Chatterbox, the Brighton production company behind Meet the Khans and Charlotte in Sunderland plans to recruit 10 staff to its new North East base.
It’s Northern HQ will operate as Natterbox and be based at Gateshead’s digital production facility, PROTO.
“Our mission is to collaborate with the best creative talent in the country, both on and off screen, to produce bold, entertaining and compelling content for major platforms and broadcasters,” said Nav Raman, Founder and Executive Producer, Natterbox.
“Launching Natterbox in the North East will not only help us do that, it will allow us to join an exciting ecosystem of incredible businesses who are at the forefront of innovation in all aspects of screen entertainment.”
The company was founded by Raman, a former Channel 4 Factual Entertainment Commissioning Editor, alongside Director and Producer, Ali Quirk, whose credits include Gogglebox, Come Dine With Me, Lion Country, Sky Cops and Gold Rush.
Its expansion builds on the growth of the screen sector in the North East, with the formation of the North East Screen Industries Partnership (NESIP) and the BBC’s commitment to commission a minimum of £25m programming spend over the next 5 years.
BBC Three has also just announced the second season of Charlotte in Sunderland, documenting Crosby as she seeks to settle down in the region, after making a name for herself with appearances on Geordie Shore, Celebrity Big Brother and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here.
“We’re delighted to see Natterbox invest in the North East and further strengthen the vibrant screen industry we have here in the region. Natterbox bring great expertise in unscripted TV and we look forward to working more closely with Nav, Ali and the team to provide further opportunities to regional crew and trainees,” added Lisa Laws, Head of Talent and Business Development, North East Screen.
“It’s an exciting time to invest in the North East with the launch of the North East Production Fund strengthening our Film Office support, which is already attracting major feature films and TV productions such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, The Red King and Vera; alongside the FulwellCain plans forging ahead to build one of Europe’s largest film studios, Crown Works Studios, in the North East creating over 8,000 jobs.”
