Visit Wrexham gets a hands-on-behind-the-scenes experience, on a closed film set with some of Wrexham's leading independent filmmakers.
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Minera Studios Cymru was co-founded in 2024 by a group of three leading local actors who are watched and familiar to millions. Co-founded by the combined talents of Ian Puleston-Davies, Ruby Snape and Dean Fagan - Visit Wrexham were invited to a live filming performance at their Wrexham studios.
Their collective vision was to launch an up-and-coming film and TV production company based in Wrexham with an ambitious mission to create world-class cinematic content. Hard to believe only recently formed their collective energy is impressive. Setting out an objective to become a disruptive force in the creative industry, the team have already gone on to achieve a series of noteworthy successes and awards. Aiming to compete with major global production companies while staying rooted in Welsh culture and community, they are ably supported by a team of highly skilled and experienced individuals from right across Wales.
The team aim to elevate stories from Wrexham and North East Wales offering hands on experience to aspiring Wrexham University creative sector undergraduates and creating employment opportunities for established local talent. They aim to create globally competitive productions and putting Wrexham on the international map by producing consistently high-quality film and TV content.
Having spoken with Dean ourselves beforehand, we were invited to the studios whilst they were working on a film commission for a local client of theirs – Stori Brymbo, based just north of Wrexham. We got behind the scenes to experience and see exactly how they deliver professional filming services first hand.
Stori Brymbo is a heritage project focused on conserving, restoring, and celebrating the natural, industrial, and social history of Brymbo. The project aims to revitalise the site, which was once a thriving steelworks, and transform it into a visitor attraction that tells the story of a 300-million-year journey from a carboniferous forest through industrialisation and into its current reinvention.
Minera Studios Cymru have been appointed to bring Stori Brymbo’s history to life with actors recreating what everyday life for the workers based at the steelworks would have been like in the 1980’s – during its heyday as a world class manufacturer.
We arrived mid-morning and got to see the actors going through make-up and getting ready for shooting, see their live filmed rehearsals and hear the subsequent mentoring and feedback from the experienced team. They were all working to strict deadlines in a high-tech setting and capturing live filmed content and performances that will support the planned visitor attraction for years to come.
Despite the busy schedule and demands on the team, we had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with most of the team whilst we were there. We spoke with Peter Cox MBE, who lives in Powys, who is employed by the Studios as their Head of Script Development. Peter brings decades of experience as one of their most experienced writers behind Brookside and producer of many award-winning plays performed at the Royal National Theatre and National Theatre Wales.
We also spoke to Ian himself, who is from Flint originally and now lives in nearby Chester. He explained to me the challenges of building a film studio business, and how their growing team source new opportunities and commissions. A highly experienced actor and director, we look forward to updating readers of Visit Wrexham with news about their new film currently in post-production called ‘Box of Frogs’ starring Mathew Horne – who is Gavin from Gavin and Stacy fame.
Ian explained the team are fortunate to regularly film at and use the green and black screen facilities at the Creative Studios based at Wrexham University – also well known locally as the grass roofed building with the sheep on, located off the Mold Road roundabout on the outskirts of town.
Finally, we spent a few minutes with Craig Blackwell, who was the lead actor performing whilst we were there. Craig’s performance was that more meaningful to him personally as he explained to me after filming that his grandad – Robert Thomas Blackwell - actually worked at Brymbo Steelworks as a second-hand smelter in the 1980’s. His nickname was ‘Budgie’ and was thoughtfully named in the filming. Craig was particularly proud of his direct family connection to both projects – Stori Brymbo and Minera Studios - and what that will mean to the thousands of visitors who will hear him perform stories that are about his own family.
We really look forward to experiencing the tour at Stori Brymbo and seeing Craig’s performance for ourselves when it opens to the public later in 2026, all thanks to the talented team at Minera Studios Cymru making it happen.
For more information visit Minera Studios Cymru and Stori Brymbo below.