Oval, working with Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) and Create Central, has officially launched the reimagined space, The Bond in Digbeth.

The ‘Creative Content Hub’ was officially launched last night with a party attended by over 400 people from the worlds of television, film, content production, business, property and the creative sector.

At its core, The Bond’s purpose is to re-establish itself, Digbeth and Birmingham as the epicentre of screen and digital talent in the Midlands; acting as a home for native creatives and a magnet for incomers.

Digbeth, the city’s Creative Quarter, is a cradle for businesses of all sizes, from thriving independents to internationals. The BBC is set to open its new broadcast centre in the area in 2026, a move which will also see MasterChef set up home in Digbeth in 2024. Steven Knight’s proposed film studio and HS2 will also be heading to Digbeth whilst Joe Lycett will be bringing a new Channel 4 show to the area.

North One, the biggest independent production company in the Midlands and the team behind shows such as Fifth Gear, Gadget Show, Guy Martin and Travel Man, will be moving into The Bond in May 2023 alongside All3Media stablemate Optomen Television, producer of Great British Menu for the BBC, and All3Media facilities and post production arm Manor Production Services.

Oval has been investing and developing buildings in Birmingham for over 20 years and has partnered with influential industry body Create Central and GBSLEP to bring The Bond back to life.

Sitting at the junction of the River Rea and the Grand Union Canal, with its own wharf, The Bond has been reimagined from its industrial origins as an Ice Factory, the HP Sauce Factory for Birmingham and a Bonded Warehouse before spending 30 years derelict. The Bond’s relaunch is a landmark scheme which harnesses the embodied carbon of the older building whilst introducing modern technology.

The Bond comprises five main structures which provide 55,000 sq ft for businesses of all sizes, including event spaces, screening rooms, pod rooms, canalside studios and its own wharf: First Floor 4,761 sq ft, Third Floor 8,169 sq ft and Third Floor Mezzanine, Toll House Ground Floor 2,135 sq ft and First Floor 3,019 sq ft and Retort House 5,974 sq ft.

The Bond will also be available for event hire, offering state of the art spaces suitable for a variety of events ranging from screenings, conferences, film shoots and award ceremonies.

Further information about The Bond’s spaces can be found here