Picturehouse Cinemas

Picturehouse Cinemas is a network of cinemas in the United Kingdom, operated by Picturehouse Cinemas Ltd[1] and owned by Cineworld.[2] The company runs its own film distribution arm, Picturehouse Entertainment, which has released acclaimed films such as David Lowery's A Ghost Story, Sally Potter's The Party and Francis Lee's God's Own Country, Custody, Capernaum and The Wife. A previous iteration of this distribution arm, which focused largely on alternative content, was sold in 2017 to Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire and rebranded as Trafalgar Releasing.[3]

For the American film production company, see Picturehouse (company).

Picturehouse Cinemas
IndustryLeisure, Entertainment & Refreshments
Founded1989
Founder
  • Lyn Goleby/Tony Jones
HeadquartersLondon, England, UK
Number of locations
23
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
  • Renana Teperberg
    (Joint managing director)
  • Clare Binns
    (Joint managing director)
ParentCineworld
Websitepicturehouses.com

The first cinema in the chain, Phoenix Picturehouse, opened in Oxford in 1989, but many of the others operated independently before then:[4] the Duke of York's Picture House in Brighton, for example, opened in 1910 and is Britain's longest continually operating cinema.

On 17 March 2020 Picturehouse and all other movie cinema companies in the UK temporarily closed their UK theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]

Locations

Current
The original Phoenix Picturehouse in Oxford.[6]
Location Name Screens Notes
Ashford Ashford Picturehouse 6 Home to the UK's first laser projector.
Bath Little Theatre Cinema 2
Bradford Picturehouse at the Science + Media Museum[7] 3 Includes the first IMAX screen in Europe
Brighton Duke of York's 1 Grade II-listed, it opened 22 September 1910 and is Britains' oldest built to be a cinema. It has is a 20 foot sculpture of can-can dancers legs on its top.[8]
Brighton Duke's at Komedia 2
Cambridge Arts Picturehouse 3[9] It opened in 1937 (The Regal Cinema), redeveloped in 1972 (a 2 screen ABC movie theatre), closed in 1997. Two years late Wetherspoons installed a pub on the ground level, with Arts Picturehouse establishing a 3 screen cinema above it.[9]

It holds the annual Cambridge Film Festival.[9]

Edinburgh Cameo 3 It originally opened in 1914 as the King's Cinema, acquired sound in 1930, was renamed The Cameo in 1949,[10] and was granted B-listed heritage status in 2006.[11]
Exeter Exeter Picturehouse 2[12] It was designed by Burrell Foley Fischer, opened in 1996 and has a first floor cafe.[13]
Henley-on-Thames Regal 3
Liverpool Picturehouse at FACT 3[14] Has a bar which hosts events.[15]
London – Brixton Ritzy 5
London – Bromley Bromley Picturehouse 6 1936 Art Deco building in style of George Coles, becoming a Picturehouse cinema in June 2019[16] It has a bar and kitchen.[17]
London – Chelsea Fulham Road Picturehouse 6 Opened 8 December 2019. Formerly Cineworld.
London – Clapham Clapham Picturehouse 4
London – West Norwood West Norwood Picturehouse 4
London – Crouch End Crouch End Picturehouse 5[18] Has a restaurant and bar.[18]

Its building, Rosebery House, was erected in the 1950s in the late 50s[19] as a factory and office,[20] and refurbished in 2015 by Panter Hudspith.[19][20]

London – East Dulwich East Dulwich Picturehouse and Café 3
London – Greenwich Greenwich Picturehouse 5
London – Hackney Central Hackney Picturehouse 6
London – Notting Hill The Gate 1
London – Piccadilly Picturehouse Central 7 Host venue for Sundance London Film Festival.[21] It has a membership scheme which gives access to a rooftop member's bar.[22]
London – Stratford Stratford Picturehouse 4 Host venue for the Sci Fi London Film Festival as well as the Fighting Spirit Film Festival.
Norwich Cinema City 3
Oxford Phoenix 2
Southampton Harbour Lights 2[23] Designed by designed by Burrell Foley Fischer Harbour Lights opened in February 1995, the building received a Civic Trust Commendation, was shortlisted for a RIBA award for architecture,[24] and was shortlisted for the Sunday Times building of the year.[25] The cinema was voted Britain's Best-Loved Independent Cinema Empire Magazine readers in 2000.[24]
York City Screen 4

Former
Location Name Screens Notes
AberdeenThe Belmont Picturehouse3Sold in 2014 to the Centre for the Moving Image
Bury St EdmundsThe Abbeygate Picturehouse2Sold June 2014 to Abbeygate Cinemas[26]
Stratford Upon AvonStratford Upon Avon Picturehouse2Closed down on 5 January 2020 [27]

Planned
Location Name Screens Opening Notes
Ealing – Uxbridge Road TBC – Filmworks 8 2019 Announced July 2014[28]
Chester – Northgate Development Chester Picturehouse 6 2019 Announced August 2016

Industrial action

In 2014, Cineworld was subject to industrial action owing to its refusal to pay the London living wage to its staff.[29] Started by workers at the Ritzy Cinema, Brixton the resulting Ritzy Living Wage campaign attracted the support of Eric Cantona[30] and Terry Jones.[31]

Industrial action resumed in October 2016 over the issue of the Living Wage, as well as recognition of the theatre union BECTU, parental pay and sick pay, and has spread to six Picturehouse cinemas, making it the biggest strike action ever by cinema workers in the UK.[32][33] Staff at the Ritzy Cinema are represented by BECTU while other cinemas are represented by the Picturehouse Staff Forum, a company union set up by management in 2003 and later run by Picturehouse staff.[34]

Strikes continued into 2018, while Picturehouse state that they are one of the highest payers in the UK cinema industry.[35]

gollark: Space is not really a very nice place to *live*.
gollark: Or more.
gollark: In a year or so probably?
gollark: The whole mess with testing for instance.
gollark: The US hasn't handled it well itself.

References
  1. Picture House Corporate site Linked 23 August 2013
  2. "Cineworld buys Picturehouse in cinema chain takeover". BBC. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  3. "UK distributor Trafalgar Releasing reveals structure and growth plan". Screen. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  4. White, Debbie (24 January 2013). "Jericho cinema to mark centenary". The Oxford Times. p. 29.
  5. "Coronavirus: Odeon, Vue and Cineworld shut UK cinemas". BBC News. 17 March 2020.
  6. "Cine-files: The Phoenix Picturehouse, Oxford". The Guardian. 23 October 2012.
  7. "Cinema chain takes over operation of National Media Museum's three screens". 29 September 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  8. "Duke of York's Picturehouse | Brighton Cinema | Picturehouse". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  9. http://www.mail.picturehouses.co.uk/ov/9828ff50-9abf-11ea-b264-2accb2d6508b. Retrieved 24 June 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. http://www.mail.picturehouses.co.uk/ov/2a91a1e0-953f-11ea-b264-2accb2d6508b. Retrieved 13 June 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. "B-listing will act to protect Cameo | The Scotsman". Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  12. "Exeter Picturehouse | Exeter Cinema | Picturehouse". Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  13. http://www.mail.picturehouses.co.uk/ov/394d896a-a042-11ea-b264-2accb2d6508b. Retrieved 24 June 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. http://www.mail.picturehouses.co.uk/ov/91119214-ac0a-11ea-b264-2accb2d6508b. Retrieved 12 June 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. "MyPicturehouse". Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  16. "Bromley Picturehouse | Bromley Cinema | Picturehouse". Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  17. "www.mail.picturehouses.co.uk/ov/3d57fcc5-a5c7-11ea-b264-2accb2d6508b". Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  18. "Crouch End Picturehouse | Crouch End Cinema | Picturehouse". Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  19. http://www.mail.picturehouses.co.uk/ov/e1509633-c843-11ea-84dc-52ab435967bc. Retrieved 18 July 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. {{cite web|url=http://panterhudspith.com/project/crouch-end/%7C}
  21. "Picturehouse Central | London Cinema | Picturehouse". Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  22. "MyPicturehouse". Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  23. "Harbour Lights Picturehouse | Southampton Cinema | Picturehouse". Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  24. http://www.mail.picturehouses.co.uk/ov/c499baa2-b63b-11ea-a45c-aa2e0f687ae1. Retrieved 25 June 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. "Harbour Lights — Burrell Foley Fischer LLP". Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  26. "Bury St Edmunds Picturehouse Cinema sold after competition ruling". BBC News. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  27. http://www.stratford-herald.com/102955-stratford-picturehouse-will-close-next-january.html
  28. "Ealing Filmworks". ealingfilmworks.com. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  29. "Cinema staff go on strike over London Living Wage". BBC News. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  30. Rucki, Alexandra (10 June 2014). "Eric Cantona lends support to Ritzy Living Wage campaign". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  31. Lusher, Adam (20 July 2014). "Nudge, nudge: Python supports ushers striking for the living wage". The Independent. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  32. picturehouseworkers, Author (18 September 2017). "Picturehouse Strikes 2016-". Picturehouse Workers' Blog. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  33. Smith, Mark D. "Picturehouse dispute: how far will Nero go?". Counterfire. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  34. picturehouseworkers, Author (16 July 2017). "2003: Staff Forum or Trade Union?". Picturehouse Workers' Blog. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  35. "Pay at Picturehouse". Picturehouses.
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