London’s multi-arts and conference venue, The Barbican Centre reports growing its position as a location of choice for film and photography shoots.
In the last calendar year, the Barbican Business Events team says it has hosted more than £150k of shoots, attracting brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Adidas, Harper’s Bazaar, Amazon, John Lewis, Doc Martens, French Connection, Net a Porter, Madame Tussauds, and Tinie Tempah for Chase Vodka.
The Barbican’s architectural and aesthetic appeal for film shoots was recently highlighted when The Kitchen, directed by Daniel Kaluuya and starring Kano, spent a week filming in the Barbican Conservatory. The film is now released on Netflix.
Lush greenery of the Conservatory and the iconic brutalist architecture framing the London skyline is part of the Barbican’s attraction as a filming location. And the Barbican team is experienced in managing both large and small-scale productions.
“The Barbican has had many memorable moments in images and on screens over the years, however, this focus from our team on the development of new business in this area is not just reaping significant rewards, it is also opening new areas of the venue and estate for external usage,” says Barbican head of sales, Jenny Waller. “As a not-for-profit organisation, the funds generated from these shoots are reinvested directly into our arts and learning programme.”
A representative of The Production Factory said following a recent shoot: “On the shoot day we had an assigned event manager to help that the day ran smoothly, and it made a huge difference having someone on hand to offer support as and when needed.”
Barbican Business Events also exhibits annually at FOCUS London, a key UK event bringing together suppliers and content creators.
Photo courtesy of The Barbican/Max Colson
