STIRLING CULTURAL STRATEGY CATALYST
FILM & SCREEN
Building Stirling as a key Scottish film and screen hub
What is this?
Film & Screen is one of the six catalysts at the heart of the Stirling Cultural Strategy 2023–2028. The screen industries — film, TV, animation, games, and digital content — are among the most significant creative and economic forces of our time.
Stirling has real and growing assets to build on: photogenic heritage locations, film and media courses at the University of Stirling, Screen Scotland-funded skills provision at Forth Valley College, and now one of the most significant film infrastructure developments in Scotland — Stirling Studios.
The catalyst is about joining these assets up — connecting talent, education, locations, and opportunity into a coherent offer that makes Stirling a place where screen industry practitioners can train, work, and build careers.
Our vision
A versatile, joined-up approach to the screen sector that establishes Stirling as a key Scottish film hub.
Get involved
Are you a filmmaker, screen practitioner, educator, or organisation working in the screen industries in the Stirling area? We want to hear from you — your experience and expertise will directly shape how this catalyst develops. Get in touch →
Updates
This is one of the catalyst areas we are actively developing. Forth Valley College has launched new Screen Scotland-funded Film and Screen courses at its Stirling campus, building a pipeline of skilled practitioners for the sector.
Baseline data from the 2026 sector survey will give us our first detailed picture of the screen industry landscape across Stirling. Watch this space — and get in touch if you'd like to be part of shaping it.
Updates
This page will be updated with news, case studies, and data from our annual sector survey. Check back for progress updates.
Why this matters in Stirling
Stirling is well positioned within the central belt, with an abundance of photogenic, scenic and heritage locations that appeal to filmmakers. Stirling Council already offers a film locations service and maintains relationships with production companies and Screen Scotland — but the announcement of Stirling Studios marks a step change in ambition.
Stirling Studios, located on the former Ministry of Defence site at Forthside, is set to be one of the biggest film and TV production campuses in Scotland, with over 100,000 sq ft of studio space and a further 110,000 sq ft for production, logistics and offices. The project is anticipated to create more than 4,000 jobs over 25 years — and it changes what is possible for the Film & Screen catalyst entirely. The Courier + 2
Many of Stirling's creative practitioners — writers, composers, designers, animators, and technicians — currently have to travel outside the area to sustain their careers. Stirling Studios, combined with growing skills provision locally, creates a real opportunity to change that.
What are we working towards?
The strategy's vision is a versatile, joined-up screen sector ecosystem — one where education, locations, business support, and talent development work together. Stirling Studios provides the infrastructure; Forth Valley College and the University of Stirling provide the talent pipeline. The Film & Screen catalyst is about ensuring these pieces connect, and that Stirling's existing screen practitioners and communities benefit as the sector grows.
The baseline sector survey launching in 2026 will, for the first time, map the skills, activity, and needs of screen practitioners across the Stirling area.
Key partners
Delivering on this catalyst requires collaboration across the screen industry, education, and economic development. Key partners include Screen Scotland, the University of Stirling, Forth Valley College, and Stirling Council.