In the midst of the global film and TV awards hype this week, closer to home, Liverpool’s Hurricane have been selected by the government as one of the success stories set to inspire other UK businesses, as part of the Business is GREAT campaign.
Business is GREAT, an initiative from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), is looking to build confidence among small firms by promoting the successes of other similar businesses.
Business is GREAT is now looking at Hurricane Films, the film and television production company headed by the drummer with 80s indie band The Farm, Roy Boulter, and Sol Papadopoulos.
2014 was a significant year for British creative industries, with a total spend of £1.47billion on film production in the UK, which is a 35% increase on the previous year and the highest spend since records began.
Creative industry growth accounts for almost 2 million jobs and Hurricane Films are a prime example of how a number of small businesses are helping develop a whole new generation of talent. Hurricane has helped to produce various films, including Terence Davies’ 2008 documentary on the Liverpool’s changing outlook, “Of Time and the City”, and also helps to produce films for Edge Hill and Hope Universities, and institutions such as National Museums Liverpool.
Hurricane’s next projects include Terence Davies’ next film about the US poet Emily Dickinson and the true life story of a Liverpool traveller who ended up imprisoned in a Bangkok.
Sol Papadopoulos said:
“Our people are the heart of our business, and developing a talented workforce is essential for us to continue to grow and play our part in the success of the British creative industries.
“We are delighted to be part of the Business is GREAT campaign to celebrate this.
“We’ve launched a very successful intern programme which sees internships of two days a week for several months. Each participant gains invaluable experience from being on set and it’s very satisfying when we see past Hurricane Films alumni go on to forge great careers.”
Words: Peter Cribley