Activity continues apace with A Cinema Near You, the two-year development programme RSS is delivering with the aim of improving access to screen and cinema provision in Scotland for communities where the need is greatest.
We’re currently working with 60 applicants across the country from a wide range of groups, organisations and venues. By January, we’re aiming to have welcomed 30 applicants on to the programme through the Application Questionnaire process, with a number of these already developing individually tailored costed plans for approval and funded activity starting as soon as next month. This doesn’t mean the other contacts will have been rejected: either we’ll still be working with them to bring them to the point of being application ready, or their needs will be met through one of the regional networks.
The range of regional networks has continued to grow within (and across) local authority areas. There’s a real positivity around the proactive collaboration of groups and venues to establish the foundations for cinema to grow in all sorts of places in our communities: from housing associations to libraries to multi-arts venues. Dumfries and Galloway, Argyll and Bute, and the North East were all up and running before A Cinema Near You started, and are all planning to extend their reach and membership through the programme. Scottish Borders and Fife are coming together, and we’re at the stage of advanced planning with West Lothian and Renfrewshire. Initial discussions have been held in North and South Lanarkshire, Mid- and East Lothian, and in Highland.
Start-up training
Starting up a group to screen films on DVD to a public audience can be a fulfilling yet sometimes initially daunting experience to licence, equip, programme and promote. As part of A Cinema Near You, we’re working with our partners Film Hub Scotland to develop training for staff and volunteers of organisations on the programme, offering local group workshops and ongoing support and advice as part of the regional networks being developed.
Taster screenings
If any community group is very keen to put a first toe in the water, before committing to any further development or training, or because they’re very keen to get going, we’ll be happy to discuss the option of a one-off taster screening. In such cases, A Cinema Near You would engage an experienced professional to bring in the equipment necessary to deliver a day of DVD screenings, consisting of two or three different titles. Please get in touch with either Morvern or Shona if this would be of interest to your group.
Contacts and further information
Robert Livingston: robert@regionalscreenscotland.com
Morvern Cunningham: morvern@regionalscreenscotland.org
Shona Thomson: shona@regionalscreenscotland.org