Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight in creative investment push

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight said creative people in the region would be nurtured

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has joined forces with other West Midlands figures from the TV and film industries to launch a new group to boost the region's creative output.

Create Central is to promote the area as a production base for new content and seek investment for local projects.

It says local people can develop skills at creative boot camps under its watch.

The group also includes Citizen Khan creator Adil Ray and Debbie Isitt, founder of the Nativity film franchise.

It has been developed with national bodies including the British Film Institute, ScreenSkills and the Creative Industries Federation.

The West Midlands Combined Authority is looking to see 29,000 new, high-skilled jobs in the local digital and creative industries by 2030, mayor Andy Street says.

According to a Create Central spokesperson, it will promote the region to entertainment companies - including international firms - to encourage them to use it as a production base.

Birmingham-born Mr Knight said: "The West Midlands will be the big new everything in European film and television production.

"It will be bigger and better and the people who make the region what it is will be nurtured and inspired to make great moving image content. Watch this creative space."

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Adil Ray, seen as Citizen Khan, is part of the new body

A spokesperson added it would aim to capitalise on opportunities in the region, such as Coventry being the City of Culture in 2021, and Birmingham hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games, along with the West Midlands being chosen as the UK's first 5G area.

The combined authority will make up to £500,000 available to launch pilot boot camps in collaboration with ScreenSkills, UK games trade body Ukie, and local colleges by the end of the year.

The pilots are designed to reach out to diverse communities to better connect local talent and opportunity, the authority says.