Keswick's Alhambra cinema welcomes recovery funding

An independent cinema in Cumbria said a government funding boost will help it "thrive" now it has reopened.

Keswick Alhambra was one of 925 recipients of the latest round of the Culture Recovery Fund.

The £86,782 will go towards the recent £300,000 upgrade to the family-run venue which delayed its reopening post-lockdown, and was described at the time as a "massive gamble".

This included a second screen under the balcony of the 108-year-old building.

The new auditorium means it will be able to screen a more diverse range of films to cater for younger audiences as well as their loyal older customers, made up primarily of regular visitors to the Lakes and holidaymakers.

Since it reopened on 15 October there have been almost 5,000 admissions, with the latest Bond release providing its best numbers since 2008's Mamma Mia.

Director and co-owner, Jonathan Moore, says: "The Cultural Recovery Fund has kept the cinema afloat whilst we invested and reconfigured the business to ensure its long-term survival.

"It's been a frantic year, but we're now reopen and seeing the results already, with new, younger audiences coming through the doors."

Co-owner Carol Rennie said the cinema had been "perennially under threat of closure over the decades".

"Thanks to the Cultural Recovery Fund we've survived the longest closure and worst ever situation to hit the cinema, and are now looking to thrive throughout the second century of our operation," she said.

The funding for independent cinemas is administered by the British Film Institute.

Chief executive, Ben Roberts, said: "The fund has been vital to the survival and recovery of independent cinemas, enabling them to contribute to their high streets and communities, and crucially be there to welcome back their audiences."

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