New Carlton Cinema in Okehampton has been named as one of the beneficiaries of the third round of funding made available from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund (CRF). The British Film Institute has been responsible for assessing applications and managing the fund’s allocation to independent cinemas across the country and has awarded the cinema £34,586. The allocation brings the total amount awarded to the cinema through the CRF to £103,687.
Central Devon MP Mel Stride said:
“The Culture Recovery Fund has been absolutely vital in supporting our cultural and heritage sector, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. I’m delighted that New Carlton Cinema has made another successful bid – it is a much-valued community asset and an important part of the local economy.”
West Devon Borough Councillor Kevin Ball added:
“This is great news for our brilliant cinema which is so important for our town and surrounding area. I hope this latest allocation of funding will help keep the cinema financially sustainable as audiences are welcomed back.”
The Culture Recovery Fund was established to help cultural organisations and heritage sites weather the pandemic, at a time when they were forced to close their doors to visitors and audiences. Across all three rounds of funding, the BFI has awarded almost £34 million from the Culture Recovery Fund to 207 cinemas in England, with 80% of funding going to venues outside of London.
New Carlton Cinema has a wide range of movies including Oscar-tipped Spencer and the latest James Bond film No Time To Die, as well as families movies such as Encanto. To book tickets visit www.okehampton.merlincinemas.co.uk.