BBC and Birmingham City University announce 10-year partnership at the Tea Factory
The BBC and Birmingham City University (BCU) have announced a 10-year strategic partnership to develop the next generation of creative media professionals, with a centre for creative skills and learning planned at the Tea Factory in Digbeth.
The collaboration will bring education and industry together at the BBC’s new Midlands headquarters, supporting undergraduate and postgraduate courses across media, journalism, content creation, production and broadcast technology.
Subject to final planning and landlord’s approvals, BCU will lease space within the Tea Factory and create training facilities built to BBC specifications. These will include high-tech studios, workshops, teaching rooms and breakout areas.
Students will learn using facilities designed around current industry standards and practices, while the BBC will have access to specialist training, studio and technical facilities to support workforce development.
The BBC will also contribute to lectures, workshops, masterclasses, shadowing opportunities and live industry briefs, giving students direct access to professional expertise and practical insight into careers in the creative sector.
The partnership aims to strengthen Birmingham’s position as a creative hub and widen access to opportunities in broadcasting, journalism and digital content creation for people from all backgrounds.
It supports the BBC’s Across the UK strategy, which seeks to stimulate creative growth beyond London and develop local talent, alongside BCU’s Strategy for 2030 and Beyond, focused on developing talent and supporting regional prosperity.
The announcement follows the BBC’s second Memorandum of Understanding with the West Midlands Combined Authority and Create Central, signed in 2025, which set out plans to expand production investment in the region.
Source: BBC Press Office. Read the original announcement on the BBC Media Centre website.
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