THE opening of the High House Production Park in Purfleet has coincided with an upsurge in creative talent being unearthed in the borough.

The Backstage Centre and Acme Studios have followed the Royal Opera House, and recently it was announced that the Opera House and South Essex College, in Grays, will tie up next year for a costume design degree.

Last week, the Gazette reported the exciting launch of the Village Beach Festival, set to take place in Grays in July, which will feature scores of artists and performers from across the borough.

Andrea Stark, the chief executive of High House Production Park, said: “When we were first building in the park in Thurrock, one of the questions was, ‘First of all, are there any artists in Thurrock?’ The answer was ‘yes’ and now we are getting more inquiries than ever from companies who want to move into the sector and the area.

“There have been around 20 in the last six months alone, which is a lot for this area. My colleagues at Thurrock Council are also getting more and more inquiries.”

Also on the horizon are plans for a film studio in Purfleet.

With rocketing American demand for UK film production facilities, and industry insiders saying Pinewood Studios is struggling to keep up with demand, the Purfleet development could be coming along at the right time.

Andrea said: “It’s now extremely cost-effective for US production companies to do their business in the UK. There’s been an upsurge in production at Pinewood and inside the M25 circle, due to the proximity to London.

“I think people who have grown up in Thurrock are also thinking about coming home. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if returning graduates could return to their first creative business in Thurrock?”