Digbeth content hub to launch in February
The Digbeth Estate is set to re-launch The Bond on Fazeley Street, Digbeth, as a home for the best creative talent in the West Midlands.
Oval, working with Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) and Create Central, has partnered with some of Birmingham 's best designers and architects to reimagine The Bond for the next generation.
The rebuilding of The Bond will see it become a focal point for television, film and all digital content production.
The Bond 's relaunch is a landmark scheme which harnesses the embodied carbon of the older building whilst introducing modern technology.
Digbeth, the city 's Creative Quarter, is a cradle for businesses of all sizes, from thriving independents to internationals.
At its core, The Bond 's purpose is to re-establish itself, Digbeth and Birmingham as the epicentre of screen and digital talent in the Midlands; acting as a home for native creatives and a magnet for incomers.
The Bond comprises five main structures which provide 55,000 sq ft for businesses of all sizes, including event spaces, screening rooms, pod rooms, canalside studios and its own wharf: First Floor 4,761 sq ft, Third Floor 8,169 sq ft and Third Floor Mezzanine, Toll House Ground Floor 2,135 sq ft and First Floor 3,019 sq ft and Retort House 5,974 sq ft.
Oval has been investing and developing buildings in Birmingham for over 20 years and has partnered with influential industry body Create Central and GBSLEP to bring The Bond back to life.
The Bond will also be available for event hire, offering state of the art spaces suitable for a variety of events ranging from screenings, conferences, film shoots and award ceremonies.
James Craig, founder of Oval Real Estate, said: “Oval Real Estate develop, manage and invest in buildings throughout the UK. Specialising in spaces sometimes overlooked, we aim to leave buildings and neighbourhoods better than we found them, and as custodians of the Digbeth Estate, we are working with West Midlands Combined Authority and Birmingham City Council to deliver meaningful change in Digbeth by continuing the careful transformation of the area.
“We are looking forward to revealing the Creative Content Hub at The Bond in 2023. As the Midlands ' newest production hub, The Bond will be an epicentre for film, media and tech within the growing Digbeth community. The revival of the Bond serves as a reminder that Birmingham can turn its hand to anything; taking landmarks from the Industrial Revolution and making them relevant for the Digital Revolution. ”
Create Central chair, Ed Shedd, said: “When Create Central was launched in 2019, the Members pitched the idea of a content hub - it 's so exciting to see real, tangible results from all the industry 's hard work paying off.
“The Creative Content Hub will be a huge catalyst to kick-start the sector post-pandemic. It is just one of the many ways the West Midlands is at the forefront of developing new ways of working that will re-invent and future-proof traditional television, film and wider digital content production. ”
Further information about The Bond 's spaces can be found here: https://www.thebonddigbeth.com/assets/files/The_Bond_Brochure.pdf