A Brief History

It's a little known fact that Broadway's building on Broad Street originally opened in 1839 as a Wesleyan Methodist Church. The four entrance pillars that still remain are perhaps one of the few enduring indicators of its ecclesiastical history. A particular reason why this is historically significant is that one young congregation member, destined for revolution and infamy, would come to rebel against the church's strict social hierarchy. In 1844, at the tender age of fifteen, Salvation Army founder William Booth dedicated his life to God in the chapel on Broad Street, and, by doing good works with the poor and the needy, became the famous champion of the homeless and the disenfranchised.

The church remained on site until the early 1950's when the Nottingham Co-operative Society bought the building, which by this time was heading rapidly into disrepair, and transformed the basement, originally the church's crypt into a 'British Restaurant' or war canteen. In 1959 the Co-operative Educational Centre opened, and the upper floor became home to a new film society. By 1966, with the sponsorship of the British Film Institute (BFI), the Nottingham Regional Film theatre began screening films for the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It was the fist regional film theatre to open in the UK and would remain in part-time operation a successful 20 years.

From there to here...

The current Media Centre was born out of a consortium of local media organisations (Nottingham Media Consortium) who grouped together in the mid 1980's with the support of the British Film Institute, East Midlands Arts, Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. The consortium agreed that the new media centre, based in the Broadway building would include media training as well as cinema exhibition. The training and production elements would be delivered by the newly formed company, Intermedia, who would later be based in the Broadway building.

Nottingham Media Centre was officially opened in 1990. A priority was to re-establish cinema screening in the newly purchased building while fundraising for the building and development. By 1991, £531,000 had been raised from European Regional Development Funding (ERDF), the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, the British Film Institute, Diamond Cable, the ADAPT fund, BSIS scheme and a commercial loan from the Midland Bank.

A series of building programmes began in 1992. The first phase included alterations to the basement area (which housed Intermedia), including full disabled access, the refurbishment of Screen One, the creation of Screen Two, with new projection equipment, computerised ticketing and marketing database and extensive improvements to the foyer and front of the building.

In 1993, with money raised from Nottingham City Council environment improvement grants and further funding from the ERDF, BFI and capital reserves, the front of the building was again improved and a terrace was created. The new Cafebar operation was franchised to a local business, and opened in the heart of the building where it has since established itself as a popular meeting place for Broadway's patrons and customers dropping in to eat, drink, meet and relax. These increased facilities also enabled the use of the building during the day for conference hire. This has since become a significant element of Broadway's commercial operations.

The most recent and significant phase of the £5.7m development was completed in October 2006. It added two new cinema screens, one of them designed by Broadway regular, Sir Paul Smith, new digital projection equipment, some studio space for education and exhibition work and a suite of new offices to house film and media companies. Broadway now boasts a new front terrace and striking glazed façade which opens to the sun and enables us to project images onto the street from our first floor Mezz bar.

Broadway has developed many links with private, public, educational and voluntary sector partners to become a vital part of the city's arts, media and creative community. We also provide a focus for people and communities to make, show and see a wide range of world cinema, video and new digital media.

We have developed into a vibrant cultural, business and social centre that nurtures, supports and celebrates the arts and media within Nottingham, enabling countless new talents to arise from the local community and gain the skills and experience to achieve their personal goals and potential.

Now, more than 400,000 people visit the Centre each year, people of all ages, interests and backgrounds, representing the diversity of the community in which it serves. Broadway provides a cultural focus and meeting ground for the public within a City that is striving to improve its image and celebrate its creative talent.

We engage with a diverse range of people and groups, including regular film screenings for carers and babies, children with autism, adults with learning difficulties and senior citizens. We welcome voluntary groups such as Shelter, Mencap, Refugee Support and many youth and community projects who work with excluded groups who want to showcase their work in a public space.

Broadway has supported the development of creative industry businesses and launched the careers of a growing number of talented film directors and producers. At the same time it remains accessible, open to all members of the public, responsive to fresh ideas, always willing to explore new opportunities and partnerships, and, like the consortia of public projects from which it emerged, has its roots firmly planted within Nottingham's diverse and creative communities.