Disabled-led company Rockerdale Studios has become the latest indie to join Channel 4’s Indie Growth Fund.
The company is the ninth indie to have received a minority stake from the fund in the past two years, taking C4’s portfolio to 17.
Based in Holborn, London, Rockerdale was set up five years aog by chief executive Stu Richards, the co-creator and co-writer of BBC3 comedy Jerk, and Michelle Singer, a production manager and head of production who has worked for the BBC, Open Mike and Mentorn.
The company’s output has included two projects with comedian Rosie Jones - Channel 4's Mission Accessible and All4 commission Dine Hard, plus All4 show Brad Boyz and Viceland/Comedy Central's Bobby and Harriet Get Married.
It is committed to championing disabled talent on- and off-screen, with disabled people accounting for 80% of senior roles on its most recent production.
C4 hailed the indie’s “unique brand of mischievous and provocative comedy content in scripted and unscripted”.
Richards and Singer meanwhile described the company ethos as “bringing a mischievous, funny spin genres that need a rocket up them”, which they said fits with C4’s remit.
Growth Fund head Caroline Murphy said: “Stu and Michelle are an impressive team both creatively and in terms of ambition. They make really distinctive, fun and entertaining content and they embrace disability in their shows.”
Last year, Rockerdale was a recipient of the BBC Small Indie Fund and in 2019, it took part in the IndieLab Accelerator programme.
