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The title of a pan industry event we just held at Media City – Share and Inspire – is as good a clarion call for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ in the North of England as I can think of.Ìý Colleagues from the Bank of England to Marketing Cheshire, Virgin Trains to Liverpool Vision joined us in Media City.

We also received a letter from Mrs Ashworth, Year Six Teacher at Bradford's St Cuthbert's Primary School and she probably summed up sharing and inspiring better than anybody at the industry event.Ìý She wrote that her class of 11-year-olds had been watching the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ marketing trail for The Winter Olympics for a literacy lesson.Ìý Mrs Ashworth wrote: ‘We were so inspired by the sound and the poem and the video effects that we wanted to have a go at writing.ÌýYou might be interested to know how much you have inspired us and have included a selection of the poems for you to read.'Ìý I can't tell you how brilliant Sami, Michael, Shannon, Ibrahim and classmate's poems were and how they inspired us in turn.Ìý MCUK based ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sport, who are covering the Sochi Games, have a campaign called to motivate kids.Ìý Though I'm not sure poetry was exactly what they had in mind.

Yorkshire is fast becoming one of Britain's production hotspots.

It's not just the Tour de France opening stages that will put the region on the media map this year.Ìý There's an unprecedented number of big television projects being made there.Ìý Sheffield boy Michael Palin returns to serious drama withÌý ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One’s series, currently filming in Huddersfield.Ìý This summer Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook series for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Four also films in that Pennine town too, just down the road from the Hebden Bridge based , a new series from the pen of writer Sally Wainwright, made by Manchester's in-form Red Productions.Ìý

Over in Leeds prolific writer Kay Mellor's Rollem Productions is finishing filming the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One pregnancy drama series .Ìý In that same city thriving independent company True North have added China to their growing list of television markets.Ìý All that plus ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Children's Scarborough comedy and Staithes seaside CBeebies delight .Ìý So what's driving Yorkshire's television renaissance?Ìý Terrific cities, villages, countryside and coastline of course, but also sustained investment by a North focussed ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, ITV's strong regional presence, welcome investment from Yorkshire Screen – York's is a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ and international co-production backed by them for instance – and top skills and production teams.Ìý How long until we see one of those Hollywood style signs in the hills above Ilkley Moor?

Talking of drama investment, a visit to East Manchester's new Drama Village – five filming stages, 26 dressing rooms, the City Council's £10m new investment in television – is enough to convince you the whole region is gearing up for media expansion.Ìý CEO Sue Woodward showed us the 11,000 square feet studios which will create 450 jobs – from apprentices upwards – opening at the end of May.Ìý Victoria Wood's ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ film – first developed for the Manchester International Festival – , has just finished shooting at the council's Sharp digital complex a mile away.Ìý New drama tax breaks plus renewed ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ investment, the region's brilliant writers, experienced production teams and independent companies make this a crucial moment for the creative sector.Ìý Most importantly we need to make sure continued skills training follows or these new opportunities won't be sustained: ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ North Students' Conference, Vision 2022, in early April, will focus on cutting-edge technologies and journalism – hopefully a welcome addition.

It's not always straight-forward of course.Ìý Not everything we make will fly series after series.Ìý That's why development of new ideas is crucial.Ìý In the North East we now have one of our most varied ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ slates: great crews and technicians there support our two strongest C³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ drama series, and , in Newcastle and Gateshead respectively.Ìý And now we have added a third NE kids' drama commission, WW1 based .Ìý All that plus a handful of big live events coming up, like Easter's massive ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One religion centrepiece, , where art installations in shipping containers from all over the North East come together for a live Good Friday event in Sunderland – a hugely innovative partnership.Ìý Whatever we can land on our patch has to be successful with UK audiences too or our big investments can't be justified, so ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One's shop-based costume drama, won't be coming back despite two series filming at Chester Le Street.Ìý Durham's series and Newcastle ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two comedy also have to pass a tough test with audiences and commissioners to get another green light.Ìý Whatever the outcome, our determination to land new ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ projects is unwavering – we will keep searching out great stories, talent and locations.

Next up for Liverpool is the world's biggest sales conference organised by a single broadcaster, where 800 of the world's television buyers – from Colombia to China, America to Australia – gather by the Mersey for a week of trading, talking and socialising.Ìý It's the third year in a row that Liverpool has played host to a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ sales event that is worth millions of pounds in programme investments, plus hotels, taxis, hospitality and the like.Ìý Great to bring talent from , Natural History and to our region again.Ìý This summer Liverpool also hosts The International Festival of Business building on its great facilities along the famous Atlantic waterfront.

Finally, planning for Hull UK City of Culture 2017 is getting underway.Ìý Ann-Marie Tasker has just been appointed Hull's Culture Correspondent, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s first outside London.Ìý Helen Thomas, our ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Yorkshire and Humberside boss, plus colleague Pat Connor, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ North's Development & Events head, will jointly lead the thinking and planning for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳: a formidable, creative duo for this once in a lifetime East Yorkshire opportunity.

Whether it's poetry, business, sport, drama, programme sales or culture, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is learning a few lessons in the North right now.Ìý Not just from Mrs Ashworth's class either.

is Director, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ North

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