A new community cinema is set to launch on Victoria Street in the coming months, as a transformation of the former magistrates court building is currently underway.

As part of its ongoing Small Cinema project, which aims to explore what cinemas used to be, arts collective Re-Dock is currently developing the permanent facility, which will be hosted by Creative Space Team Ltd, with the help of contributed materials, skills and volunteer time.

With support being received from the BFI (British Film Institute) for the cinema’s film programme, the venue will provide a platform for local artists and filmmakers but will also screen a diverse range of films said to be “different to anything on offer at bigger cinemas”.

Sam Meech, co-director at Re-Dock, says: “Whilst the seeds of the project were sown a while back, the hard work has only just begun. Right now we’re pulling people and materials together, and working with local film programmers to put together an opening season of films. We’ll begin building in a week or so, and we’ll have it done by the end of February and begin screening in March with the Food For Real film festival. It’s ambitious but I think we’ll do it.

“The programming team we’ve pulled together is so diverse – they all have their own take on cinema. People can expect some really interesting and powerful independent film programming – from documentaries about global issues through to European cinema, silent film, cult horror, artists’ film and classic cinema.  You’ll also be able to see some of the best films you missed at the cinema – including sleeper hits and those films that got a limited initial release.”

The team is aiming to create a “small, functional, volunteer-run, sustainable facility” following a similar model to the successful Cube in Bristol or Start and Shadow in Newcastle.

So far, is said to have attracted lots of interest and support, with donations of timber, paint, tools and cables and the offer of help from skilled joiners and people wanting to be a part of the initiative, Sam adds: “We still need a fair bit of timber for the seating rake but we’re getting there. We’re also still on the hunt for a fairy godmother to sponsor us a projector and sound system, but who knows – maybe we can crowdfund that. It will happen, someway, somehow.”

The Re-Dock team is also creating a community cinema project at a former church in St Helens, and has already achieved a successful project in Manchester’s Moston area.

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