TV production company on a mission to halt Wales’ brain drain of creative talent

A new TV production company is on a mission to help talented young people work in the industry and halt a brain drain across the border.

Ffion Williams, a development executive with Tŷ’r Ddraig (Dragon House) in Wrexham, told the city’s business leaders the lack of opportunities for Wales’s creative talent meant far too many were having to leave the country to follow their dreams of a career in the arts

Tŷ’r Ddraig was set up last year by prolific Wrexham-born TV producer Ben Smith who said his homecoming was particularly timely because of the new energy created by the takeover of Wrexham AFC by Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

He’s established a track record for developing and producing successful high volume factual programmes and documentaries for the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4  and Channel 5, as well as streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Discovery.

Investment

Tŷ’r Ddraig has been backed financially with a significant investment by the Workerbee Group, which is part of Banijay UK.

According to Ffion, they have already secured commissions and had been in further talks with streaming heavyweights such as Netflix.

She said: “We’re small and nimble at the moment and we want to have a creative hub in Wrexham.

“I got into the TV industry through a training programme which doesn’t exist anymore. It’s really important that young people doing media studies and what have you in the local colleges have an opportunity to train afterwards, to work with experienced people.

“I find so many people doing degrees in media studies, and then they just don’t have that opportunity. Lots of people lose their confidence, so we are losing a lot of really good talent that is leaving Wales because there aren’t any opportunities here.

“So we hope that we can grow so that students can come and work with us and we can offer training opportunities.

“We have fantastic media courses in Wales, really well-respected and revered, but there’s nowhere for these young people to go. There’s real talent in Wales, but unfortunately a lot of these people have left.

“I hope we can work from the bottom up again and give people opportunities.”

Ffion said Ty’r Ddraig was determined to champion Wales and its talent on the global stage.

Netflix

She added: “Budgets are much bigger outside of Wales so we were talking recently with Netflix about a project that would be produced here in Wales about Wales.

“Because we have the backing of Banijay and Workerbee we were able to do that.

“I’m from Caernarfon, Welsh is my first language, and I’ve worked in TV for years and years and won awards outside of Wales, with S4C budgets which are only quite small.

“It proves if you’ve got the talent, the drive and the creativity, that you can punch above your weight, and compete with the big boys if you like, it’s possible.

“But that’s much easier if you’ve got bigger money coming in.

“Obviously the football has been a massive success for Wrexham. Wrexham is now firmly on the international playground. When I said we went to Netflix, they knew where we were – Wrexham – so it kind of starts the ball rolling.

“Ben is down in Cardiff meeting executives from Channel 5, Channel 4, BBC selling our ideas to the channel controllers.”

Ffion said she wanted to hear from the Wrexham community and its businesses about ideas which could eventually be transformed into TV productions.

Ideas

She said: “I want to get to know everybody in Wrexham, everything that is going on, and hear any ideas that could make good programmes.

“I’m from a creative background, not an expert in business, but having said that I get commissions which generate money, which create jobs, so I am in business.”

Ffion said the National Eisteddfod coming to Wrexham next year also offered creative opportunities, and the company was already working with Ysgol Morgan Llwyd on projects.

Ffion Williams was speaking at a meeting of Wrexham Business Professionals, held at Hotel Wrexham in Holt.

The group is made up of successful businesses and skilled professionals working together to promote regional prosperity and shine a light on the enterprise and expertise that exists in the region.