 year partnership to establish a centre for creative skills and learning. The facility will be located at the Tea Factory in Digbeth, which serves as the BBC Midlands headquarters. The collaboration supports undergraduate and postgraduate courses in journalism, content creation, production, broadcast technology and media.
Pending planning and landlord approvals, Birmingham City University will lease space within the Tea Factory. The university will install studios, workshops and teaching rooms built to BBC specifications. The BBC will use the specialist training and technical facilities to support its own workforce development.
The agreement includes the provision of masterclasses, shadowing opportunities, live industry briefs and lectures delivered by BBC staff. This arrangement follows a second Memorandum of Understanding signed last year between the BBC and the West Midlands Combined Authority alongside Create Central. That previous agreement detailed plans for increased production investment within the region.
These frameworks focus on developing talent pipelines and regional creative economies outside of London. The BBC and Birmingham City University will operate the centre as a joint effort between industry and higher education. The BBC previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the West Midlands Combined Authority to expand production investment in the region.