The Team at Heage (photos Kay Ogilvie and EM Media)
The Team at Heage (photos Kay Ogilvie and EM Media)
Derbyshire Film is a project that brings cinema to local rural communities that other-wise may not have access to the big screen. Its first two years have been an outstand-ing success, having sold over 3200 tickets and screened over 200 films.
With the advent of edge of town cinema multiplexes and the closing of most town cinemas, access to film and the big screen has been the privilege of those living in the city, or those with a car. For mainly rural areas like Derbyshire there are infrequent public transport links to town and city and access to films and the cinema can be diffi-cult and expensive. Access particularly to world cinema or non-mainstream films can be impossible.
Derbyshire Film engages local venues, mostly village halls in rural areas to create a mini cinema for an evening. Volunteers do all of the preparation, including selecting films, liaising with film distributors, using the projection equipment, publicising the films and providing a bar and refreshments. Local people turn their chosen venue into a temporary cinema; be it for an afternoon matinee with popcorn for children, or a big night out in the village hall for adults.
This project provides fieldworker Kay Ogilvie, three sets of digital film projection equipment, training and technical back up to help everything run smoothly. Artist-led workshops are also available for the community groups to help promote their season of films and develop new audiences.
Villages and towns in Derbyshire were told about the scheme via council newspapers, websites and arts development officers. The villages show an eclectic mix of films (anything from Brief Encounter to The Motorcycle Diaries) to an equally eclectic mix of audiences the length and breadth of Derbyshire.
Local people are excited when they discover that Pride and Prejudice or The Constant Gardener is showing just a walk away in their local village hall and attendance is high. The real strength of the project is the fact that the events are only a short walk away; no public transport is needed. This also makes it an inexpensive outing for most people, especially families. Refreshments add to the evening and are cheaper than at a pub or multiplex and usually homemade. Some villages theme their refreshments to fit their film: for the film Sideways, Calver village organised a wine tasting, for the film Chocolat, Holymoorside volunteers raffled a box of chocolates and provided chocolate biscuits with tea. Other villages have provided sangria and tapas with Spanish films and German beer with the award winning film Downfall.
Derbyshire Film Case Study