Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I love the idea in principle - a great example is Rich Mix in Bethnal Green, which also has a bar, live music, comedy and hosts debates and talks AND can be hired for events but to my mind the fact that ED is hardly a 'hub' would suggest a problem.


Brixton as an example, although the cinema has helped massively with the gentrification of the area, has always had a busy high street with high street name shops and a big department store, a tube station etc and ED doesn't have this. the top end of Brick Lane where Rich Mix sits is a hugely popular destination, it's also close to offices in Shoreditch and the Northern part of the City, so footfall is naturally higher.

Rich Mix has a very hard time making ends meet, and is publicly funded, so may not be the best model...


All sorts of surprising things turn out to work after all, and I hardly think the OP is suggesting opening a cinema as a Get Rich Quick scheme. I agree with the multi-use crowd, for what it's worth. The Goose is Out people, and the crowd who do the open air cinema in the Dulwich park in the summer, might have some good knowledge on the matter!

In the meantime what about Peckham Plex - it's independently owned now and has some interesting stuff on as well as mainstream. Also, check out freefilmfestivals.org to see details of our very own free film festival held in September, now into its 3rd year. You can vote for the film you'd most like shown at Nunhead Cemetery this year.

kabekay Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Rich Mix has a very hard time making ends meet,

> and is publicly funded, so may not be the best

> model...

>

> All sorts of surprising things turn out to work

> after all, and I hardly think the OP is suggesting

> opening a cinema as a Get Rich Quick scheme. I

> agree with the multi-use crowd, for what it's

> worth. The Goose is Out people, and the crowd who

> do the open air cinema in the Dulwich park in the

> summer, might have some good knowledge on the

> matter!



Hey, only their patron not their accountant. it was regularly packed for key films though and a nice idea in principle.

This is much like the Tattoo Shop thread that never was...

Everyone saying how they would love one and it would be a winner and they would use it. ???


A dozen or so people going to the Cinema once a week is not going to keep such a project going.


20 - 30 people paying ?10.00 7 nights a week might just cover the running costs.


Fox

kabekay Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> All sorts of surprising things turn out to work

> after all, and I hardly think the OP is suggesting

> opening a cinema as a Get Rich Quick scheme. I

> agree with the multi-use crowd, for what it's

> worth. The Goose is Out people, and the crowd who

> do the open air cinema in the Dulwich park in the

> summer, might have some good knowledge on the

> matter!


xxxxxxx


We certainly know how not to start a Get Rich Quick scheme :))


We'd be delighted to see an alternative venue open in or near East Dulwich though - we have been unable to find anything suitable to replace The Ivy House, which was a fantastic space and size for our "medium sized audience" gigs.


That's medium sized in numbers, not in height or girth, obviously, which for us is around 100 people.


So a multi-use space would be great. But there was a thread on here a while back suggesting an Arts Centre type place which could incorporate a space suitable for music gigs/cinema/art exhibitions etc, and cold water was thrown at it from all directions as I recall (though my memory is crap so I may be recalling wrongly).


Sue (Half of The Goose Is Out!)


ETA: We'd be very happy to discuss possibilities with the OP or indeed with anyone else re a new local multi-use space, but we'd have no capital to put into it. We also need somewhere licensed to sell alcohol.

Remember there was a cinema on Grove Vale then it was the Palace of Peace, now it's flats.


There was also a cinema where Nandos is now in Camberwell (I remember queuing up) then it turned into a big jeans warehouse.


Can't think of a big enough empty building now to house a cinema in ED, but it would be a great idea.

David Carnell pointed me to


this place


in Peckham which, while on the small side, appears to be along the lines of what's being planned above


I would love something like the Roxy in ED but, as ???? has pointed out many a time, the units are just too small and the footfall isn't enough


Anywhere which might be big enough - such as the old video shop, now the charity shop next to the Palmerston - is asking for stupid amounts of money per annum


And much as plenty of people support the idea on here, a similar thing happens when Inside 72 is discussed on here. Plenty of ardent supporters, just not enough of them in there spending their cash to sustain it

According to this


http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/business-theory/strategy/business-failure.html


one third of new business start ups fail - so that means that two thirds succeed. They point out that the key reasons for failure include poor marketing, cash flow etc. It's also interesting to note from other research that most start ups are individuals trying to turn a hobby into a business and these are often business types with low capital and running costs.


The problem with a multi use arts centre, Sue mentioned the previous thread on EDF, is that they have large capital and running costs. Being the Arts they need to be subsidised by the state and that is less likely to be possible in today's economic climate. However, bars seem to do well enough in ED so maybe the way forward is Montpelier or Roxy but with an existing venue in ED such as the Mag. I know it has Cinema Paradiso but I get the sense that what people want is something more regular and more cinema-like. I know, easy enough for me to say sitting here at my 'puter but to refer to The Times 100 website, if the right type of research is done then an entrepreneur should be able to find out what the barriers to "cinema-going" are for the target audience in ED and take on the creative challenge of dissolving those barriers to make going to see a film possible as well as desirable.

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

>

> And much as plenty of people support the idea on

> here, a similar thing happens when Inside 72 is

> discussed on here. Plenty of ardent supporters,

> just not enough of them in there spending their

> cash to sustain it


xxxxxxx


I don't think Inside 72 closed because of lack of customers, it was for personal reasons.

Always plenty of people say they will use it, great idea...


Like the people who Post in the wanted section.. and you post that you have one they can have for FREE..


And you PM each other.... and can't be arsed to show up...


You can always Rely on people to be Unreliable...


Fact of life..


Foxy

Brilliant idea. If you do it well it could be really popular. The Rex in Berkhamsted is a great example. It's a small town but the films sell out months in advance cos the cinema is so lovely. The bar's open throughout the film and seats in the stalls have tables. Check out the picture of the queue in 'Gallery'.

http://therexberkhamsted.com/


Does have the massive advantage of being in a restored art deco cinema though...

decords Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am another in favour of this and if the

> Wetherspoon spot in FH came up it would be

> brilliant!


Errhh. The Wetherspoons spot used to be a Cinema but closed down because nobody used it.


Just like all the other well established cinemas...


Fox

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Does anyone know when the next SNT meeting is? I am fed up with my son being mugged on East Dulwich Grove! 
    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...