[A]s part of its commitment to improve access to cinema in isolated rural and hard to reach urban areas of the North of England, Cine North embarks on a new chapter this April, following eight years at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, the project will now be led by Eden Arts in Cumbria, where it will continue to develop audiences for film in Yorkshire, Cumbria and beyond.
Conceived in 2010, as a response to the lack of available film venues in sparsely populated areas of North England, Cine North is now an exemplar for collaborative working, having served 126,510 audience members over some 3,000 film screenings in venues from stately homes to village halls, festivals and arts centres and everything in between.
Kathryn Penny, Cine North lead from National Science and Media Museum explains, “Cine North started as a way to provide world-class cinema, independent film, classic films, cult films and everything in between to communities in rural Northern England. We believe that film brings people together, sparks conversations, ignites debate and simply brings joy, no-one should have to travel hours to access that. Hence, Cine North was born. After eight fantastic years based at the National Science and Media Museum we are thrilled that the next chapter in the Cine North story is set in Eden, with long-time partners Eden Arts.”
As Cine North collaborators, Eden Arts will now fly the flag for rural cinema and will bring cinema to the doorsteps of thousands from coast to coast across the North of England.
Eden Arts Director, Adrian Lochhead commented, “Cine North has been an anchor-point on the film landscape in the region for the better part of a decade, we are proud to have been part of that journey and excited to develop the scheme further. We have ambitious plans to broaden the scope of Cine North, growing audiences not only in Eden, but beyond, from the Lake District to the North Yorkshire Moors and up as far as West Northumberland. For those that can’t get to a town cinema, Cine North and Eden Arts will deliver screenings that not only showcase the best of film but offer an opportunity to socialise with friends and make new ones.”
As well as bringing film to the public, Cine North also supports over 50 film promoters and venues with a range of services including equipment loans, film booking, marketing and technical support, and volunteer training. In 2016, Cine North promoters delivered over 300 screenings, attracting 13,000+ admissions, and achieved an average occupancy rate of 46% (above the norm for commercial cinemas).
Sally Folkard, Strategic Lead for Film Hub North, part of the BFI Film Audience Network, who support Cine North with National Lottery Funding said of the project, “Cine North is a fantastic example of what can be achieved with collaborative working and big ambitions. Cine North provides essential access to a diverse range of films to audiences across the North who otherwise wouldn’t be able to come together to enjoy the cinema experience as a community. We are thrilled with what the team at the National Science and Media Museum have achieved and are looking forward to supporting Eden Arts as they develop Cine North during this next chapter.”
