After producing a couple of kids series, Welsh factual studio Wildflame Productions is closing its doors due to a slowdown in commissions and the broader economic downturn. 

“We are one of the casualties of this current climate,” said Wildflame CEO Paul Islwyn Thomas in a statement. “It’s the toughest I’ve seen in over 40 years in the industry.” 

The company has not yet finalized its closing date, but around eight people are expected to exit, according to a spokesperson. 

Since opening its doors in 2015, the studio has delivered a few children’s docuseries to the likes of BBC and Welsh broadcaster S4C. These include Our Little World for S4C’s children’s block Cyw in 2022, which teaches kids about different cultures, languages and foods from around the world. BBC iPlayer and Sky also carried the series. 

Wildflame also produced a 2022 docuseries (six x 40-minutes) and two 60-minute documentaries as part of a package called Evacuees (pictured). Centering on eight non-Welsh speaking kids from the UK who move to Welsh-speaking areas, the show helps kids understand the language and social barriers that real English wartime evacuees experienced when they moved to Wales to escape the bombings. S4C commissioned the series and iPlayer also picked it up. 

The studio’s other kids projects include 2021’s Easy Peasy Politics for BBC Bitesize (seven episodes) that teaches kids about democracy in the UK, and 2020’s Small Animals of the World, which introduces kids to different animals. Wildflame produced Small Animals for S4C’s Cyw, and iPlayer later picked it up.

The studio was previously part of Flame Media Group before setting off on its own in 2020 as a 100% independently owned company. “We are incredibly sad to have to throw the towel in, having worked tirelessly to forge a strong nations-based factual indie here in Cardiff,” said Thomas. “With commissioning [slow] across the board, broadcasters re-evaluating their strategies and the economic climate in a downturn, the sector has faced the perfect storm