MP calls for 'studio of the North' to boost region's creative industries after coronavirus

The creation of a “studio of the North” in West Yorkshire to support the entertainment and creative industries will help the region recover from coronavirus, it had been claimed.

Batley and Spen Labour MP Tracy Brabin will lead an adjournment debate in Parliament tonight where she will mark 60 years of Coronation Street in which she previously appeared.

But Ms Brabin, who is also vying to be Labour’s candidate in the West Yorkshire mayoral election next year, will also use the opportunity to champion the North’s creative output and potential.

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Ms Brabin played Tricia Armstrong in the soap opera between 1994 and 1997, and she will later praise the long-standing commitment to showcasing working class culture and voices on mainstream television, recounting her own experiences of precarious work while trying to break through in the industry.

Batley and Spen MP Tracy Brabin. Photo: JPI MediaBatley and Spen MP Tracy Brabin. Photo: JPI Media
Batley and Spen MP Tracy Brabin. Photo: JPI Media

She said: “Appearing in Coronation Street changed my life, what a wonderful achievement to make it to 60 years old. It’s been such a consistent part of people’s lives, so many of us remember watching it while we were growing up and are still fans now.

“It’s important working class culture and voices are heard on telly, but entertainment is also a huge industry with the power to bring jobs and regeneration – and it’s growing, look at all of the new streaming channels and content. We need new ideas and a bold vision to bring that investment and those jobs to our towns, villages and cities.

“I want West Yorkshire to benefit from the billions that are spent every year. I’ll fight to bring a studio of the north to our region.”

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