Cardiff confirmed as BBC City Of Comedy 2023
- The BBC City Of Comedy for 2023 is Cardiff
- The Welsh capital will host the BBC New Comedy Awards final in November 2022
- Events in 2023 will then include the BBC Comedy Festival, a multi-day event for producers, writers and performers
The BBC has named Cardiff as its City Of Comedy for 2023.
The Welsh capital will host a series of events next year for those involved in writing and performing comedy.
It follows on from Newcastle, which is the current city and hosted the inaugural BBC Comedy Festival earlier this year.
The BBC explains: "First established as part of the BBC's commitment to fund network TV production, talent development and support for the creative sector, BBC Comedy today confirms that Cardiff will become the BBC City of Comedy for 2023. The BBC City of Comedy aims to help find, nurture and connect new comedy talent in Wales with UK commissioners and the wider TV industry.
"As BBC City of Comedy, Cardiff is set to benefit from a raft of different initiatives and activities taking place in and around the city, including hosting the BBC Comedy Festival - a multi-day event for indie producers, anyone with a new career in TV and comedy, and people looking to break into or advance their career in the industry to explore, reflect on and celebrate comedy in the UK."
In addition to hosting the BBC Comedy Festival, the following initiatives will also take place in Cardiff:
- The city will host the upcoming BBC New Comedy Awards final, which will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in November 2022. The final will take place at St David's Hall (free tickets)
- Two funded short film nights, which will be open for a local producer to curate, with the event set to include networking opportunities with the BBC Comedy commissioning team.
- A regional Partnership Scheme, co-funded with Creative Wales, which will pair a Welsh based emerging indie with a leading BBC Comedy supplier to help strengthen and enhance local comedy talent and project development in the region, including a guaranteed place in the BBC Comedy Bursary Collective for a writer.
Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy Commissioning at the BBC, says: "We are excited to announce Cardiff as our second BBC City of Comedy in 2023. We are already seeing the continued and long-lasting impact the Newcastle-Upon-Tyne activity has had in the North East, and will be using the City of Comedy 2023 engagement to drive more scripted comedy production in Wales and to further Welsh portrayal in comedy, in front of and behind the camera."
Gerwyn Evans, Deputy Director, Creative Wales, says: "Today's announcement is an amazing opportunity to showcase the comedy talent we have here in Wales and is also in line with Creative Wales' ambitions to boost the sector. We are really thankful to the BBC for choosing the Welsh capital as host city for the Comedy Festival event and New Comedy Awards Finals, not to mention the industry support being put in place."
Councillor Jennifer Burke-Davies adds: "This promises to be a fantastic year, full of opportunities for local creatives to connect with the wider industry, and we're delighted that St David's Hall has been chosen to host the BBC New Comedy Awards Final."
Further details relating to the BBC City of Comedy will be announced in due course, alongside dates and further information regarding the BBC Comedy Festival 2023.