Wolverhampton's Light House independent cinema set to close

The Light House will show its last film on Thursday evening

An independent cinema and arts venue is set to close after 35 years.

The Light House in Wolverhampton, which also hosts festivals and community groups, has withdrawn all screenings after Thursday from its website.

A council spokesperson said it was "sad" that the "key part of the city's cultural offer" had ceased to trade.

Marketing manager Darryl Griffiths said he was still hoping for an "11th hour saviour", describing it as the "creative heartbeat" of the city.

Marketing manager Darryl Griffiths said the Light House closure had not yet sunk in for staff

"The sheer volume and breadth of what we cover - the cinema, exhibition space, the artists we attract. It's a devastating blow to the creative sector on the local level and also the international level as well," he said.

Up to 15 staff are expected to lose their jobs, Mr Griffiths said, from front-of-house to the CEO.

He would not elaborate on how much the venue would need to stay open, but described it as "peanuts" in comparison with amounts spend on renovating Wolverhampton's Civic Hall.

The City of Wolverhampton Council said the venue had received about £333,000 of funding from the local authority over the past decade.

The cinema space, owned by Wolverhampton City Council, was provided rent-free to the Light House

A council spokesperson said officers met with the Light House management team a fortnight ago to offer business and marketing support.

'Future plans'

"The council has always been committed to supporting the Light House and over the last decade has probably been its biggest, single financial backer," the spokesperson added.

"We are now urgently reaching out to the Lighthouse's commercial landlords - the company that owns the Light House cafe space - to discuss the current situation and their potential future plans."

The Light House leases its box office and cafe space from Midlands Industrial Associations, landlord of the Chubb Building.

It has leased the cinema space from the council rent-free for a number of years.

A spokesperson from Midlands Industrial Associations told the BBC they had received no formal confirmation from their tenant that the venue was to close.

Financial documents filed by Light House Media Centre in 2020 reveal significant external funding losses, including the removal of a council subsidy in 2018, and the withdrawal of University of Wolverhampton accommodation hire requirements.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]