Help Screen25 to buy a projector!

The local economy

Screen25 continues to support local businesses in as many ways as possible. Many of the products we sell in our pop-up cafe-bar are sourced locally, including beers from Croydon-based microbrewery Signal Brewery, teas from Birchall Tea in Sydenham, and homemade brownies from Coffee Craft, a cafe based a stone’s throw from our venue. We also provide space for local bakery Eli & Pie to sell their handmade pies at every screening, and many customers choose to combine their cinema visit with a trip to a local cafe, pub or restaurant. In addition to the above we recently started selling advertising space, both on-screen and in our printed flyers, offering a discount for non-profit organisations and new businesses. This has proved very popular, with businesses able to advertise affordably and reach a hyper local audience.

Volunteering, jobs & education

We have recruited approximately 20 new volunteers since achieving our project target, including two new projectionists who are trained to operate the new equipment. As a result of the project being successful, we have also been able to create paid job opportunities, and as a result the cinema now employs four paid staff - two Event Managers, and two part-time director roles. We continue to offer work experience placements and internships for school students and university leavers, providing 121 mentoring and a valuable insight into the film industry’s exhibition and marketing sectors.

Arts, culture & heritage

We have already exceeded our target for enabling access to arts, culture and heritage, hosting nearly 100 film-related events since completing our crowdfunding campaign, and approximately 60 since receiving the new projector in November 2018. Alongside a rich and diverse selection of new releases and independent films, our programme has also featured a healthy portion of cult classics and archive film, and many of our feature films are preceded by short films by emerging filmmakers, often with the cast and crew in attendance. In addition to film, our audiences often participate in ‘extracurricular’ activities, including Q&As, post-film discussions and workshops. In September 2018 we launched Odyssey Film Club, a now very successful monthly strand championing world cinema with a specific focus on the film’s originating country, and a roundtable discussion after the movie.