Content Without Borders 2026

For the second year running, our flagship Content Without Borders event took us to the North East, this time with a focus on unscripted. The sixth edition brought together 58 UK indies and 23 broadcasters, commissioners, financiers and executives, alongside five sponsors, at Ramside Hall Hotel in Durham.

Two days of busy schedules and strategic corridor encounters kicked off with a panel session on international co-productions, highlighting the importance of thinking creatively about models and partnerships to find new ways of making projects work in these challenging times.

Then came more than 700 one-to-one meetings and roundtables scheduled between the producers and distributors, and the commissioners, broadcasters and financiers from around the world, including representatives from the USA, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland and the UK. This year we commissioned a new meeting portal to use for the event, and feedback indicates this delivered a more effective and streamlined approach to the creation of the ‘Matrix-like’ meeting schedule.

With plenty of talk around deal-making, it seemed only fitting to put some of those skills to the test in a game of life-sized Teamopoly, where development slates were swapped for property portfolios. Investing, collecting cash and negotiating deals became the order of the day, familiar territory for producers, albeit interspersed with a demonstration of circus skills and the lobbing of sodden sponges over the ‘wet wall’...

Day two started with a switch towards digital as our panel of experts tackled a question the whole industry is asking: how can producers actually make money in digital? Navigating platforms, partnering with brands, rights, and monetising IP were all part of the conversation, with our panellists speaking candidly about the realities of producers plugging into digital content. Hearst Canvas’ Danny Baggott’s digital media philosophy of ‘make once, monetise many’ had plenty of delegates scribbling it down, and has since been shared across social media.

One-to-one speed-dating resumed, with plenty of time inbetween meetings to connect with contacts old and new and swap notes on the ever-shifting industry. Because of course, for all the carefully scheduled one-to-one sessions, some of the best conversations happen in the gaps, over coffee, or in the queue for a chicken skewer.

Despite the ongoing issues facing our industry, there was such a positivity in the room, with a willingness to explore new partnerships - a testament to the resilience and collaborative spirit of the independent production community.

A huge thank you to our five sponsors, North East Screen, the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Audio Network, GeoPura and Getty Images, without whom the event would not have been possible. Also, to the Content Without Borders Advisory Group for their guidance and support throughout.

Finally, a massive thank you to everyone who joined us for your optimism, collaboration and readiness to embrace everything the event entailed. The glowing feedback and thanks that the Pact team has received so far makes the effort it takes to bring the event together all the more worth it. We hope everyone left feeling energised and inspired, with new ideas to take forward, new relationships to build on and plenty of opportunities in the pipeline.

Content Without Borders
Gallery 2026

© Barry Pells