BSkyB Amplifies arts and culture TV spend

BSkyB is investing £3 million in new arts and culture TV projects over three years and has invited arts organisations and production companies to bid collaboratively for up to £1 million annually to develop new TV ideas.

Sky said that the new initiative, Sky Arts Amplify, is designed to foster integrated partnerships between creative institutions and TV production companies. The broadcaster said the funding would offer ways for arts organizations to reach new, wider audiences and create high-quality arts programming for Sky customers.

The Amplify scheme builds on the earlier Sky Arts Ignition initiative that launched in 2011 and established partnerships with the V&A Museum and Tate Liverpool.

“Amplify continues our long-standing commitment to support the arts on and off screen. We hope that this initiative will generate exciting results for both the arts industry and our customers,” said Jeremy Darroch, CEO of BSkyB.

“The arts landscape of the UK is more exciting than it’s ever been, and we want to reflect that on Sky Arts. But we don’t just want to make TV about the arts – we want to make artistic TV. Sky Arts Amplify is about bringing the best people in their fields together to do this in bold, fearless ways,” said Phil Edgar-Jones, director, Sky Arts.