Broadway awarded £500K by Arts Council England for 2020 refurbishment project
Broadway, in the heart of Nottingham’s Creative Quarter, has been awarded £499,744 as part of the Arts Council England’s National Lottery funded Small Capital programme, making it possible for the venue to continue its major refurbishment project.
Work on the project starts in 2020, which also marks Broadway’s 30th year, and Broadway CEO Steve Mapp is excited to move forward and show Nottingham what Broadway has planned: “We’re so happy to have been awarded this money by Arts Council England. It gives us the opportunity to not only become even more environmentally sustainable but also to improve our terrace, our foyer and both our bars. 2020 marks our 30th year of operating so this news could not have come at a better time.”
Broadway has recently invested £400K of its own resources on cinema refurbishment and now boasts improved seating, 4K projection and 7.1 surround sound equipment in three of its four screens; this additional funding now gives Broadway the opportunity to be a more sustainable business and showcase its range of nationally recognised artistic programmes and its charitable activities within the local community.
Steve Mapp added: “We support artists through Near Now, our studio for arts, design and innovation, and by embedding their great work in the fabric of our building through these improvements will make it more visible to our cinema audiences. 2020 really will be an exciting year for us and for our customers - we are looking forward to show Nottingham what we have planned.”
Peter Knott, Area Director of Arts Council England, said: “Nottingham has a thriving cultural scene and the city’s history informs its future in a unique and exciting way. We’re really pleased to be investing in Broadway as it continues to inspire creativity while working to reduce its carbon footprint.
“Our Capital: Small Grants programme provides organisations with vital funding to ensure that buildings and equipment are appropriate to support and host exciting work for the public.”
Work on the refurbishment project will start in mid-2020. Customers can find out more by visiting broadway.org.uk/2020
Note to editors:
Screening independent British and World film alongside Hollywood blockbusters and classic cinema retrospectives, Broadway is one of the UK’s leading independent cinemas attracting thousands of visitors each year to its four-screen cinema, Cafébar and meeting, workshop and office spaces.
Broadway’s wider role includes encouraging the development of new talent and supporting learning through programmes such as the BFI Film Academy, and innovation and enterprise for people working in the creative and digital industries with initiatives such Near Now, Broadway’s studio for arts, design and innovation, and the Near Now Fellowship, their artistic and professional development programme.
Broadway is also home to award-winning filmmakers such as Jeanie Finlay (Game of Thrones: The Last Watch, Seahorse: The Dad Who Gave Birth) and Wellington Studios (BAFTA Scotland award-winning Calibre, London to Brighton) who regularly receive international acclaim for their work.
Broadway is also the home of the BFI’s Film Hub Midlands, a key driving force behind film culture in the Midlands that provides training and funding to ensure people in the region watch, make and show films and has also been awarded a BFI Screen Diversity Mark.
Find out more at broadway.org.uk
Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk