Dudley in the running for Royal Television Society Awards

Dudley has been recognised in the ‘Promotional Content’ category of the West Midlands Region Royal Television Awards with two projects produced by Spark Media.

These are a short Discover Dudley promotional film which aims to show people the range of visitor attraction and tourism opportunities the borough offers. It follows a whistle-stop tour around the borough by a young girl, taking in the Black Country Living Museum, Dudley Zoo, Wren’s Nest nature reserve, Dudley Museum, Merry hill and the Glass Quarter to name a few, culminating in a family trip to Himley Hall and Park.

The three-minute video was produced in May last year. A shorter 30-second version of the Discover Dudley video aired on TV over the summer, with visits to the website trebling after its first screening on broadcast TV.

The second nomination is for ‘Truth Be Told: A film about Fostering’ which launched in March 2019. This is a Dudley-led collaborative project by 14 local authorities across the West and East Midlands, looking at the true stories of two sets of children and their foster carers.  The film briefly but honestly captures the highs and lows of fostering.

This is the second time that Dudley Council and Spark Media have been shortlisted for the awards, with a nomination in 2018 for their film on child sexual exploitation.

Kevin O’Keefe, Dudley Council Chief Executive, said:

I’m really proud that two of our films have been nominated for these awards, it shows that we’re able to hold our own on the national stage. These are two very different films, punchy and engaging in their own way and I would recommend people try to catch them again on our youtube channel.

I wish the teams good luck for the awards, but more importantly than that hope that these films inspire people to engage with the council and consider fostering with us.”

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in Birmingham on 29 November.