Background
How did community cinema come to Sheppey?
When asked for their views on how to improve leisure opportunities, people on Sheppey always put a local cinema high on their list of priorities. Commercial cinema is not viable so efforts have focussed in recent years on how to develop community cinema.
Derek Wyatt MP organised a Cinema Summit in 2003 to explore possible ways forward. Several representatives from community cinemas attended the Summit. At that time, although there was a great deal of local support for the idea of community cinema, it was difficult to find a suitable venue and partner to lead the project. An additional event was held in 2005, when Phill Walkley came from Bournemouth to tell Derek Wyatt and Swale Borough Council representatives about an exciting community cinema project. Moviola, a partnership of some 90 local halls and a central management team, brings quality cinema to all parts of Dorset and Hampshire.
Moviola’s approach (the delivery of films in multi-purpose venues) seemed attractive because it does not require the same level of initial capital investment as a dedicated cinema. But an organisation was now needed to take the project forward. In March 2005, Sheppey Matters (a leading regeneration charity) began a major refurbishment of an existing multi-purpose room in Sheppey Healthy Living Centre.. In April 2006, a cinema steering group was set up to develop the idea further.
Phill Walkely visited the project and gave us technical and marketing advice. Other legal requirements (such as gaining a Public Cinema Licence) needed to be met before we could start showing films.Grants from Awards for All, Swale Community Forum and Amicus Horizon helped fund the costs of 36 films in the first year; since then we have never looked back. In October 2008, we moved our community films to Blue Town Heritage Centre. Anyone interested in volunteering to help with Screen on Sheppey, should contact Jenny Hurkett at Blue Town Heritage Centre on 01795 662981.
Added: 27 November 2007 | Updated:7 April 2009