TV shows like Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack can boost economy and culture in Calderdale and the region into the future, says Mayor of West Yorkshire

A light-hearted question from a Calderdale councillor about the recent Gentleman Jack series – centred on Halifax’s historic Shibden Hall – saw Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin highlight the economic benefit culture will have in encouraging investment and jobs.

With Sally Wainwright-penned dramas, Last Tango in Halifax; Gentleman Jack, about the 19th century lesbian heiress Anne Lister; and hard-hitting Happy Valley, starring Sarah Lancashire as police sergeant Catherine Cawood bringing in tourists, Calderdale is benefiting from the interest.

Councillor Josh Fenton-Glynn (Lab, Calder) said he lived in the same neighbourhood as Happy Valley’s fictional character Catherine Cawood and had already seen tourists taking pictures of ‘where she lived’.

Of the other recent Wainwright hit he asked Ms Brabin: “I wonder if you will support the campaign for a third series of Gentleman Jack – and also support film and television in Calderdale as a way to bring in more money and investment to West Yorkshire?”

Just days after Ms Brabin spoke to the meeting of the full Calderdale Council, Cabinet member Coun Sarah Courtney (Lab, Calder) was a guest on BBC TV’s Breakfast to speak about the impact of Happy Valley and Calderdale.

Ms Brabin – a former star in long-running TV soap ‘Coronation Street’ and an actor with three decades in the creative industries before pursuing politics – joked that returning Gentleman Jack should be a council motion.

More seriously, she said its impact was reflected to her by a meeting with Japanese tourists at Halifax’s Piece Hall who had seen the series.

And a rolling programme of major arts events through the region over the next three years would place West Yorkshire in the spotlight – Leeds 2023 and the Kirklees Year of Music this year, Calderdale’s own Year of Culture to tie in with the borough’s 50th anniversary celebrations next year, with a similar cultural event in Wakefield, plus Bradford UK City of Culture year in 2025.

“We have an extraordinary opportunity to prove that culture levels up,” she said, outlining some of the projects she was sponsoring or supporting as Mayor of West Yorkshire.

She believes data which can be provided to Government from these schemes will build an economic case for investment in culture in the region.

Culture was not just entertainment that was nice to have – the industry was worth around £2 billion to West Yorkshire’s economy involving 50,000 jobs and would give opportunities to more people here, including young people, said Ms Brabin, a former MP for Batley and Spen.

“I want to make sure that wherever you’re from you have got the chance to have a great career in the culture industries.

“Sally Wainwright is a goddess but we need more Sally Wainwrights to deliver more and more content to really put us on the map,” said the Mayor.