Clevedon's Curzon cinema given £90k to stave off closure

Clevedon's Curzon Cinema has been welcoming audiences since 1912

A historic cinema facing permanent closure has been given the "lifeline" of a £90,000 arts grant.

The British Film Institute has awarded £93,189 to Clevedon's Curzon Cinema from its culture recovery fund and safety grant fund.

The 108-year-old business has been losing money after having its capacity cut because of the pandemic.

Its CEO says the money will allow it to continue showing films and hosting events when restrictions are lifted.

The Curzon Cinema, in north Somerset, currently sits in tier 3 of the coronavirus restrictions, which means all indoor entertainment venues must stay closed.

First opened on 20 April 1912, The Curzon is now a community cinema which operates as a registered charity.

When the Curzon first opened it was called The Picture House

The money it has been allocated is part of the government's £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

More than 200 UK cinemas have received funding so far from a £30 million pot allocated by the British Film Institute.

The cinema now has a new programme of films and events that it aims to start in spring 2021.

'Relieved'

Curzon's CEO Susannah Shaw said: "It has been deeply reassuring to know our costs to welcome back audiences to a safe and well-planned experience at the Curzon have been met by the BFI.

"The money we received will pay for our covid safety measures and will help us to extend our audience as the cinema will be harder to access now.

"A lot of people are losing heart so it's important we keep people engaged with the cinema in some way."

Curzon Cinema's chair of trustees Hilary Neal said: "This has been an essential lifeline to enable the Curzon to welcome audiences back safely and to present an exciting programme of events in the coming months."