CBBC adventure series The Snow Spider has become the first recipient of the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Production Fund.
The five-part fantasy drama is being produced by Liverpool-based Leopard Pictures, which submitted a bid for financial support from the production fund following its launch back in March.
The fund is aimed at attracting small and large filming projects to the city region, and as a result create more jobs, develop training initiatives and boost the local economy.
Leopard Pictures received funding towards the highly-anticipated series, and over a six-week period filmed a number of scenes in locations across Wirral, with additional filming in Wales.
As part of the funding agreement, Leopard Pictures, which is part of the Argonon Group, took on six trainees to give them on-set experience.
Based on Jenny Nimmo’s bestselling book trilogy, and adapted for television by BAFTA award-winning Owen Sheers, The Snow Spider will be aired on CBBC and BBC Wales in 2020.
Liverpool Film Office manages the LCR Production Fund and has received more than 40 formal expressions of interest since its launch earlier this year. The fund was launched to mark the office’s 30th anniversary.
Kristian Smith, MD of Leopard Pictures, said: “Leopard Pictures is committed to making content and telling stories from the North.
“Liverpool is the perfect home for us. With many of us in the Leopard team having strong links to Wirral and Liverpool, we are determined to continue to grow our Liverpool base, with new people joining the team through 2020. We’re incredibly grateful to Liverpool Film Office for helping us make our latest drama series.”
In 2018, the 366 film and TV projects filmed in Liverpool and the wider city region brought in £16.1million to the local economy.
The LCR Production Fund is supported by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority through its Strategic Investment Fund.
