Campbeltown Picture House to close at the end of August

[CCBboard]

Campbeltown Picture House to close at the end of August, Campbeltown Community Business continues efforts to raise £3 million for redevelopment plans
Picture House facilities currently not sustainable due to need for restoration and improvement
Campbeltown Picture House is to close on 27th August, due to the current facilities not enabling the community run social enterprise to be commercially viable in the short term.
Despite having had its best season for ticket sales in many years, and receiving extremely positive comments from the community following the recent changes in the operation, the Picture House is in need of substantial improvement before it can become a sustainable modern cinema.
The cinema’s trading business, The Picture House, Campbeltown Limited, will be placed into voluntary liquidation on 29th August, whilst the parent organisation, Campbeltown Community Business Limited, which owns all of the Picture House’s assets, will remain intact. The volunteer Board will focus their time and endeavours to secure a current shortfall in the £3 million funding required to redevelop the facilities and create a modernised and refurbished cinema to better serve the local community in a sustainable manner.
Two full time and five part-time employees have been informed and CCB will do all it can to support employees to help them to identify and secure future employment or training opportunities.
Jane Mayo, Chairman, Campbeltown Community Business said, “Having fought long and hard to secure the future of the Picture House, with regret we have been left with no option other than to cease trading in our current form for the short term future. There have been recent successes , for example streaming live events from Andre Rieu and Monty Python and live theatre from Mull Theatre, but the building requires a significant refurbishment to meet the needs of all members of the community.
“We would like to thank all our employees, volunteers, customers and others who have supported the Picture House in recent years.
“Campbeltown Community Business will continue to fundraise to reach our development target of £3 million in funding, which will see The Picture House re-open in 2016 with a brand new second screen, a new foyer and cafe bar. We have developed a Business Plan which clearly demonstrates that a redeveloped Picture House will be able to perform much better financially and be a sustainable community enterprise. The two screen operation will allow a much expanded range of films as well as event cinema performances and even heritage related activities.”.
Rob Arthur, Interim Manager, Campbeltown Picture House who is also Managing Director of The Thurso Cinema said, “We are fully committed to supporting Campbeltown Community Business over the next two years as they aim to secure funding to re-develop and re-open The Picture House. The business needs to focus on providing a cinema for the people of Campbeltown and Kintyre which maintains the heritage of the current building and engages with all ages and all parts of the community using the latest digital technology. Significant improvements in the lobby and retail areas are envisaged to offer the community a wider range of food, snacks and drinks which, alongside a broader range of films and live events will ensure long-term sustainability for the venue. After re-development the cinema will be a significant local employer and we look forward to welcoming customers back to the Picture House on completion of re-development works.”
The final screenings at the Picture House will be held on Wednesday 27th and details can be found on http://campbeltownpicturehouse.co.uk/
Anybody looking to support the redevelopment fund can provide donations to the fundraising campaign or enter a competition to win prizes here - http://pick-a-peck.co.uk/
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For further information please contact the CCB board by email in the first instance at: CCBBoard@yahoo.co.uk

[kintyre 84]

I am so saddened to hear this news!

However I really don't understand this. I think it has to be explained in laymen's terms.
Surely if the business is not sustainable now it never will be?

I have never been to the cinema more since the changes were made. Others I know have said the same.
Perhaps I am missing the point but I would like to hear the board giving a plain English response explaining the reasons.

[WC1]

See my post on the other Picture House page. Like you, kintyre84, I've been to the pictures a lot more often recently, both for films and the live events. To tell the truth, it's been costing me a small fortune!! But maybe not enough folk have followed our example.

[jingscrivens]

This is terrible news. Like you folks I have been going more often recently, partly on principle but partly because there was such a good choice of things to see.

However, we couldn't have been the only ones who questioned the structure of the building. It's a bad sign if, when buying a ticket, you have some banter with the staff about the best place to sit - where will be the safest place when the balcony collapses? We chose the back row of the balcony in the end, but when the lights came up we discovered a recent patch of plaster on the ceiling. We immediately decided we'd not be buying tickets after a downpour, thinking back to the Apollo theatre roof collapse.

I can see that some of that £3m quoted would be for "improvements", like the two screens and the café, but some would have to be for basic maintenance. It would be good to know more of the breakdown.

[maxmix]

The full story from a few days ago....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-g ... t-28839130

maxmix

[SYDNEY.B]

very sad, dont think there is really any need for cafe/bar dont think this would increase figures for going to see a film, expensive enough without going to cafe.bar before or after film.

[muppetanimal]

I am reminded of that most appropriate of old expressions

"Cut your coat according to your cloth"

Would it not be more senible to make sure that the building was wind and watertight first before embarking
on a lavish scheme of internal refurbishment and unnecessarily elaborate enhancement such as a cafe bar?

Or are delusions of grandeur a necessary prerequisite when the applications go in for grant funding in 21st century Britain?

[Govangirl]

Very sad

[WC1]

Would it not be more senible to make sure that the building was wind and watertight first before embarking
on a lavish scheme of internal refurbishment and unnecessarily elaborate enhancement such as a cafe bar?

Please be assured the building IS wind and watertight, having had a new roof just a couple of years ago, when the balcony passageway was glassed in. As for being 'lavish', having seen the plans at last night's EGM/AGM, I can also assure you that the modernisation scheme is far from that. It will, however, add better foyer space and an improved sales kiosk along with the 'cafe/bar'. The point of this is to give the cinema new income streams beyond just the sale of tickets.

When you buy a ticket for any cinema, as much as 55% of the ticket price goes straight to the distributor. Another 20% is VAT. That doesn't leave much to heat and light the place, keep it wind and watertight, and pay the staff. The average multiplex run by Odeon or Cineworld makes around 60% of its income from sales of coke, popcorn, hot dogs, etc. That's where the Picture House, as it stands at present, loses out. The new foyer and its cafe/bar, so far from being an unecessarily elaborate vanity project, will actually serve to boost the income side of the balance sheet and help keep the place open.

Yes, it's sad that the cinema has had to close, but it will be temporary. July 2016 is already pencilled in as the date of re-opening. It will be worth waiting for!

[Swanseajock]

I hope I am not too pessimistic, but too often situations like this end up being permanent. People get out of the habit of going to the pictures, and even now, despite what I understand has been a concerted effort to widen the appeal, it seems underused. I spoke to someone who went to the CG closing ceremony which was shown live, and there was less than a dozen souls there. I hope for the best, but fear the worst. 2 years is an awful long time

[dunc99]

See this article from the BBC today, half way down,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-29457305

A bit short of the £3M required to get it back on its feet.

[Swanseajock]

See this article from the BBC today, half way down,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-29457305

A bit short of the £3M required to get it back on its feet.

But still a good whack towards it. Didn't someone once say "Every little helps" ?

[Bitter End]

and the next stage from the Heritage Lottery Fund ---
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-g ... t-30469187