A LARGE-SCALE film studio could be built in the county after more than £90,000 of funding for creative projects was granted.

The Coastal Creative Technologies project was granted the funding from Coast to Capital economic partnership to grow the creative economy in West Sussex.

It comes amid a significant shortage of large-scale, high-quality film studio facilities in the UK, with demand far outstripping supply.

It is hoped that the project will build the business case for developing a large-scale film studio complex in the county.

Caroline Wood, director of the Coastal West Sussex Partnership which developed the project said: “This is an ambitious project that will put Coastal West Sussex on the global map for film production and creative technology, growing our creative sector into a strong identity for our region.

“It’s incredibly exciting to have received funding for the first stage.”

The project has been developed in partnership with the Coastal West Sussex Partnership, Adur and Worthing Councils, Wired Sussex and the University of Chichester.

Professor Dave Cooper, Head of the Business School at the University of Chichester, said: “What we’re trying to do is bring together the whole creative technology industry.

“The pinnacle of the project is virtual production, which is increasingly being used for high end film and TV production but equally it involves e-sports or e-games design, music production, and any form of digital media.

“We want to raise the aspirations of local people to work in the creative sector and provide opportunities that will really grow our regional economy.”

The UK’s creative industries contribute more than £115.9 billion to the economy annually[1] and employ more than 2.1 million people.[2] Official business register data suggests that in 2020 there were approximately 1,475 creative industry businesses in the region, with a further 2,985 in Brighton and Hove.[3] It is estimated that the UK is missing out on nearly a billion pounds’ worth of production expenditure each year and that by 2026, 30,000 new high skilled creative and tech jobs will need to be filled.