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24 people liked A Cinema for Acton2 years ago
Delivered 25 September 2020
Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.
Our idea is to lease the disused old library building on the High Street, from the council, and create a destination, a lively community hub with a cinema and a cafe on the ground floor.
We are currently in the process of bidding for the Library from Ealing Council. In the event that we are not successful in obtaining use of the building, this crowdfunding campaign will be closed and no pledges will be collected. This project is to repurpose the building’s original role as a community destination. Gifted to the people of Acton, it has stood empty for over five years. It is ideally placed to be redeveloped as the community hub it was intended for. This crowdfunding project aims to fund the initial feasibility/design stage of the wider project to install the cinema The cinema (managed by the Arthouse Crouch End team) will have two screens, a café and a flexible performance area. The upper floors (managed by ACAVA) provide flexible space for a variety of artistic projects.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
Our organisation has grown out of local concern for the fate of the old library on Acton High Street in the heart of Acton and we have a great deal of community support for the proposed cinema. Acton is an area of West London, with a population of 62,480 recorded in the census of 2011. A population which has evidently increased substantially in the intervening years with a considerable amount of local residential development. Our project is a great idea because it will enhance the infrastructure for the residents. Our social purpose is to benefit the area’s residents and visitors by providing a vibrant space in the heart of the High Street. This project will boost the local economy by offering employment/training opportunities, and will promote community cohesion by providing a welcoming set for residents - night and day.
Steps to get it done:
Our project will supply something that is currently missing from Acton. In addition to a cinema we will also provide affordable space for local artists, local charities and SMEs supporting local industry and creative start-ups. In addition: - The historic building will be saved from further deterioration - It will provide an welcoming setting for all - It will revive the night-time economy - It will encourage the arts and local artistic activities - It will mirror the success of the developed adjacent Town Hall - now a sports centre. - It will provide opportunities for volunteers and employment. - It will impact positively on the local economy by improved footfall and occupancy in the High Street.
Gallery
Journey
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Thank you so much for all your support on the journey towards having our own cinema in Acton. We are all feeling very positive, hopeful and enthusiastic! An essential part of our project is to operate a venue where everyone feels welcome and we woud llke the programming to reflect you - our community. To help us with this it would be wonderful if you could take the time to complete this survey. It won’t take long and your contribution will help inform and support us.
A major milestone towards a cinema in Acton High Street has been passed. Ealing Council planners have given the go-ahead for the community-inspired idea the Acton Arts Group has fought more than three years for. Hundreds of residents, businesses and the Council Itself combined to raise £115k to get the plan for a two-screen cinema and cafe-bar onto the drawing board and towards reality. The plan aims to save the classic Grade Two-listed Old Library building and kick-start a regeneration of the High Street. It's taken close to £30k so far for a team of surveyors, cinema designers, architects, acoustics experts and heritage advisors to come up with the winning plan, which also makes provision for a much-needed school on the upper floors for children with a diagnosis of autism. The big challenge now is navigating the course of Covid. The pandemic has severely resticted arts venues. The cinema's financial backers and the Council see it as a long-term winner. But between them they have to find ways of seeing a big investment through the restrictions period without unsustainable losses. Thanks to the enthusiastic support of residents the cinema project has won every battle faced so far. There's no doubt Corona is the biggest yet
Many of you have made lovely, positive comments to us about the planning application for the building. Could you also spare a few minutes to comment on the Ealing website? That would be fantastic - thank you. https://pam.ealing.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=QB1FY1JMMQB00
Please be assured that we have not stopped working to achieve our aims for the old library. The really exciting news is that the planning application has now been submitted and we would love you to take a look at the application. Here you can finally see more about the plans for the building and the cinema: 202045FUL https://pam.ealing.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=QB1FY1JMMQB00
You will be wondering what is happening with the cinema project. We want to assure all of you that there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes and it is all about the planning! ARC Cinema Solutions are currently undertaking the work that needs happen before the planning application can be submitted. ARC’s lead consultant is Andrew Robertshaw, who has over 40 years’ experience in the cinema industry, the last 25 working in cinema design, project coordination and development. Their clients include Art House in Crouch End, the Soho House Group in Dean Street and the Olympic Cinema in Barnes. We will let you know as soon as the application is in process because that will take us one step closer to finalising the lease between Ealing and the Acton Arts Project. The Acton Arts Project website – A Cinema for Acton - has been given a fantastic new look by our friend Kal Di Paola and we expect to be launching the site imminently. We continue to need your support, your fundraising ideas and your positive energy.
How will the money be spent?Total £102,713
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Total £102,713
Our Volunteer List
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VolunteerActon Arts CIC aka Acton Arts Project is comprised of eleven local residents who have lived and worked in Acton for many years. Our first objective was to stop the Old Library building, which has Asset of Community Value status, from being sold to developers. Our aim was always to restore its appearance and to return it to community use, and we've been working together with this goal for nearly four years.
We have re-purposed the ground floor of the building into a single screen cinema and gallery space with our partner, Oliver Meek (Rio Cinema, Dalston) to programme and advise, and local business Bears Ice Cream is our cafe operator.
You can find more information at www.actonartsproject.com
Project Owner: Acton Arts Project The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
