Campbeltown Update

[Sgeir]

How in the name of goodness does a population of about 5000 people support a cinema and the financial cost of its full restoration? European money?

Their sponsors;

Plus individual donations.

 

[A1Sailor]

How in the name of goodness does a population of about 5000 people support a cinema and the financial cost of its full restoration? European money?

It seems they don't!
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/cha...ignPage.action?charityCampaignUrl=cphinterior

 

[JumbleDuck]

How in the name of goodness does a population of about 5000 people support a cinema and the financial cost of its full restoration? European money?

Google is your friend.

The money for the restoration came from several different sources including the UK and Scottish governments, the National Lottery and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-35482823​

Lots of interesting stuff in a leaflet from the architects looking after the restoration at http://cms.campbeltownpicturehouse.co.uk/media/1025/architecture-brochure-burrell-foley-fischer.pdf

 

[mainsail1]

Thanks, Jumbleduck.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Thanks, Jumbleduck.

I share your curiosity about the long term sustainability of the place, but it looks as if they are planning to be much more than a wee cinema and so perhaps that's enough to keep it going as a non-profit.

There's a wee art centre / cinema / theatre near me (www.catstrand.org.uk) which serves an even smaller population but which seems to be surviving well on a variety of incomes.

 

[aquaplane]

The Black Sheep had hand pulled beers from the Fyne Brewery when I was there earlier this month. The second night was a different beer as the first offering had run off. I think one of them was Yarl.

 

[dslittle]

We were based in Campbeltown for the last two years. It was a great place to keep our boat. Calum is the nicest, most helpful, competent Harbour Master we have met. The other berth holders are as conscientious as any you would wish to meet. The locals are friendly and the Taj Mahal, Black Sheep, Ardshiel Hotel and others are great places to while away a bit of weather. It is superbly placed to go up the Clyde, round the Mull or go South to Northern Ireland. OK driving there takes time but it is along one of the loveliest roads in the Country. No trains but the 926 will take you down from Glasgow or fly into Machrihanish. The whisky doesn't need to be described from Springbank or the superb selection at the Ardshiel.
This is an old thread but Campbeltown has changed much for the better. Don't knock it until you've been there...

 

[ylop]

How in the name of goodness does a population of about 5000 people support a cinema and the financial cost of its full restoration? European money?

Bear in mind that it's over a 3 hr drive to the nearest competition, and there isn't a huge competition for other indoor leisure facilities in the area, plus a catchment area that will be far larger than cambeltown itself. Small community cinemas have a bit of a resurgence recently - I am roughly equidistant to a single screen small local facility that is not for profit and a huge multiplex, and I always prefer the former: cheaper, better experience, and less corporate.

An acquaintance runs a community cinema in a semi rural area, their typical demographic are older people and young teenagers - too young to take the two busses to get to the nearest "proper" cinema. That demographic would appear to reflect cambeltown well the last time I was there. He tells me it is surprisingly cheap to get a license for a small facility like that even to show mainstream films.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Bear in mind that it's over a 3 hr drive to the nearest competition, and there isn't a huge competition for other indoor leisure facilities in the area, plus a catchment area that will be far larger than cambeltown itself. Small community cinemas have a bit of a resurgence recently - I am roughly equidistant to a single screen small local facility that is not for profit and a huge multiplex, and I always prefer the former: cheaper, better experience, and less corporate.

The cinema in Newton Stewart (pop. 4,000, large hinterland) seems to be doing well, and that's a not-for-profit as well.

He tells me it is surprisingly cheap to get a license for a small facility like that even to show mainstream films.

Quite apart from the licence costs, the technology is now simple and much cheaper than the days of a couple of Kalees belching smoke from their arc lamps. Even a 3D-enabled laser projector for a small cinema is only (sic) around £50k or so (I believe), and once you have it films are distributed by download so operation is simple.

 

[A1Sailor]

"The Tower" in Helensburgh is another venue which on the face of it seems to be thriving - not just a cinema, but other attractions as well. I don't know the details, but I am pretty sure a submarine museum is being built adjacent or within the building at its western end.
http://thetoweronline.com/?gclid=CNbQzezWgtYCFcsp0wodcTwJFA
http://www.helensburghboxoffice.com/