The Kintyre Forum

If you wish to find out more about Scotland's oldest continously run, purpose-built cinema in Scotland still showing films please visit their excellent website at http://www.weepictures.co.uk You can use the site to see Whats On, take in some history, become a member, play the lottery or make a donation.

Grant from the Scottish Communities Foundation

Campbeltown Community Business is happy to announce that it has received a generous grant from the Scottish Communities Foundation. The grant is to help cover increasing distribution costs for bringing films to Campbeltown. Hitherto there was only a cost for carriage from Glasgow to the town, but since the beginning of the year the film distributors have required us to pay to bring the films up from the south of England.

SCF’s aim is to help Scotland’s communities become stronger, believing that stronger communities will be more successful communities, with a better quality of life for everyone. They support a wide range of activities and projects throughout Scotland, awarding grants that make a difference to local people.

New Business Sponsor

The Picture House has a new business gold sponsor in AJC Civils, a firm of groundwork contractors who work throughout Kintyre and Mid Argyll.

The money generously donated by sponsors helps towards the running costs of the Community Business and chairperson, Jane Mayo, said how grateful the cinema was for the help. Running costs have risen dramatically in the last few months because of additional transportation charges for films.

Mrs Mayo said she was happy to meet any new sponsors and discuss how the community business and cinema operates. 'Both individual members and business sponsors are important for the very survival of the cinema as we work towards our Centenary Project and seek national funding.'

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Ewan- ... 6551431.jp


According to the above article "the trust which runs the A-listed Campbeltown Picture House has been awarded £770,000 to complete a full restoration in time for its 100th anniversary in 2013."

bill wrote:http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Ewan-McGregor39s-big-thanks-to.6551431.jp


According to the above article "the trust which runs the A-listed Campbeltown Picture House has been awarded £770,000 to complete a full restoration in time for its 100th anniversary in 2013."

Yes, it was in the Courier last Friday and article just appeared on their own website yesterday. http://www.weepictures.co.uk/news.php?readmore=46

Campbeltown Community Business is delighted to announce that it will be awarded £70,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund as a result of its successful application for Development Funding. The Heritage Lottery Fund also awarded the project a first-round pass for a further £700,000.



The Picture House with loch

Over the past couple of years the Board has been working on plans to conserve the fragile and precious Picture House building in time for the cinema to celebrate its Centenary on 26th May 2013. This Centenary Project will enable the building to face another hundred years in sustainable health both structurally and financially, and in turn providing an important cultural and social hub within the community of Campbeltown.

The Picture House is one of the first purpose built cinemas in Scotland. The design is unique, Glasgow School Art Nouveau with an unusual ‘atmospheric style’ interior. The auditorium remains undivided, still with stalls and balcony. Even on the international stage The Picture House stands tall amongst other survivors, the oldest cinema, The Lumiere in Pisa opened just seven years earlier in December 1905.

The Centenary Project will conserve the interior and bring the annex back into use by joining the two buildings together. The cinema-going experience of the visiting public will be enhanced with a new kiosk, café bar and the introduction of digital and 3-D projection. Also within this new space an historical interpretative exhibition will be created, using the iconic MacGrory Photographic collection which portrays the social history of Campbeltown and Kintyre during the 1890s and early 1900s. A further small auditorium will be built in the courtyard to provide an additional screen for the showing of other films and the audio visual history of Campbeltown and Kintyre over the past centuries. This will provide a further income stream to enhance the survival of The Picture House and will also open the doors during the daytime for visitors and locals alike.

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “We are delighted to show our initial support for the restoration of this unique picture house. It is a treasure in Campbeltown’s heritage and its conservation will bring many benefits to the town.”

During the next nine months detailed work on architectural plans, sustainable energy needs, the use of the unique photographs of the MacGrory brothers and a business plan will be compiled. It is intended that a Round Two application for further funds will be submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund during the summer next year. This will leave just eighteen months for the actual work to be done in time for the celebration of the Centenary.

The final project has been provisionally costed at £1,740,000, pending the development work. If success is achieved at Round Two, the HLF will cover 40% of the costs. It is hoped that other funders like Historic Scotland, LEADER and HIE will contribute to the project. A fundraising campaign will begin immediately. A Picture House Centenary Fund account has been opened and donations can be sent direct to The Picture House, Campbeltown and also through the website www.weepictures.co.uk. The Board of Directors urges all those interested in the preservation of this very special building to support this project.

Definitely worth preserving Historically but hopefully the community that are being asked to donate can get more use out of it for community events as well as showing films. It's not open on a Friday for films so how about Bingo? Plenty money there for a gaming licence!!

There used to be Bingo on Fridays in the Picture House (Tuesdays too, at one time).
However, as Prize Bingo became a popular fundraiser for charities, the numbers attending the Picture House Bingo
dwindled until it was no longer viable.