Liverpool's oldest cinema remains closed despite receiving approximately £60,000 in funding, including £37,809 of taxpayer money, to support its reopening.
Woolton Picture House announced that it was closing for good in July 2020. Staff said the decision to close the cinema, which first opened its doors in 1927, had been made due to the "devastating and unforeseen circumstances" of the coronavirus pandemic.
The cinema was offered a lifeline when a GoFundMe campaign to support it raised over £24,000 in donations from the public. Under a new owner, the cinema took to Facebook in December 2021 to announce it was working towards reopening in 2022.
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That has not yet happened. Nine months into 2022, the cinema has not yet reopened and there has been very little public communication regarding its future plans.
The ECHO reported last month that the community in Woolton had made a plea for information about the future of their cinema. Woolton and Gateacre's Liberal Democrat councillor Kris Brown told the ECHO that he believes his constituents deserve transparency about its plans, especially considering that it has taken money from a crowdfunder.
However, the GoFundMe money was not the only financial support that the picture house received. The cinema was also awarded £37,809 from the government in order to support it through the pandemic, meaning the cinema was assisted with a total of around £62,000 from external sources.
The government money came from the first and second rounds of the Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas in England, which was distributed in 2020. Administered by the British Film Institute (BFI) on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), the fund's aim was to support "culturally-significant organisations" that were at risk of failure due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Among the conditions of the receipt of funding was for the cinema to publicise that it was being supported by the scheme. The terms read: "Successful applicants may be asked to publicise the decision in a proportionate manner. You will be required to make clear on your website and via social media that you are being supported during this period by The Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas in England."
However, the only reference to the fund on the Woolton Picture House's Facebook page is a post from August 2020 which said that it was considering applying. The post from August 3, 2020 read: "Since Friday, the British Film Institute has announced grants for privately owned cinemas, that may make it possible for independent cinemas such as ourselves to apply for that we were not previously eligible for. Alternative grants have also been brought to our attention that we may also be able to access."
When the cinema took to Facebook in December 2021 to announce its plans to reopen this year, it made no reference to the government fund - only to the money raised by the crowdfunder. The post stated the money raised had: "helped to maintain the building and its continuing overheads whilst the cinema has been closed. This includes finance, certification, insurances, and general upkeep and maintenance to retain this historic building; all of which are areas which many businesses have struggled with during the pandemic".
The cinema did not offer an exact date that it would reopen, but the Facebook post stated: "it is our full intention that we will be re-opening our big, red doors during 2022". The post continued: "We look forward to when we will meet again and will be very excited to welcome you all back to Woolton Picture House in 2022 so that you may enjoy the big screen experience in your beloved cinema once again."
Since that Facebook post, dated December 15, 2021, there have not been any further updates from the account. Attempts to send a message to it are met with an automated reply, which reads: "Thank you for messaging Woolton Picture House. At present our Facebook Inbox is not monitored".
The ECHO has emailed the address listed on the page multiple times in recent months, but has not received a reply. The phone number listed on the page does not ring.
Cllr Kris Brown told the ECHO last month that the issue of the cinema fills his inbox, with constituents worried about whether it will reopen. He said that he has also made many attempts to contact the owner but has not heard back.
Regarding the fact that the cinema received government money, as well as cash raised in the crowdfunder, Cllr Kris Brown said: “If you include the community fundraiser, we’re looking at nearly £60,000 given to support the reopening of the Woolton Picture House.
“Given the cultural recovery fund is a taxpayer fund, I think this now raises the need for further reassurance from the cinema that they intend to reopen soon. Further questions need to be answered in relation to the terms of the fund administered from the BFI - for example, why did the cinema not announce they were in receipt of the funds, as was required from the BFI’s own guidance.”
The ECHO understands that the BFI has been assured that Woolton Picture House's owner is committed to reopening the cinema later this year. However, there has been no public declaration of these plans since the aforementioned Facebook post from last December.
The BFI and the Woolton Picture House have been contacted for comment.
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