Tucked away amongst industrial sites in West Gorton lies one of Manchester’s hidden gems – an expansive 85,000 sq ft production space across six stages used by the likes of Sky, Marvel and Disney.
Built by the former estate used on set for the TV comedy series Shameless, Space Studios Manchester has hosted a number of high-profile productions from Marvel’s Morbius to two series of the hit BBC gangster drama, Peaky Blinders.
Despite the sheer scale of the space already in use, owners Manchester City Council have recently been granted planning permission to build two new stages at an additional 20,000 sq ft each – taking the stage space to 105,000 sq ft which it hopes to start building next year.
“Because we are the council, the last thing they want to do is build a building to go in competition with somebody that’s already working in the city,” Dean Sinacola, Space Studios Stage Manager, told Prolific North.
“We’re not here to put anybody out of business, we’re here to work and collaborate with as many as we can.”
On a tour of the facilities with Dean, accompanied by Screen Manchester’s Film Office Manager Bobby Cochrane, the duo showcased why this facility is so important not just for Manchester – but for the Northern region as a whole.
Stage six, which Dean described as one of the “biggest stages in the country,” is completely standalone with its own 5,000 sq ft workshop and 1,000 seat capacity.
