The owners of the Port of Grimsby are promoting the area as a prime location for the filming of period dramas.
Associated British Ports (ABP), responsible for Hull and Grimsby ports, have highlighted the benefits of film crews using Grimsby Docks as a location. It comes as across the Humber basks in the spotlight of being a key filming location for the Steve McQueen-directed Apple TV historical drama Blitz, which follows the lives of ordinary Londoners during Britain's darkest hours and stars Saoirse Ronan, Stephen Graham and Harris Dickinson.
The city has even been nicknamed Hullywood to reflect the scale of use in recent times as a filming location. But Grimsby has had its share of film and TV stardust and could yet develop into a "mini-Cannes" to rival its larger north bank of the Humber counterpart, the port believes.
Read more: Gleeson sees profits fall as housing market cools
"Are you looking for your next location? We have a range of period buildings at the Port of Grimsby perfect for your next TV drama, film, advert or photo shoot," said ABP Humber in a tweet. The Kasbah has historic buildings dating between the 1880s and post-war.
A partnership between ABP, North East Lincolnshire Council and Historic England, the Kasbah's filming page says: "Filming and photography are an important part of helping conserve the Kasbah location and supporting the future survival of these buildings. All monies raised from this are put back in to the area to assist in conservation, and renovation."
Productions to have already used Kasbah include Netflix and Moonage Picture's Bodies, Discovery TV series Wheeler Dealers, the 2007 critically acclaimed film Atonement, and Three Day Millionaire. The latter, about a gang of Grimsby trawlermen who carry out the heist of a lifetime, was premiered in Grimsby and will air on Netflix on February 25.
Hull City Council last week estimated that upwards of £250,000 is spent as a result and will release soon a TV and Film Prospectus and marketing plan to attract more blockbusters in. Part of the reason for its popularity is that the council does not charge a daily permit fee for working in the city. Only road closures are charged and at standard rates.
A highlighted element of the benefits of filming at the Kasbah is its status as a private site with good control of access and no road closure issues. It also has production office spaces.
Renewal of the Kasbah area into a creative-friendly space has been part of council regeneration plans for several years. This includes the creation of a creative industries workspace to act as a hub for cultural productions. In October 2021, six buildings were confirmed for conversion to create 37 studios available for hire and exhibition space.
Five years ago, Grimsby got £3.2m in government cultural development funding too. Grimsby Creates was created in 2020 with that cash as an umbrella brand for cultural activity in the town until Spring 2023.
READ NEXT:
