abingdon guildhall redevelopment · in 2012, according to the british film institute statistical...

Abingdon Guildhall Redevelopment

J R Inglis, Mayfield Arts & Media

May 2014

J R Inglis, Mayfield Arts & Media, May 2014 Abingdon Guildhall Redevelopment of 61

Contents 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 4

1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 The vision ..................................................................................................................................... 5

2 Market analysis ................................................................................................................................. 6 2.1 Demographics .............................................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Arts market .................................................................................................................................. 7 2.3 Cinema market ............................................................................................................................ 7 2.4 Catchment areas .......................................................................................................................... 9

3 Consultations .................................................................................................................................. 10 3.1 Town council ............................................................................................................................. 10 3.2 Organisations ............................................................................................................................. 11 3.3 Core aims for the redevelopment ............................................................................................... 15 3.4 Public survey .............................................................................................................................. 15

4 Redevelopment potential ............................................................................................................... 16 4.1 Abbey Hall ................................................................................................................................. 16 4.2 Back stage facilities .................................................................................................................... 24 4.3 Foyer, bar and kitchen ................................................................................................................ 25 4.4 Exterior ...................................................................................................................................... 27

5 Outline usage .................................................................................................................................. 28 5.1 Development models ................................................................................................................. 28 5.2 Facilities ..................................................................................................................................... 28 5.3 Schedule of use .......................................................................................................................... 29 5.4 Income generation ..................................................................................................................... 32 5.5 Re-launching the Guildhall ......................................................................................................... 36

6 Development and operating models ............................................................................................. 37 6.1 3rd party invests in redevelopment and takes on operating lease of the cinema .......................... 37 6.2 Town Council funds the redevelopment then leases cinema operation to 3rd party .................... 37 6.3 Town Council funds the redevelopment then sub-contracts services to assist with operating the cinema ................................................................................................................................................. 38 6.4 Temporary cinema provision ....................................................................................................... 38 6.5 Potential cinema operators ......................................................................................................... 38

7 Next steps ........................................................................................................................................ 44 8 Risks ................................................................................................................................................. 45

8.1 Risks if the Town Council is the operator of the cinemas ............................................................ 45 8.2 Risks if a 3rd party operates the cinemas .................................................................................... 47

9 Appendices ...................................................................................................................................... 48 9.1 Arts audience segmentation ....................................................................................................... 48 9.2 Abingdon Community Arts Forum .............................................................................................. 49 9.3 Cinema provision map ............................................................................................................... 51 9.4 Cinema audiences ...................................................................................................................... 52 9.5 Cinema operation ...................................................................................................................... 54 9.6 Cinema ticket pricing comparisions ............................................................................................ 56 9.7 Attendance and income projections ........................................................................................... 58 9.8 Specialist cinema circuits ............................................................................................................ 59 9.9 Everyman Cinema, Leeds – Restaurant menu .............................................................................. 61


Acknowledgements This report was commissioned by Abingdon Town Council. The views expressed in this report are

those of the author. Unless specifically attributed, they do not represent the views of any persons

or organisations who have been consulted in the preparation of the plan.

Special thanks for their contributions to this study are due to Cllr Iain Littlejohn, Cllr Sandy

Lovatt, Nigel Warner, Johannah Ainsley, Lorraine Atkins, David Boyd, and Dan Lewandowski.

This report updates the original January 2012 report with new information and incorporates the

decisions from the various business and architectural meetings in the intervening period.

Ron Inglis, MA MBA

May 2014

Contact details

J Ron Inglis

Mayfield Arts & Media

M: 07740 928 420

E: [email protected]


1 Introduction

1.1 2014 update

The initial research and consultations regarding the redevelopment of the Guildhall were

conducted during 2012. Since then a considerable amount of work has been carried out by the

Town Council and a team of architects and specialists resulting in new options which were not

under consideration in 2012. At the same time the cinema sector has continued to undergo

substantial changes following the worldwide conversion from 35mm film to new digital

projection, sound and automation technologies.

The report has therefore been updated in several sections with new information and new

options considered. However, much of the original report remains, especially in sections 1

through to 4. Section 5 has been significantly updated and section 6 is entirely new for 2014.

Details of cinema attendances in the UK and cinema ticket prices in the vicinity of Abingdon

have also been updated.

1.2 Background

Abingdon Guildhall incorporates historic listed buildings with four meeting or function rooms

and a large Abbey Hall constructed in the 1970s. The complex is located in the centre of

Abingdon and can be accessed from Bridge Street or from Abbey Close. The Guildhall was

owned and operated by the Vale of White Horse District Council until 2011 when Abingdon

Town Council took over ownership of the venue. The Town Council have undertaken an

examination of the potential for redeveloping and reinvigorating the venue.

The facilities are:

Abbey Hall Purpose built hall capable of seating 250 people for meetings, lectures and

conferences. When used with the adjacent bar and catering facilities it can be

used for dinner dances for up to 225 people or for parties for up to 350

people.

Roysse Room A historic, ornate room suitable for weddings and special functions. Suitable

for 70 dining guest or 90 people seated for a lecture.

Council Chamber Converted to a chamber in 1759, this historic room can accommodate 100

people theatre style or 90 guests for dinner.

Abbey Room A boardroom-style room with a large central table suitable for 20 people

Bear Room Normally set out with a large central table for 18 people but can

accommodate 30 people for meetings.

The Guildhall complex is operated as a single unit. However this report concentrates on the

Abbey Hall


1.3 The vision

In recent years the Guildhall has been costing the District Council £100,000 to £150,000 per

annum and has not been used for about 75% of the available hours.

A vision for the redeveloped Guildhall is under development and the main concerns and

ambitions cited during this study, and in the intervening period, are for a venue which:

• provides affordable high quality, flexible facilities for many local clubs, societies,

organisations and businesses;

• makes a substantial contribution to regenerating the town centre especially during evening

hours;

• contributes to the development of tourism in the town;

• does not require financial subsidy from the Council;

• and which the town can be proud of.


2 Market analysis

2.1 Demographics

2.1.1 Abingdon According to the 2011 Census the population of Abingdon was 33,130, a rise of 1,841 since the

2001 Census. It is a relatively prosperous town with many highly educated residents. In addition

to the business and scientific parks, the town's proximity to academic and scientific institutions in

Oxford has generated an influx of young professionals taking residence in the town's many

residential areas such as Peachcroft. Many inhabitants work in Oxford or commute by rail to

London, from nearby Didcot.

The mean age is 37.8 years, slightly younger than for England as a whole (38.6 years). Graph 2.1

below shows the relatively small difference in age structure compared to England1.

Graph 2.1

2.1.2 Cinemagoers

Source: BFI Statistical Yearbook 2013

1 Source: National Statistics, Census 2001 and 2004 update


One of the more notable changes in the cinema audience in recent years has been the shift

towards older cinemagoers and an associated decline in the teen/twenties audience. Town

centre cinemas surrounded by a variety of eating / drinking and leisure options are generally

more popular with the 35+ year old audience whereas the 15-34 audience are more likely to

favour large multiplexes with a choice of adjacent fast food outlets. However the under 12 year

old and young family audience (not shown on the above chart) is generally doing well provided

that suitable films are available – which at certain times of the year isn’t always the case.

2.2 Arts market

Arts Council England (ACE) has developed an art-based segmentation model for adults aged 16

years and older living in England. The model is based on data from ACE's Taking Part surveys2

and the Target Group Index3.

The model identifies the percentage of the resident population within each of thirteen segments,

each one exhibiting a distinct arts and leisure profile. For example the 'Traditional culture

vultures' segment (3.8% of the English average segment) is described as people who are 'At a

later stage in life and having attained a high standard of living. Traditional culture vultures have

time to devote to their many leisure interests. Art and culture takes up the majority of their time,

alongside travelling and spending time with family.' By comparing the percentage of Abingdon

residents in each segment with the English average it is possible to assess the strength of the arts

attending community in Abingdon.

Data for Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, and seven Abingdon wards is detailed in Appendix

8.1. The segments which are over-represented (i.e. are strongly represented) are shaded in red

while those that are under-represented are shaded blue. It is clear from this data that Abingdon

has an above average arts attendance potential with strong representation in three out of the

four top attendance potential segments (Traditional culture vultures; Fun, fashion and friends;

and Mature explorers).

There are a good number of cultural groups and companies in the town and surrounding area,

several of whom have contributed to the consultation process detailed in Section 3 below. These

groups are potential users of the Guildhall facilities, generating hire income and in some

instances catering income.

2.3 Cinema market

The Regal Cinema in Abingdon closed in the 1980s and has never been replaced. One of the

main reasons for this report being commissioned is to investigate the possibility of providing

cinema screenings in the Abbey Hall.

2 The Taking Part survey excludes cinemagoing and attendance at museums and galleries from its surveys and therefore should only be used in this report to indicate general arts, cultural and leisure attendance tendencies. 3 TGI or (Target Group Index) is the longest established single source marketing and media survey in Britain and was established by British Market Research Bureau in 1969. It is now owned by Kantar Media, a WPP company. See: http://kantarmedia-tgigb.com/tgi-surveys/gb/


2.3.1 UK cinemagoing In 2012, according to the British Film Institute Statistical Yearbook 2013:

• 647 feature films were released in UK cinemas (12.5 titles per week).

• Admissions per person in UK (2.6) lags behind Australia (4.3), USA (3.9), France (3.3) but

are ahead of Spain (2.2), Italy (1.8) and Germany (1.5). Cinema sector analysts believe there

is substantial room for growth in the UK cinemagoing market.

• 75% of cinema screens are in multiplexes

• 24% of the year’s admissions took place in July and August

• 58% of box office income comes from weekend screenings (Friday – Sunday). While

conventional wisdom remains that cinema is a weekend activity, the reality is that there is a

substantial weekday (and daytime) cinema audience.

• The top ten distributors (dominated by USA studios) had a 95% share of the market

• In recent years one or two ‘mega hit’ films have dominated the cinema box office. For

example Skyfall, Avatar, and Toy Story 3 have individually accounted for around 8% of the

total UK box office for the year in which the film was released..

• 8 of the top 20 films released in 2012 were 3D films.

• 3D films accounted for 6.6% of all titles released but generated 18% of box office income.

The most successful 3D releases are increasingly high quality films such as The Life of Pi,

Hugo, Gravity, The Hobbit, and some of the Marvel comics derived films (e.g. Marvel

Avengers Assemble).

In 2009, according to Dodona Research4, 60% of the UK population said they went to the

cinema at least once a year, the same percentage as 2008. 18% went to the cinema once a

month or more.

2.3.2 Cinema provision

Cinema Type Facilities Distance & drivetime from Guildhall

Cineworld Multiplex 5-screens. 875 seats. Adjacent to Cornerstone Arts Centre

6.9 miles 20 mins

Odeon George Street

Multiplex 6-screens. 1128 seats. 7.3 miles 19 mins

Vue Ozone Leisure Park

Multiplex 9-screens. 1800 seats. Free parking plus restaurants.

7.4 miles 18 mins

The Ultimate Picture Palace

Specialist 1-screen. 121 seats. Small bar at back of auditorium

7.4 miles 19 mins

Odeon Magdalen Street

Traditional 2-screens. 61 and 638 seats. 7.5 miles 20 mins

Phoenix Picturehouse Specialist 2-screens. 98 and 198 seats. 7.8 miles 20 mins

Corn Exchange Theatre Arts centre 1-screen. 187 seats.

Shared use auditorium 10.3 miles 27 mins

Total 26 screens

Table 2.1

4 Cinemagoing UK 19, published by Dodona Research, March 2010


Cinemagoing is predominantly a local activity. Many people like to walk to their local town

centre cinema and even with modern multiplexes a 15-20 minute drive is usually considered to

be a practical limit for audience estimation calculations.

Table 2.1 above and the map in Appendix 8.3 shows the location of cinemas that residents in

Abingdon would currently consider for a visit. Apart from the Wallingford Corn Exchange, all

these cinemas are within 8 miles drive distance and 20 minutes drive time.5

Although there appears to be a plentiful supply of cinemas for Abingdon residents, the practical

issues, including cost, of travelling to most of these cinemas often mean that cinema visits are

less frequent than might be the case if Abingdon itself had a cinema – points raised on many

occasions during the public consultations for this report.

2.3.3 ‘Event cinema’ screenings Cinemas equipped with satellite reception or high capacity broadband equipment can receive

live performances of rock and classical music, opera, theatre, comedy and curated exhibitions

such as the David Bowie exhibition at the V&A or Vikings at the British Museum. High profile

sporting events have also been popular in some circumstances. Some of these performances and

events are offered as part of a season. For example the New York Metropolitan Opera series or

the National Theatre play series, while others are one-off events. Some of these performances

are screened in 3D.

Live opera, and more recently live theatre, has proved to be very popular with digitally-equipped

cinemas with many cinemas selling out entire seasons of operas. Similarly concerts by Elton John,

Peter Gabriel, André Rieu, and Monty Python have seen huge demand for tickets. Prices for

these performances are typically in the £10 – £25 range and result in a substantial income

stream for the venue. For some cinemas, especially independent cinemas, these cultural

performance screenings can account for 15%–25% of overall ticket income for the year. The

Guildhall is an excellent venue for these 'as live' screenings and they should form part of the

regular programme.6

2.3.4 Positioning A Guildhall cinema could be positioned and branded as:

• A local, town centre destination for cinema socialising, business and learning

• A state-of-the-art digital (3D) cinema providing programme choice

• An independent cinema offering a broad range of programming including ‘event cinema’

live relays and pre-recorded screenings of cultural and entertainment performances

• A welcoming, sociable, good value but high quality place to go

• A key town centre facility accessible for everyone

2.4 Catchment areas

The above section concentrates on the town of Abingdon but in practice performances and

activities in the Guildhall attract audiences and user groups from a wider area. For cinema

audiences the catchment is likely to be within a few miles of the Guildhall but for the performing

5 Drive distance and drivetime based on Google Maps estimates. 6 See www.more2screen.com for information about a broader range of programme material available for cinemas


arts and other live events a substantially wider catchment area can be expected. For some

specialist events such as conferences or annual gatherings the catchment can be national or even

international7.

When the Guildhall is being hired by a third party, the hirer will understand their audience and

catchment and will market their activity accordingly. If the Guildhall takes responsibility for

screenings, performances and activities under its own management then a good understanding

of the catchment(s), the audience(s) and methods of reaching them, will be essential.

3 Consultations 'For a town of its size, Abingdon could be considered to be somewhat bereft of leisure facilities'.

This comment in Wikipedia has been confirmed to some degree by many of the conversations,

meetings and correspondence undertaken in order to elicit views on the potential redevelopment

of the Guildhall.

Individuals and organisations were asked to consider the following questions:

• Abbey Hall - What are your priorities for redeveloping the main auditorium to make it

suitable for the activities you are concerned with. Are there specific improvements that you

consider essential for your activities?

• Entrance area, foyer, box office - What improvements are necessary in your view to make

the venue work better? Where are there problems at present which prevent you using the

Guildhall more than at present?

• Bar and catering - We know that the bar is inadequate for many of the uses that have

taken place in the past. What type of bar and catering facility do you feel is appropriate for

the Guildhall? Should there be a bar servery inside the main auditorium?

• Back stage facilities (storage, get in/out routes, dressing rooms, green room, etc) - what

facilities do you need improved in order to use the venue more often?

• Exterior - Do you have any comments about how the exterior, especially the entrance area,

should be improved?

• Usage of the Guildhall - What activities do you feel the Guildhall is most suitable for given

the range of other facilities in and around Abingdon?

• Any other general comments?

3.1 Town council

Three meetings were held in Abingdon during autumn 2011:

16 August – Initial meeting and site visit (R. Inglis, N. Warner, S. Lovatt, I. Littlejohn, S. Fischer

(architect))

26 October – Meeting with councillors and representatives of several organisations with an

interest in the Guildhall redevelopment

7 For example, annual gatherings of the MG Car Club


16 November - Project meeting and visit to Amey Theatre at Abingdon School (R. Inglis, N.

Warner, S. Lovatt, I. Littlejohn)

A range of views and ambitions were expressed at these meetings, the main points being:

• Redevelopment of the Guildhall is anticipated to lead to better use of the town centre,

improve footfall to shops and businesses, and re-energise the evening economy.

• The Guildhall and the activities which take place there have relatively low visibility within

the town and surrounding area. A redeveloped venue would aim to have a much higher

public and professional profile.

• A range of usage options should be investigated in the study including: cinema and other

forms of screening; live performance (theatre, music, comedy, dance); functions such as

weddings, lectures and conferences; and exhibitions.

• The redeveloped Guildhall should aim to be financially self-sufficient

• Make general improvements to the accessibility of the venue

• Improve the usability of the bar and catering facilities

• Improve the acoustics of the Abbey Hall

• Provide a facility which is used by a diverse range of users, from children and young people

through to retired residents and visitors

• Provide a flexible, affordable facility which the town can be proud of

3.2 Organisations

In 2009 Abingdon Community Arts Forum produced a list of the changes they collectively

wished to see in a redeveloped Guildhall. Their overall 'mission statement' was stated as:

'Abingdon Community Arts Forum aims to make the Guildhall complex an affordable,

sustainable and vibrant focus for Arts, Community, Social and Business activities in the

town, providing a central venue for a regular programme of activities and events, both

amateur and professional.'8

For the current report, ten organisations have provided comments and suggestions. A further ten

organisations were contacted but did not respond.

Organisation Comments

Abingdon College

and District Film

Society, Mike

Bloom

• Requires cinema standard digital projection (+DVD/BluRay)

• Comfortable seating for approximately 125 people

• Screen with masking

• Good acoustics

• Should feel like a ‘proper cinema’ in order to attract sufficient

membership to meet anticipated hire charges

• Links to stage to allow Q&A and introductions

• Filmsoc would be happy to help with programming of any commercial

screening service (either agent or done by Guildhall)

• Bar and catering essential to quality of experience

• Piano for silent films (once per year)

• A central facility that the town can be proud of!

8 The full document produced by Abingdon Community Arts Forum is reproduced in Appendix 8.1


Rotary Club of

Abingdon Vesper,

Christopher Le

Fevre

• Weekly meetings require a private dining room for 25-50 people,

• Currently Guildhall catering is too expensive and no bar

• Exterior is very poor

• Could entire Abbey Hall be demolished and rebuilt?

Abingdon Operatic

Society, John Nye

• For use as a theatre, it would need a full conversion implying proper

wings, tiered seating, lighting desk etc.

• Potential for multiple rehearsal areas

• Ceiling height reduction would be an improvement

• Bar & Foyer should be rethought and treated as one public area

• Backstage facilities are completely inadequate at present, huge

improvements and expansion needed in these regards.

• Storage area would need expansion

• General usage of the Guildhall: Soundproofing for functions. Needs to

be more user friendly. At present too utilitarian.

MG Car Club,

Simon Pedrazzini

• Haven't used the Guildhall, use the Amey Theatre at Abingdon School

which has good seating and AV facilities

• Need high quality facilities, many national and international guests

• Guildhall needs much better disability access (lift)

• Parking essential

• Deterred from using the Roysse Room due to high hire charges and

requirement to use the Guildhall's own caterers (expensive)

• If the Club was to use the Abbey Hall, it would need good 'get in'

access

• Exterior is drab, looks like a 1970s carbuncle

• What is needed is a reasonable sized location that could be provided

free to local clubs and associations but is chargeable to others.

• Club is keen to do more in Abingdon if suitable, affordable facilities

were available

Abingdon and

Witney College,

Performing Arts

Department,

Thomas

Mindenhall

• Haven't used the Guildhall but knows from others that a good sound

system is required

• Good access to rig lighting is required, e.g. Talloscope or Genie

powered access platform

• Simple operation desks (lighting and sound)

• Has heard that Guildhall caterers very expensive

• Exterior could be lit to make it more attractive

• Believes the Abbey Hall could be good for small/medium scale theatre

companies

• Suggests a sliding scale of hire charges, (business, local business,

wedding (fixed price for 3 days) schools/colleges, local groups and

organisations


Abingdon School,

Rory Fraser-

Mackenzie

(Theatre Manager)

• Amey Theatre is a good theatre venue but with limited wing space and

poor get in access (via large dressing room area)

• Amey Theatre and Guildhall have poor foyers and limited bar catering

opportunities

• Poor parking near Guildhall and Amey Theatre

• Limited availability of Amey Theatre – generally only during school

holidays

Abingdon Scottish

Country Dance

Club, Hilary Adams

• The hall is wonderful for a dance as it is a large open space, has a

sprung floor, a stage for the band, and the Roysse room was fantastic

for a sit down 2 course supper. It is a beautiful venue for a "ball" or

equivalent.

• Increased hire charges and other restrictions meant that the Club now

uses Benson Parish Centre, but would love to return to the Guildhall

• Oxford University Scottish Country Dance club used to hold the Oxford

and Cambridge ball at the Guildhall every other year (one year it is

hosted by Cambridge University and the next Oxford). They too were

priced out from using the Guildhall.

• Hire charges now more than the Club was prepared to pay

• Restrictions which lead to move elsewhere: had to use Guildhall's

(expensive) caterers; had to hire security staff (felt to be ridiculous); bar

prices, especially for soft drinks, were extortionate; automatic sound

level cut-out set too low to allow even a small country dance band to

play

• Cloakroom is tired and needs a cosmetic overhaul

• Bar in the main auditorium would not work for us as we need the

space for dancing

• Exterior does not do anything for the town as it is 1960s architecture

at its worst

Malcolm Ross

Abingdon Arts

Festival (co-

ordinator)

Abingdon Drama

Club (Stage Mgr)

Abbey Brass Band

(member)

• Town needs a non-school venue for theatre and music concerts

• Town needs a large capacity venue

• Raked seating required

• Improve acoustics (especially in centre of hall)

• Stage too high, could be removed

• Very poor get-in/out and dressing rooms

• Abbey Hall ok for comedy, maybe also choirs

• Ideally there should be technical staff on hand to help companies (cf.

Didcot and Abingdon School, Amey Theatre)

• Basic core lighting and sound equipment desirable

• Lack of space for a box office desk & door sales (trestle table at top of

stairs is inadequate)

• Bar difficult to use, better with bar inside auditorium

• Amateur drama usage: 5 x 1 week

• Concert usage: 3 groups x 3 concerts x 1 day each (Abingdon Brass

Band, Abingdon Concert Band, Abingdon & District Symphony

Orchestra & Choir)


Choose Abingdon

Partnership, Hester

Hand

• Many community groups want smaller rooms to hire, ideally with

catering facilities

• Regular concerns over the Abbey Hall and the catering arrangements

• Believes there is an opportunity to provide an alternative cinema to the

multiplexes, something with local character (cf. Wallingford arts

centre/cinema or Number 8 Community Arts Centre in Pershore)

• A redesigned foyer could accommodate local artist exhibitions (active

artists community in Abingdon)

• No conflict expected with Museum facilities

• Guildhall could provide a central box office/information facility (groups

currently use local bookshops)

• Venue needs to be run as welcoming, helpful public venue

Breakaleg Theatre

Company, Deirdre

Jones

• Retractable, raked seating must be comfortable

• Backstage facilities acceptable but scenery storage is minimal and get

in difficult

• Greenroom facility would be welcome

• Portable box office could be ok

• Bar needs improvements and incoming groups need to run the bar in

order to retain all the profits

• Exterior drab, needs to be an attractive destination

• Interested in using the Guildhall for amateur theatre productions, at

present there are 4 local Groups who use the Unicorn Theatre for

twice a year productions but the Unicorn isn't always suitable and is

too small to be financially viable

Abingdon Town

Council, Lorraine

Atkins

• Science and Science Fiction are potential markets for cinema and

Guildhall usage (Science & Technology Facilities Council)

• Local perception that the Guildhall is not upmarket enough to

compete with other facilities within easy reach

Member of the

public, Mrs Pamela

Williams

• Would gladly pay to visit a cinema in Abingdon, desperately needed to

avoid driving out to Kassam Stadium in Oxford, Didcot or paying to

park in Oxford city

Isis Chamber

Orchestra, Andrew

lack

• It would come down to acoustics, size, it being totally airless and

uncomfortable for a whole evening, plus cost, adaptability. Venues we

use now we can make money by undertaking refreshments with a

volunteer FoH team.

Organisations contacted but which did not supply comments:

Abingdon and District Musical Society Egyptian dance

Abingdon Band Jazzexercise

Abingdon Decorative & Fine Arts Society Music at the Unicorn

Abingdon Drama Club Old Gaol Theatre Company

APAGE and Abingdon Arts Festival Oxford Philomusica

CEROC dance Studio Theatre Club


3.3 Core aims for the redevelopment

Taken together the consultations comments concentrate around these core aims:

Abbey Hall Flexible use venue (screenings, live performance, dances, functions)

High quality ("feels like a proper cinema/theatre/etc")

Affordable hire charges

Supporting

facilities

Considerably improved backstage facilities including get-in/out access

More storage

Foyer and bar Major improvements in terms of layout, facilities and accessibility

Exterior Enhance the exterior appearance of the Abbey Hall

Provide one (or two) prominent entrances

Guildhall complex Prominent local facility

Support town centre regeneration and the evening economy

Fully accessible complex

Operation Financially self sufficient

More flexibility in the way the bar and catering facilities are offered

3.4 Public survey

In 2013 a public questionnaire was conducted to seek views on the proposed redevelopment of

the Guildhall. From the 300+ responses the following points are notable:

• The age profile of the respondents is skewed towards the older age groups with only 4% of

respondents under 24 years old and 60% over 45 years old. This contrasts with the usual age

profile for cinemagoing (See section 2.1.2).

• The type of films or events which respondents favoured were:

Mainstream films 12%

Arthouse films 11%

Classic films 9%

Saturday morning family films 9%

Event cinema performances 7%

These results are clearly influenced by the age of a large number of respondents and perhaps

the perception that cinema at the Guildhall would not replicate the multiplex experience.

• Almost three-quarters of respondents said they would visit the redeveloped Guildhall at least

every two months, with one third saying they would attend every month.

• The aspects of the redevelopment proposals that were most strongly supported were the

purpose build cinema (49%) and upgrading of the Abbey Hall to provide a flexible space for

theatre and cinema (33%).

Additionally a large number of comments were provided which tend to support a distinctive

facility which can rival other cultural and entertainment venues in the locality.


4 Redevelopment potential The fundamental aim of redeveloping the Guildhall complex is to provide flexible facilities which

enhance the town and which are financial self-sufficient.

It is important at this early stage to acknowledge that truly flexible venues – typically described as

arts or civic centres – are expensive to develop and often fail to be used as flexibly as originally

intended due to high operational costs. A pragmatic, selective approach to redeveloping the

Guildhall, especially the Abbey Hall, is likely to be more achievable than striving to provide

'something for everyone'.

The budget for redeveloping the Guildhall has not been set but in this report is assumed to be

substantially less than would be required for a 'demolish and rebuild' project (as has been

suggested by some people consulted).

The redevelopment priorities are therefore anticipated to be:

• Improvements to access throughout the complex, including technical get-in/out access to

the Abbey Hall.

• Improvements to facilities likely to benefit a wide range of users and audiences. For

example the entrance, foyer, box office and bar areas, toilets, and general storage.

• General improvements to the technical competence of the Abbey Hall. For example, solving

the widely acknowledged acoustic problems, providing more modern lighting facilities, and

installing a high quality, comfortable retractable seating system.

• Creating new facilities for cinema screenings, live relays of other cultural performances,

conference and business presentations, and other activities.

Redeveloping the venue in order to improve accessibility and to provide a range of better

facilities requires the input of architectural and other specialists (e.g. acoustic engineers, theatre

equipment specialists, catering consultants) therefore only general comments about those

aspects are incorporated in this report.

4.1 Abbey Hall

4.1.1 General observations The Abbey Hall as it exists now is considered to be good for dances (sprung floor), large

receptions, and some types of live performance where only limited technical demands are placed

on the venue (e.g. stand up comedy, choral or band concerts).

The hall is less successful as a venue for many types of theatre production (poor backstage

facilities, poor access, poor acoustics) and does not have any cinema screening facilities.

The hall has a symetrical, almost square plan shape which means that it feels very wide when

facing the stage (or screen). Public access routes via several stairs tend to get congested. The

balcony is of limited value at present.


4.1.2 Seating Loose seating on the flat floor can be arranged as required by each event but is usually set out in

rows facing the stage or around tables for receptions, dances, and other less formal occasions.

The flat floor and raised stage mean that the sightlines for theatrical performances are poor and

frequently criticised.

Illustration 4.1

Retractable seating Introducing a modern, comfortable retractable seating system would make the hall much more

suitable for most types of performance and screening. Seating comfort could be improved with

such a system which would also offer operational benefits in terms of reduced set-up time and

effort if an electrically power system was installed. The illustration below shows the 150-seat

retractable system installed in 2009 in the Scala Cinema & Arts Centre, Prestatyn, North Wales.

Illustration 4.2


Illustration 4.3

Following the removal of the organ from the rear of the balcony, there may be an opportunity to

increase the seating capacity in this area. It may also be possible to integrate the balcony with a

retractable seating system to give a single bank of raked seating, as is provided in the Scala in

Prestatyn.

Seating capacity Currently the Abbey Hall is licensed for 250 people seated. Modern auditorium seating tends to

be based around wider seats (550-600mm width per seat) and greater row spacing (950–

1050mm for tip-up seating, 1100–1400mm for non-tipping ‘club’ seats) than is often provided

with loose seating. Based on these typical specifications the seating capacity is likely to be

reduced to 180–200. Redevelopment of the balcony could potentially add a further 50 seats.

Locally, performing groups use the Unicorn Theatre which accommodates 89 people and the

Amey Theatre at Abingdon School which seats 446 plus 4 wheelchair spaces. The Abbey Hall

therefore falls between these two capacities and potentially offers performing groups a suitable

alternative, but each of the three venues are quite distinctive and have very specific opportunities

and restrictions so in practice the choice of venue is not straightforward.

Touring mid-scale drama productions often cite 200 seats as the minimum required in order to

make a performance viable. In contrast, although the average seating capacity of UK cinemas is

217 seats, many independent cinemas have auditoria seating 100-150 people9. In other words,

the seating capacity of the Guildhall with a modern retractable system is at the lower end for live

performance but at the upper end for an independent cinema. In all instances however, seating

comfort and excellent sightlines are paramount considerations.

New seats can be obtained for less than £100 per unit while deluxe models may cost over £500

per unit. A typical guide price of £250–£300 per cinema seat (delivered and installed) should

ensure a good quality, durable, stylish and up-to-date design from several manufacturers10.

9 Abingdon College and District Film Society suggest a capacity of 125 would be most appropriate for their screenings. 10 High quality retractable seating systems suitable for theatre and cinema audiences are available from a range of suppliers such as Quinette Gallay Renaissance (France) and Jezet (Belgium).


4.1.3 Acoustics and lighting

Acoustics A critical challenge for flexible use venues is the acoustic performance of the auditorium. The

requirements for each type of activity vary substantially from the 'live acoustic' sought by

unamplified musical concerts through to the 'dead' acoustic required for modern multi-channel

cinema sound reproduction. Additionally sound leakage from the hall – a significant problem at

the Guildhall – must be addressed.

Most venues adopt a compromise solution which favours the requirements of the dominant

usage, whether live music, drama or cinema. A less common solution but one which could be

investigated involves variable acoustic characteristics. This can be at least partially achieved by

the use of reversible wall panels with one reflective surface and a sound absorbing surface on

the reverse side. More elaborate systems of moveable panels on ceilings may also be used to

modify acoustic performance.

Lighting There are two lighting issues to consider: firstly the lighting required for audiences which can

vary from general bright lighting at a public lecture through to atmospheric low level lighting for

audiences attending a screening or live performance; and secondly the lighting facilities required

by live performance groups to present their drama, dance or music performance.

Auditorium lighting control includes the ability to create a full blackout from daylight and should

be designed to be easily operable and to produce a number of pre-set configurations.

The Abbey Hall is a generally light auditorium with blinds to cover the windows in the cut-outs

along each side. Cinema and theatre auditoria typically have dark walls to reduce reflections and

distractions.

Illustration 4.4

Modern theatre lighting facilities are very sophisticated and are usually tailored to the

performance being presented. Venues such as the Guildhall normally aim to provide a basic set

of equipment which can be used for relatively simple live performance activities. The venues

should also make it possible for incoming groups to install their own equipment quickly and

easily. The redeveloped Abbey Hall should therefore aim to provide facilities such as:


• Adequate electrical supply, for example a standard high capacity (e.g. 63 amp) supply at

one side of the stage.

• Lighting bar infrastructure – ceiling and wall pre-wired bars in the body of the auditorium,

possibly a lighting grid which can be winched down to floor level so that it can be rigged,

stage lighting bars, and Talloscope or Genie high level access platforms for access to lights.

• Lighting and sound control desks which can be used from either the balcony or from the

side of the stage.

• Storage for lighting equipment and cables. Storage/parking space for a Talloscope or Genie

high level platform.

4.1.4 Facilities for hearing and sight impaired audiences Inductive loop and infra red systems for hearing impaired audiences should be installed as part of

the general improvements to the accessibility of the Guildhall. Inductive loop systems are

unobtrusive and generally 'always on' so that individuals with hearing aids equipped with a T-

switch can hear the performers or soundtrack clearly.

Infra-red systems also help individuals with hearing aids equipped with a T-switch, but require

equipment to be handed out to individuals and collected back after the performance is over.

Infra-red systems do have additional capabilities such as the ability to select an audio description

channel for sight impaired audiences or to provide a simultaneous language translation for

international conferences.

The cost of installing these facilities is comparatively small and may be assisted by a special grant

from a trust or foundation which supports this type of provision.

4.1.5 Adding cinema screening facilities

The complete experience Audiences expect a high quality service and excellent facilities when they attend a cinema. Swiss

architecture and design writer Roderick Hönig highlighted these expecations when he wrote:

“The calling card of the contemporary cinema is the physical image it presents. Going to the

movies has become more than a 110-minute-long flood of images… Moviegoers want to be

immersed in a different world before and after the film as well. The public is satisfied only when

the total experience is unforgettable.”11

Although the choice of a particular film is the main reason why people attend a cinema, the

venue itself can make a big difference to the overall experience. Cinemas developed in recent

years have promoted the architecture of the venue, the interior design, the lounge areas, the

food and drink offer, the digital projection and sound, and their range of programming. The

following quote from cinema operator The Light Cinemas is typical of the new breed of cinemas:

'The Light has been established to capture an important element of the UK cinema market. This

new cinema concept targets all socio-economic categories but with a particular emphasis on the

growing cinema audiences within the A, B and C demographics, families and also the mature

market. The Light seeks to create a dynamic cinema offer, exploiting the flexibility of digital

cinema and offering a wide range of on screen content including broadcasts of live arts and

sports programmes, with supporting food and drink experiences that appeal to a market that

11 Roderick Hönig Frame magazine, Jan/Feb 2000


has felt alienated by the predominantly youth targeted ‘popcorn and cola’ multiplexes prominent

in recent years.'12

While the Guildhall is not a custom designed cinema, the redevelopment should nevertheless

recognise what the cinemagoing alternatives offer and aim to provide a distinctive venue which

certain audiences will positively choose when deciding to watch a film. The experience of other

multi-use arts centre and civic centre cinemas is that there can be a substantial local cinema

audience composed of young children (under 12 years), families, and over 40 years old

cinemagoers.13 The audience local venues invariably find difficult to attract are the teenage/20s

cinemagoers who strongly favour the multiplex and fast food experience.

Cinema equipment Cinema equipment for screening new release films is now based on high specification digital

projection and multi-channel sound systems. The equipment must meet technical and security

standards set out by the Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI).

The projection system consists of a digital projector which must either be housed in a projection

or control room, or in an acoustically isolated and ventilated enclosure. The projectors vary

considerably in design and weigh in the region of 50–150kgs. The current cost ranges from

£25,000 to over £50,000 depending on specification.

Digital films are supplied to the cinema on computer hard drives or, increasingly, by download to

special satellite reception systems or via high capacity broadband links. The digital files, around

150–300Gb per feature film, are loaded on to a special high security cinema server which can

typically store 6-8 feature films along with trailers and screen adverts. The server is scheduled to

play a compete 'show' (ident, adverts, trailers, feature film) and can be operated remotely from a

laptop computer.

Adding a scaler/convertor to the system allows the projector to be used to screen non-DCI video

content such as live broadcasts of operas and theatre performances, sporting events, DVD or

BluRay discs, computer games consoles, and laptop computers for slide presentations.

The sound system consists of a sound processor and a number of power amplifiers for the main

and surround speakers. Cinema loudspeakers are positioned close behind the cinema screen and

around the periphery of the auditorium as indicated in the diagram below:

Illustration 4.5

12 http://www.lightcinemas.com/whoarewe/ 13 See for example the cinema programmes offered by The Corn Exchange, Wallingford; The Corn Exchange, Newbury; South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell; Ludlow Assembly Rooms; and the recently closed Witney Corn Exchange.


Cinema screens are perforated (to allow high frequency sound to travel through) and are

available with various surfaces which are specified according to the particular circumstances of

the auditorium. The most commonly used surface for multi-use auditoria is matt white but high

reflectance surfaces and silver surfaces (required for some 3D systems) are available.

A cinema screen at the Guildhall could fill the proscenium arch and would be approximately 10

metres wide. Typically it would be located just behind the proscenium and would roll-down

when required as shown in the illustration below at The Source Arts Centre, Thurles in Ireland.

Illustration 4.6

Cinema screens should ideally have black edge masking (top, bottom, left and right) so that the

screen image is visually isolated from the auditorium surroundings. Although many multiplexes

do not have adjustable masking, cinema audiences generally prefer properly masked screens and

for a venue such as the Guildhall this facility should be considered, partly to distinguish the

venue from the typical multiplex.

Digital cinema has made 3D screenings a regular feature and around one-third of all digital

cinema screens in the UK are 3D capable. It would not be essential for the Guildhall to include a

3D capability, and several systems can be added at a later stage if desired, but some venues

believe that 3D is important for the public perception of the venue as being 'up to date'. The

main issues associated with 3D cinema are outlined in Appendix 5.

Setting up the Guildhall for a cinema screening would normally involve:

i) Setting up the seating. The retractable rig should be electrically powered and the set up

time would normally be less than 15 minutes.

ii) Clearing the stage area and lowering the roll-down screen, again an electrical system

taking just a few minutes.

iii) Moving the main cinema speakers into position behind the cinema screen

iv) Loading the digital film file on to the cinema server. For a typical feature film this process

should normally take less than 45 minutes.

v) Scheduling the show on a laptop computer

vi) Running the screening once the audience is seated.


Illustrative equipment costs14 Digital projector with integrated server 30,000

Digital cinema show store & theatre management system 15,000

Sound equipment (processors, amps, loudspeakers, racks) 15,000

Screens and masking 15,000

Alternative content facilities (scaler/switchers, satellite disc and decoder etc) 3,000

Automation interfaces and control (including laptop computer) 2,000

Miscellaneous 5,000

Design, supply, install, commission, train 5,000

Total £90,000

Optional 3D equipment (depending on system chosen) £15,000– 30,000

Additional equipment for the foyer and box office will be necessary if the Guildhall chooses to

include regular cinema screenings. The main items being:

• Illuminated poster display units outside the venue and inside the foyer

• Flat screen video displays for programme information and potentially to screen trailers

• Box office ticket selling equipment linked to a dedicated web site for online ticket sales

• Confectionery and soft drinks display and sales units.

4.1.6 Improving facilities for live performance Several of the improvements to the Abbey Hall sought by live performance groups are dealt with

in sections 4.1.2 to 4.1.5 above and in sections 4.2 and 4.3 below.

The Abbey Hall is designed with a conventional raised stage and a limited amount of traditional

stage equipment and facilities – curtains, lighting bars, dressing rooms.

Illustrations 4.7 and 4.8

Four live performance groups consulted provided comments about the suitability of the Abbey

Hall for their work. Clearly there is a desire to see a medium scale venue for drama and perhaps

orchestral or ensemble music concerts, however the opera groups would prefer a larger capacity

venue and may continue using the Amey Theatre for their productions. Drama groups currently

using the Unicorn Theatre would also like the larger capacity that the Abbey Hall offers.

The lack of basic facilities such as wing space, scenery store and workshop facilities, up-to-date

dressing rooms and green room, and raked seating all prevent drama, opera and some music

groups from considering the Abbey Hall at present.

14 These prices are based on real equipment quotations for facilities closely similar to those envisaged for the Guildhall


4.1.7 An alternative approach for the Abbey Hall All of the above sections are based on the assumption that the Abbey Hall is substantially

improved but remains largely unchanged in configuration.

A few people consulted during the study period have indicated that they would be happy to see

the stage removed and to use the hall as a studio-style venue – retaining the sprung dance floor

and adding in most of the facilities outlined in sections 4.1.2 to 4.1.6 above (including the

capability to screen films on a part-time basis). There is little to prevent these groups using the

present hall in this manner if they desired. Removing the stage may be controversial but would

mainly affect activities such as guest lectures and some dances.

If the stage is not required the space could be redeveloped as a self contained unit to provide a

small, full-time digital cinema. Converting the Abbey Hall into a twin-auditorium facility would

inevitably be more expensive to develop but may significantly improve the operational viability of

the Guildhall complex.

4.1.8 Storage Flexible venues require good storage for tables, chairs, equipment, pianos, lecterns, cleaning

materials and other items necessary for each of the various uses. The storage space should be

adjacent to the main hall or at least be easily reached without a change in floor level.

At present there is very little appropriate storage and this impedes some of the potential uses of

the venue. If appropriate storage is not provided as part of the redevelopment some activity will

be constrained and operational costs, mainly staff time, will be higher than might otherwise be

the case.

4.2 Back stage facilities

Drama, opera and music groups all usually require spacious and flexible backstage facilities

including stage left and stage right wing space, easy access for equipment and staging from the

outside on to the stage, storage for temporarily unused equipment, dressing rooms and ideally a

'green room'15.

Backstage technical facilities include staging equipment such as curtains, lighting and sound

equipment as well as moveable scenery or rostra. The Guildhall is not expected to produce its

own live performances and therefore it need not provide any back stage equipment and instead

require incoming groups and organisations to bring their own equipment as is often the case for

touring companies. However many amateur companies lack the resources to purchase and store

a substantial amount of equipment and would welcome a basic level of provision which they

could add to if desired.

A further constraint for incoming companies concerns the get-in/out accessibility. The narrow

lane at the rear of the Abbey Hall is potentially unsuitable for some of the vans and lorries used

by touring theatre and music companies. Even if the vehicle can pass through the lane, it may be

unable to pass underneath the disability access ramp shown in illustration 4.9 below.

15 A green room in show business lexicon is that space in a theatre, studio or similar venue which accommodates performers not yet required on stage. The green room functions as a waiting room and lounge for performers before and after a performance, and during the show when they are not engaged onstage.


Illustration 4.9

This concrete ramp may be dismantled as part of the redevelopment and replaced by a more

suitable access route to the stage for wheelchair users. A service lift for stage equipment and

scenery could then be installed in a location suitable for performing companies.

4.3 Foyer, bar and kitchen

Redeveloping the entrance areas, foyer and catering facilities including the bar will be central to

the future of the Guildhall. The current configuration has many stairways, narrow galleries and

awkward audience flows and is widely criticised. A recurrent complaint is that it is difficult to get

to the bar at busy performances or events and as a consequence bar takings are much less than

might otherwise be the case.

Illustration 4.10

The manager's office is small the information desk is inadequate as a box office and reception

desk for the redeveloped Guildhall. There are no facilities for selling confectionery and soft drinks

as is regularly expected at cinemas and theatres. (Cinema audiences spend an average £1.50 -

£2.00 per person on confectionery and soft drinks each time they visit a cinema.)


As can be seen from the photograph above there few wall spaces where promotional material

can be display or where flat panel video screen could be located.

Bar The small bar is at the far end of two relatively narrow galleries and can easily become blocked

with customers arriving from both galleries, leaving customers who have been served with the

problem of making their way back through the queues. Bar income is important for activities run

by the Guildhall itself and for incoming hiring groups. Creating a much more usable bar servery

would undoubtedly improve the viability of many of the activities that take place in the complex,

including hires of the rooms in the historic part of the venue.

Kitchen The major catering issue raised during the consultations concerns the way that the catering

facilities are offered to incoming hires. There is widespread dissatisfaction with the high charges

levied by the Guildhall's own catering service.

Several groups consulted wished to be able to either bring in their own caterers or to do the

catering themselves. Letting incoming groups use the kitchen poses health and safety issues as

well as potential liability for accidents and damage to equipment. It is nevertheless clear that the

present service is not helping the image and viability of the Guildhall.

A simplified kitchen, with improved storage facilities, may be adequate for most of the potential

user groups. For larger functions which require more extensive catering it would be possible to

bring in contract caterers who could prepare food off-site thereby reducing the demands on the

kitchen facilities.

Illustration 4.11

Associated catering issues which should be addressed in the redevelopment include:

• Provision of adequate ancillary space – staff changing area/toilet, refrigerated storage, dry

storage, disposables storage, chemical storage

• Delivery route directly to catering storage areas without passing through customer areas

• Space allocation external to building for general waste and recycling (currently bins at the

rear of the building in an undefined area).


4.4 Exterior

The dual entrance to the Guildhall complex, from Bridge Street through the historic parts of the

complex or from Abbey Close into the more recent parts, can be both an advantage and an

operational problem. The Bridge Street is not especially visible but is attractive and, subject to

planning consent, could be more prominent with additional signage and illuminated displays.

Illustration 4.12

In contrast the entrance from Abbey Close is less prominent but has more potential to be

developed as a welcoming and attractive entrance. At present this entrance feels hidden and

lacks display spaces for posters or signage to promote the activities within the Guildhall.

Illustration 4.13

The main complaint about the exterior concerns the exterior stonework for the Abbey Hall.

Despite being high quality stone, the hall looks drab and resembles 1960s or 1970s 'carbuncle'

architecture. Various ideas for brightening up this exterior have been suggested in the

consultations and attention should be given to the view when approached from Abbey Close.

4.4.1 Parking One of the key benefits of out-of-town shopping parks has been the plentiful supply of free car

parking. Generally it is considered essential to ensure that there is adequate car parking near a

cinema although many town centre cinemas lack dedicated or even nearby parking facilities.


Local authorities can require new cinemas to provide 1 parking space for every 5 cinema seats

although this requirement is not always imposed.

5 Outline usage

5.1 Development models

In this section four different development and operational scenarios are described:

1) Abbey Hall + 100-seat cinema: The Abbey Hall is redeveloped and equipped for cinema

screenings. It has retractable seating to allow a variety of uses. The seating capacity will be

approximately 200. Additionally a dedicated cinema auditorium (approximately 100 seats) is

created in the car park space behind the Abbey Hall.

2) Abbey Hall + 100-seat cinema + 40-seat cinema: the second dedicated small cinema

auditorium would replace the current Abbey Hall stage.

3) Abbey Hall + 40-seat cinema: in this scenario, a new building is not created in the rear car

park and all the facilities are essentially contained within the existing buildings.

4) 100-seat cinema + 40-seat cinema: this approach does not involve equipping and using

the Abbey Hall for cinema screenings. The stage area is redeveloped to create the smaller

auditorium and a new 100-seat cinema is built in the rear car park.

[This report assumes that the other rooms in the Guildhall complex will continue to operate

unchanged and attract a similar level of business as in recent years.]

5.2 Facilities

5.2.1 Abbey Hall: part-time cinema plus ‘event cinema’ Most multi-use venues aim to offer a regular cinema programme with as near as possible the

same days used each week for cinema screenings.

At present the Abbey Hall is normally in use on Tuesday evenings (dance classes) and most

Saturdays (various functions and activities). Music concerts and other events can be expected to

occupy one other day per week. The cinema programme may therefore consist of up to four

cinema days per week except during period when an event or theatre production occupied the

auditorium for several days or a full week. Weekday day-time screenings may be possible as well

as occasional Saturdays.

Additionally, a number of complete weeks would not be available for cinema use due to hires of

the Abbey Hall for local amateur dramatic or opera performances. Other hires are normally

expected to be for one day at a time and to occur at irregular intervals.

Cinema programmes at arts centres and multi-use venues are generally booked 6-12 weeks in

advance (unlike multiplex cinemas where bookings are often confirmed as late as the Monday

prior to the following Friday). For a cinema operation to be successfully marketed at the Abbey

Hall, printed programmes and online information should be available at least two weeks in

advance of screenings. Allowing for the time taken to book films, this implies that the usage of


the Abbey Hall would normally be finalised 6-8 weeks in advance. Therefore booking requests

from local and other groups would need to be confirmed at least two months in advance.

5.2.2 New cinema auditoria: full-time cinema While the Abbey Hall can become a good auditorium for part-time cinema screenings and ‘event

cinema’ performances, the public and user group consultations together with the wishes of the

Town Council point to a more intensive, dedicated cinema provision. Two new auditoria may be

created to meet this aspiration:

• A 90-100 seat general use full-time cinema (Screen 1)

• A 40-50 seat full-time second run and specialist cinema (Screen 2)

These full-time cinema auditoria might be served by a new entrance and foyer as well as by a

new café bar on the ground floor below the Abbey Hall.

All the cinemas, including the Abbey Hall would be digitally equipped and controlled centrally

using a ‘theatre management system’.16

Screen 1 (90-100 seats) would normally concentrate on mainstream new release films, Saturday

childrens screenings, and in some instances ‘event cinema’ performances of live or recorded

opera, theatre, etc.

Screen 2 (40-50 seats) would cater for films after their initial period of screenings in Screen 1 as

well as for more specialised films and audiences. This smaller auditorium could be developed as a

more up-market cinema with more luxurious seating than the general use Screen 1 (which

would nevertheless be well equipped and comfortable).

5.3 Schedule of use

Film distributors treat Friday to Thursday as the 'cinema week' and generally book films to start

at cinemas on Fridays. Once films have been on release for a few weeks, film distributors are less

concerned with the starting date for a booking, especially if it is a specialised film rather than a

mainstream multiplex blockbuster.

The use of digital projection technology means that it is straightforward to offer a varied

programme with a number of different films screening each day in each auditorium and a variety

of films offered every week. All the projection systems within the venue are normally controlled

by a ‘theatre management system’ (TMS) which allows the management to schedule each screen

individually and to operate the entire venue from a laptop computer.

The flexibility that digital projection and TMS systems allow is only constrained by the

requirements of film distributors who will require a certain number of screenings and days for

each film. For example a high profile new release film will usually only be offered to the cinema

if the film is screened every day of the week and probably at least three times each day. At the

other end extreme, older films may be booked for a single screening.

16 Theatre management systems allow the programme of screenings for a full week to be scheduled and run automatically. This minimizes the requirement for technical staff to operate screenings and also allows a complex schedule of films to be offered with little input from staff once the schedule has been set up.


For this report, ‘full-time’ cinema is taken to mean 7-day a week operation with multiple

screenings each day. In contrast the Abbey Hall, if used for cinema screenings, would only be a

part-time cinema auditorium with limited number of days per week devoted to film screenings.

The schedule of screenings outlined in section 5.3.1 is based on the following assumptions:

• The Abbey Hall being used for a full week on 4 occasions for drama productions and 2

weeks for opera (assuming that 2 weeks of opera will continue at the Amey Theatre). A

further 2 weeks are allowed for annual maintenance.

• Music concerts occupying two evenings per month.

• Ceroc dance every Tuesday plus one Saturday each month.

• Saturdays are generally allocated to non-cinema hires of the Abbey Hall.

• Cinema screenings in the Abbey Hall on 4 evenings each week plus a Saturday matinee.

• ‘Event cinema’ (live opera, theatre, music) would normally be screened in the Abbey Hall.

• Screen 1 (90-100 seats) would screen 4 performances each day apart from on Sunday

when 3 performances would be scheduled, that is 27 screenings per week on average.

• Screen 2 (40-50 seats) would have a similar performance schedule to Screen 1,

The actual schedule of screenings will vary depending on factors such as the anticipated

popularity of each film, the running time of films, the popularity or otherwise of certain

screening start and finish times, and the bookings for other activities in the Abbey Hall.

‘Event cinema’ performances would be presented on average once a fortnight throughout the

year. Generally these performances would be screened in the Abbey Hall but if there was

exceptionally strong demand such as has been experienced for performances of the National

Theatre’s production of War Horse, Screen 1 (and Screen 2) could be included and the screening

offered in all auditoria simultaneously.

5.3.1 Screening schedule A moderately intensive schedule of cinema screenings is shown below in table 5.1 for weeks

during which the Abbey Hall is expected to be available for cinema screenings and follows the

pattern of usage indicated during the consultations in 2012.

Typical cinema week

Day Morning Afternoon Early evening Main evening Friday Abbey Film A Film B

Scr 1 Film C Film D Film E Film E

Saturday Abbey Kids film n/a n/a n/a Scr 1 Film D Film E Film E Film F

Sunday Abbey Film B Film A Film B Scr 1 FilmE Film C Film E

Monday Abbey (Optional) n/a n/a Scr 1 Film E Film C Film D Film E

Tuesday Abbey (Optional) n/a n/a Scr 1 Film F Film E Film E Film C

Wednesday Abbey Film A Film A Film B

Scr 1 Film C Film D Film E Film E

Thursday Abbey (Optional) Event cinema Scr 1 Film E Film C Film F Film E

Table 5.1


Note that the two films shown in the Abbey Hall (A and B) are offered at a variety of times

throughout the week in order to allow audiences a choice of day and time of screening. Similarly

the films (C, D, E and F) screened in Screen 1 are scheduled at a variety of times throughout the

week. Many different variations on this ‘stranded’ style of programming are possible and films

can easily be switched between the Abbey Hall and Screen 1.

The specimen schedule in Table 5.1 includes one ‘event cinema’ performance on a mid-week

date in the Abbey Hall. Due to the length of many theatre and opera performances, at least half

of these special screenings would occupy the entire evening, taking up two potential cinema

screening slots. However the ‘event cinema’ performances are likely to attract above average

attendances and, based on the attendance levels achieved elsewhere in the UK, it is reasonable

to estimate an average of at least 100 people per event cinema screening.

Other special screenings include a Childrens' Saturday Morning film, a Sunday afternoon

specialist or film club film, and mid-week matinees perhaps oriented to senior citizens or young

parents with children at school.

Overall with the Abbey Hall used part-time and Screen 1 used full-time, each week there would

be nine screenings of films in the Abbey Hall, one ‘event cinema’ performance, and 27

screenings of films in the new Screen 1.

Adding a second dedicated cinema screen would increase the number of screenings per week by

a further 27, giving a total of 63 film screenings per week and perhaps 6–8 different film titles.

5.3.2 Cinema attendance estimate for the Guildhall There are several methods of estimating cinema attendance levels, some based on average

attendance rates and others based on comparisons with venues offering a similar programme

mix. In every case the impact of local alternative cinemagoing opportunities has to be included

when making the final assessment.

Average seat occupancy The average seat occupancy for UK cinemas was 217 admissions per seat in 2012. Based on that

figure and the Abbey Hall being used part-time (50%), four annual admissions estimates can be

calculated:

Abbey Hall + Screen 1 43,400 admissions per year

Abbey Hall + Screen 1 + Screen 2 52,080 admissions per year


Screen 1 + Screen 2 30,380 admissions per year

However, averages such as this should only be used for general comparisons because of the

particular circumstances of an individual cinema. For example the Guildhall cinema is located in

the town centre but not on the main street, there is local competition within 8-10 miles, the

Guildhall would only have 2-3 screens and below average seating capacities. Some factors –

including programming – can be expected to result in much higher levels of seat occupancy (over

400 admissions per seat) while other factors may reduce the average.

Average screen occupancy Another widely used statistic is the average attendance per screen which in 2012 in the UK was

45,192. With three- quarters of UK screens in multiplex cinemas and one quarter of all cinemas


in Greater London, the average screen metric is clearly influenced by those two factors. Using

average screen occupancy to calculate the potential audience for the Guildhall cinemas is

therefore less useful because of the Guildhall cinema is planned to consist of a part-time cinema

in Abbey Hall and two much smaller than average auditoria. For a reasonably successful

independent cinema outside of London the average screen occupancy for a 200 seat cinema is

more likely to be in the region of 25,000 – 30,000 per screen.

Percentage capacity occupancy In theatre and other performing arts, percentage occupancy is often used as an indicator of the

viability of the venue. In cinema, this is a risky assumption because by increasing the number of

screenings – for example by adding morning and early afternoon sessions – the percentage

occupancy figure will invariably decline sharply, and yet the viability of the cinema still improve

due to the overall increase in admissions. So a percentage occupancy of 15%–20% may appear

poor compared to a theatre venue, but in reality it could be perfectly acceptable for the Guildhall

cinema and many cinemas operate in this range. The real value of the percentage occupancy

statistic is its ability to compare one year against another year for a single cinema.

Nevertheless, four scenarios for the Guildhall cinemas are detailed in Appendix 8.7 using 15%

occupancy for the Abbey Hall cinema screenings, 50% occupancy for event cinema

performances in the Abbey Hall, and 15% to 25% for Screens 1 and 2 (depending on the

development configuration, see section 5.1). The annual attendance figures resulting from these

calculations are:


Abbey Hall + Screen 1 + Screen 2 45,052 admissions per year


Screen 1 + Screen 2 44,320 admissions per year

5.4 Income generation

Income for the Guildhall will come from hires to third parties as well as from directly operated

activities, principally cinema screenings. Cinema income derives mainly from three areas: ticket

sales, 'concession sales' (soft drinks, ices, confectionery, etc), and screen advertising.

Recent changes in technology and cinema facilities have seen the growth of a wider range of

ancillary income which now includes: ticket booking fees, ticket vouchers, 3D supplements, sale

of 3D glasses, Gold Class auditoria, premium seating areas, theatre hire, video games, live

shows, alternative content such as opera, D-Box motion seats, bars and at-seat dining.

The increasing importance of food and drink facilities at cinemas is clearly shown by the Costa

and Starbucks franchises appearing in Vue and Cineworld multiplex foyers as well as the

increasing number of independent cinema with very sophisticated restaurant offerings.17

Picturehouse estimate that around one-third of each of their cinema’s turnover comes from food

and drink sales.

17 See for example Picturehouse, Curzon and Everyman cinemas. Also newcomers such as the privately developed Red Carpet Cinema in Staffordshire (www.redcarpetcinema.co.uk)


5.4.1 Cinema

Ticket pricing Statistics compiled by the British Film Institute18 indicates that the average cinema ticket at

commercial cinemas in the UK during 2012 cost £6.37. While this provides a useful benchmark it

disguises three major issues:

1 There are significant regional variations in cinema admission charges, from £15+ in

London’s West End to less than £4 in some smaller, often older, cinemas.

2 70% of the UK's cinemas are multiplexes and approximately one quarter of UK cinemas

are located in the Greater London area. Both sectors typically charge higher prices than can

be levied at independent multi-use venues such as the Guildhall. (See appendix 8.6)

3 For each cinema there are likely to be a range of prices designed to allow economically

disadvantaged groups to attend, and to spread cinemagoing throughout the week. A

diverse range of pricing policies can be found even within one district and the particular

choices for any one cinema depend on the cinema’s own policies and the management’s

assessment of how to structure its ticket pricing.

The cinemas around Abingdon offer a complex range of ticket prices and conditions (see

Appendix 6) with the top weekend adult price varying between £9.10 (Cineworld, Didcot) and

£9.95 (Odeon George Street, Oxford). Various discounts reduce that price by up to almost 50%

while additional charges are levied for VIP or Premier seating and 3D screenings. Only the

Wallingford Corn Exchange offers simple and substantially lower ticket prices (£6.00 adult and

£4.00 for under 15s).

For most cinemagoers it is the overall cost of the visit to the cinema that matters more than

individual ticket prices, whether that is a teenager going with friends, a senior citizen attending a

morning silver screen matinee, a couple going out on a Saturday evening, or a family party

attending one of the year’s blockbusters. The total cost of travel, parking, tickets, snacks and

perhaps also a meal is ultimately what matters most.

The financial models (Appendix 8.7) for cinema at the Guildhall use an average ticket price of

£6.50 for the Abbey Hall and Screen 1 and £7.50 for Screen 2. The average ticket price for

‘event cinema’ performances is £12.50. [All prices include VAT]. However, in common with most

local cinemas, a wide range of prices would be available during the week and may include low

cost Mondays or Tuesdays, discounts for various groups (seniors, students, children, teenagers,

unwaged, etc.) The pricing policy would be determined by whichever organisation was

responsible for operating the cinemas but the general approach could be agreed in a service

level agreement.

Film rental costs Cinema films are rented from film distributors, generally on a percentage of box office takings.

Over a full year, the national average rental lies in the region of 40% to 45% but there can be

substantial variations in the terms charged for individual films. A routine film release may

command 35%–60% rentals early in its release life and decline to 25% after a few weeks,

although major successes such as The King’s Speech continue to charge higher rentals.

18 BFI Statistical Yearbook 2013


Distributors can charge 70% or higher for blockbuster films at the beginning of the release as

well as insisting on a minimum number of screenings per week. At the other end of the scale,

older films may be offered for a flat rate fee of perhaps £100. The Guildhall should budget for

45% film rentals over a full year of operation.

Concession sales The amount cinemas earn from concession sales – confectionery, ices, soft drinks, etc – typically

amounts to between 25% and 35% of the ticket income19. At average ticket prices, the typical

customer spends £1.50 – £2.00 on concession food and drink.

Cineworld earn £1.90 from confectionery, ices and soft drink sales from each customer whereas

up-market Picturehouse cinemas earn £3.06 per customer from their sales, which include

catering and bar sales.20

Specialist research organisation Screen Digest published a comprehensive study of cinema

concessions in 2002 and, while admitting that it was a difficult area to research and that there is

very little hard data available, managed to establish a “rough rule of thumb” that “if concessions

account for 25% of a cinema’s revenues, they will represent around 50% of its profits”.21 The

importance of concession sales is further emphasised by Screen Digest’s authors who point out

that “operating a cinema is two very distinct businesses: the business of acquiring and marketing

movies; and the business of selling concessions.”

Independent, specialised or smaller cinemas may achieve lower sales of confectionery, ices, soft

drinks and snacks due to:

a) the smaller foyer area that local cinemas typically devote to concession sales

b) the general tendency for specialist and older cinema audiences to spend substantially less

on concession purchases (although tea, specialist coffee, wine, mineral water, and quality

ice cream can be very popular and profitable)

c) the poorer terms single cinemas can negotiate with suppliers of concession products.

For a multi-use venue such as the Guildhall, with a good but modestly sized concession sales

area, a target of £1.00 – £1.50 (inc. VAT) concession spend per ticket sold is likely to be

appropriate – although some independent cinemas achieve double those figures. The profit

margin varies according to product being sold with popcorn widely known to be one of the most

profitable products to sell – but also the one that causes most mess in the auditorium. An overall

profit margin of at least 50%-60%% should be achievable for concession sales at the Guildhall.

The top concession sellers are generally:

1. Post-mix carbonated soft drinks

2. Popcorn (together with soft drinks accounts for 2/3rds of all concession sales)

3. Bottled drinks (one of the main growth areas, especially bottled water and fruit juices)

4. Ice cream

5. Confectionery / Pic ‘n’ mix

19 KPMG ‘Specialised Exhibition & Distribution Strategy’ for The UK Film Council, 2002 20 Cineworld and Picturehouse trading figures are for 2013, reported in Cineworld’s Preliminary Results for 2013, issued 6 March 2014. 21 Screen Digest, July 2002. Also Cineworld reported in 2010 that although retail (eg concessions etc) revenue increased, it did not increase in line with total company revenues, reflecting the fact that consumers were being more cautious with their in-cinema spending as a result of recessionary pressures. Average spend per head was £1.73 in 2010, compared to £1.72 in 2009 and £1.71 in 2008.


Concession products are typically purchased in order to be taken into the auditorium. Café bar

sales are either for sit in or take-away customers. There are areas of crossover such as soft drinks,

tea and coffee, and some confectionery. If the Guildhall operates both the cinema service and

the café bar then there will be no conflict and the income from whatever is sold goes to the one

organisation. If the café bar is operated by a third party, it become important to establish the

boundaries for these food and drink sales – who can sell bottled water, who can sell chocolate,

what café bar items (coffee, soft drinks, beer, wine, etc) can be taken into the auditorium?

Advertising Cinema screen advertising in the UK is managed by two companies: Pearl & Dean and Digital

Cinema Media. Each company will pay the cinema 50% – 60% of the advertising revenue they

obtain from the pre-show advertising screenings. The revenue received is based on a

combination of the annual admissions to the cinema, the duration of the advertising programme

(e.g. 10 minutes of adverts per screening), and the type of cinema programme. For the type of

cinema operation under consideration for the Guildhall, and the total attendance levels (c40,000

per year), screen advertising may generate £8,500 – £9,500 per annum for the cinema.

Additional income can be obtained if the cinema screens one of the special promotions such as

the Volkswagen (supporting independent cinema) or Orange Wednesdays campaigns.

In addition to on-screen advertising the Guildhall cinemas could generate advertising income

from:

• Programme brochure advertising

• Back-of-ticket advertising (2p–5p per ticket, for example from a local restaurant)

• Foyer display advertising.

5.4.2 Hires At this stage it is assumed that the hire income from the redeveloped Guildhall would increase

from the current level of approximately £60,000 per annum due to the greater number of hiring

organisations attracted by the improved facilities. The hire rates for the Abbey Hall in particular

have been criticised by a number of organisations consulted and it could be appropriate to offer

a scale of charges to encourage more local usage of the venue. The current Guildhall hire

charges are based on use per hour rather than on the number of people attending and discounts

are only available for multiple bookings (12+ bookings per year).

In comparison Vue cinemas offer their venues for daytime conferences at a typical day rate of

£30 per delegate (minimum of 100 delegates) compared to the UK average of £45 per delegate

per day22. The delegate package at Vue includes: auditorium use, digital projection, conference

lighting, lectern, laptop computer, event manager and staff, teas and coffees.

22 Source: UK Conference Market Survey cited by Vue Cinemas.


5.5 Re-launching the Guildhall

5.5.1 Launch costs Significant costs will be incurred prior to the redeveloped Guildhall becoming operational. These

include:

• Legal costs

• Film distributors’ bonds (£500 - £1,000 per major distributor, refundable after 6-12 months

of satisfactory trading)

• Maintenance contracts payable in advance

• Recruitment costs including costs related to volunteers

• Salary costs for staff prior to opening

• If relevant, legal costs to secure a catering franchise

• If relevant, costs of stocking the café bar and gallery bar

• Development of web site, printing brochures and placing of newspaper advertising

• Pre-opening PR potentially involving costs of bringing key film distributors and user groups to

the venue

• Launch event/party costs

• Cash flow reserve to cover the initial trading period

At this stage the launch costs can be estimated under generic headings:

Legal costs including licences £5,000

Film distributor bonds and advance fees £5,000

Recruitment costs (advertising, travel expenses) £2,000

Pre-launch staffing costs (e.g. 12 wks General Mgr, 4 wks Relief Mgrs,

2 wks Box Office, 8 wks Technician) £20,000

Stock costs £3,000

Launch publicity, web site & PR £7,000

Cashflow reserve £5,000

Miscellaneous allowance £3,000

Startup cost total £50,000


6 Development and operating models Three alternative approaches to the development and subsequent operation of the cinema

facilities at the Guildhall are described below. The scale of the investment and the style of

operation are informed by the ideas outlined earlier in this report.

6.1 3rd party invests in redevelopment and takes on operating lease of the cinema

Although the Town Council has capital funding available to assist with the redevelopment of the

Guildhall, additional funding will probably be required to achieve the scale and quality of

improvements that have been discussed to date. One possible source of funding would be for an

existing cinema, arts or leisure facility operator to invest in the project and to then take on an

operating lease once the new facilities have been completed.

In this scenario the 3rd party would usually be involved in the decisions about the specific

facilities to be developed and may require changes to the current architectural proposals.

The size of the 3rd party investment will influence the length of the operating lease the company

will require. A period of at least 10 years can be expected although it could extend up to 25

years. [Note that some public bodies and funders consider long leases as ‘disposals’.]

The 3rd party operator would be expected to pay an annual rent to the Town Council. The lease

would specify the rent payable, the process for reviewing the rent, termination procedures, and

details of which aspects within the Guildhall the cinema operator would be responsible for

managing and financing – especially in regard to staffing and terms of employment.

Additionally the terms of the lease would require the operator to programme and manage the

cinemas according to a Service Level Agreement (SLA) which might be reviewed annually so that

current circumstances and opportunities could be incorporated and, if necessary, the service

adjusted by mutual agreement.

Based on a limited amount of recent investment activity along these lines, it is unlikely that a

sum in excess of £1 million would be raised for the Guildhall project. However the amount

invested will be influenced by specific companies’ growth policies and their assessment of the

Abingdon cinemagoing market.

6.2 Town Council funds the redevelopment then leases cinema operation to 3rd party

If the Town Council has sufficient funds to complete the redevelopment of the Guildhall without

bringing in a 3rd party, it will be in a stronger position to negotiate an operating lease with a

wider range of potential cinema operators.

Several experienced cinema operators are currently growing their portfolio of venues and may be

interested in adding the Guildhall to their circuit. They may also be willing to part-fund the

equipment and furnishings fit out of the redeveloped Guildhall.

There are several benefits to the Guildhall of leasing the operation to a 3rd party including:


• The 3rd party brings their established brand to the Guildhall, giving credibility and a level of

expectation about the quality of the cinema operation.

• The 3rd party brings head office / back office resources to the operation of the cinema.

Programming, marketing, staffing, training, technical back up and general operational

competence can all benefit from the expertise of the 3rd party.

• By joining a group of cinemas, the negotiating position of the Guildhall is enhanced. This is

especially important for film programming and negotiations with film distributors, but it

can also encompass purchasing deals with equipment and consumable suppliers.

In this situation the 3rd party would again pay an annual rent and would be required to commit

to a Service Level Agreement.

6.3 Town Council funds the redevelopment then sub-contracts services to assist with operating the cinema

In this scenario the Town Council secures the funding necessary to redevelop the Guildhall and

takes responsibility for the overall management of the venue and some specialist services are

sub-contracted to specialist companies. For example, film programming and booking services

could be from a number of companies and agencies. These companies and agents work with

many cinemas and again they can negotiate better terms with film distributors thereby

improving the programming and financial position of the Guildhall.

The Guildhall is expected to continue to be a venue for a range of activities beyond cinema

screenings and it is possible that non-cinema companies with experience of operating multi-use

venues may be interested in offering management and operational services to the Guildhall.

6.4 Temporary cinema provision

In the period up until the redeveloped Guildhall facilities are available for regular screenings it

may be possible to introduce part-time screenings into the Abbey Hall. Projection and sound

equipment could be rented or purchased (for eventual use in the redeveloped venue) and

specialist services, such as film booking, arranged on a limited term basis.

While there is a clear advantage to the Abingdon public in offering cinema screenings at an early

stage there is a potential risk in offering a service which is not the complete solution that is

envisaged. If residents perceive the Guildhall cinema to be a ‘make do’ effort they may not easily

shift their views one the venue is fully redeveloped.

6.5 Potential cinema operators

Operating one independent cinema is generally more difficult and financially risky than operating

a number of cinemas. The dominant cinema circuits – Cineworld, Vue and Odeon – operate two-

thirds of all UK cinemas and there are several smaller groups, or circuits, of cinemas with twenty

or more cinemas each. In each instance risks are spread, buying power is increased, knowledge is

shared throughout the group, and negotiating power with the film distributors is improved. A

single small cinema is at a distinct disadvantage compared to groups of cinemas. Working with

one of the larger groups of cinemas can bring benefits in a number of ways and although a


degree of independence would be sacrificed the operational and financial benefits are usually

worth considering.

A small number of cinema operators may be interested in taking on the management,

programming and operation of the redeveloped Guildhall cinemas. Some of these companies

may be willing to invest in the redevelopment project. The five companies most likely to be

interested in the operation of the Guildhall cinemas, under either a management contract or a

lease arrangement, are:

Picturehouse cinemas (owned by Cineworld) www.picturehouses.co.uk

Curzon Cinemas www.curzoncinemas.com

Everyman Cinemas www.everymancinema.com

Light Cinemas www.lightcinemas.com

Reel Cinemas www.reelcinemas.co.uk

Additionally, as indicated in 6.3 above, some independent cinemas or arts centres, especially

those within 50 miles of Abingdon, may be interested in taking on the management and

operation of a second venue, even if they don’t have cinema expertise.

6.5.1 Picturehouse Cinemas23 Picturehouse Cinemas is the largest of the UK’s three art house cinema circuits. The company,

formerly known as City Screen, is owned by Cineworld PLC which has recently acquired 500+

multiplex screens in Eastern Europe and Israel and has a new Chief Executive replacing

Cineworld’s founding CEO Steve Weiner. Cineworld’s preliminary results for 201324 includes the

following statements from the Chairman: ‘The market in which Picturehouse operates is distinct

from those of Cineworld Cinemas. There is growing demand from older and from more affluent

cinema goers and Picturehouse is well positioned to capitalise on this more specialised sector of

the cinema market under its own brand… The acquisition of Picturehouse has provided a new

and additional channel for expansion in the art-house market under the Picturehouse brand…’25

While these statements provide an indication of the role that Picturehouse is anticipated to play

in the Cineworld portfolio, it is clear from discussions with Picturehouse senior management that

the company will only invest in projects where they believe they can achieve a satisfactory return

on capital.

Given that profitability is a basic objective, Picturehouse is usually keen to adapt to local

circumstances and opportunities, engaging with the local community and tailoring their

programming and activities accordingly. The description below from Wikipedia captures the

Picturehouse style of programming:

Picturehouse cinemas maintain a degree of independence distinct from cinema chains and

multiplexes, and most of their promotional material is specific to individual cinemas rather

than to the network as a whole. The range of films supposedly caters to less mainstream

tastes than most commercial cinemas and there is an emphasis on independent, cult and

foreign language films as well as local events. However, some sites also show more

mainstream Hollywood films that they consider interesting, and the balance of programming

may not always, therefore, differ from the mainstream.

23 http://www.picturehouses.co.uk 24 Cineworld Group PLC documents, published 6 March 2014 25 Picturehouse will open two new cinemas in 2014, in Chiswick and in Crouch End


The Picturehouse network is also differentiated from other chains by promotional activities

that aim to encourage an interest in film, including membership schemes, printed

programmes with comparatively in-depth background information about films, film festivals

and themed seasons of screenings… Picturehouse Cinemas show alternative content

including National Theatre Live and Metropolitan Opera Live in HD.26

Picturehouse’s 2013 financial results cited in Cineworld’s preliminary financial reports published

on 6 March 2014 detail the following:

• Box office was 50% of turnover, up 3.4% up on 2012 figures (c.f. 71% for Cineworld)

• Retail (including catering) was 26% of turnover, up 13.1% on 2012 figures (c.f. 23% for

Cineworld)

• Other income (hires, advertising, etc) was 24% of turnover, up 11.5% on 2012 figures (c.f.

6% for Cineworld)

• Average ticket price was £5.93 (£5.40 for Cineworld)

• Non-ticket spend per person was £3.06 (£1.75 for Cineworld)

The figures reveal a company, and brand, that is growing and investing but which is distinctly

different from Cineworld, both in terms of character and financial performance. The reliance of

Picturehouse on catering and hires of facilities, and its correspondingly lower dependence on box

office income, is very clear. Similarly notable is Picturehouse’s higher average ticket price and

ancillary spend per person (mainly food and drink).

6.5.2 Curzon Cinemas27 Curzon Cinemas is a subsidiary of Curzon World which includes Artificial Eye film distributor,

Curzon Home Cinema (a video on demand service), and a growing number of franchised venues

around the UK.

The majority of Curzon’s cinemas are located in London but they are now looking further afield

and in autumn 2013 they opened a small 2-screen art house cinema in Ripon, Yorkshire. In

addition to the two 60 seat auditoria there is a high quality restaurant and bar. The interior

design company ABDA Design describe the venue as follows:

With strong food and beverage sales key, the client [Curzon Cinemas] wanted the space to

have an intimate and individual look and feel, a far cry from the usual perceptions of a high

street multiplex. The space has a lounge vibe, with contemporary Art Deco undertones. The

walnut wall with decorative lighting features creates a stunning focal point in the main

lounge and restaurant space, whilst the carpet, wallpaper and upholstery fabrics add warmth

and colour. The foyer space is simplistic and elegant in complete contrast to the adjacent

‘Purple Room’ with its opulent velvet curtains and mood lighting.28

Curzon Cinemas are actively looking for new cinema developments outside London and appear

to be well funded. Like Picturehouse they are interested in distinctive cinemas with a strong

catering offer. In contrast to Picturehouse who are generally looking for 3-4 screen 400-500 seat

venues, Curzon is willing to consider a broader range of options including venues with smaller

auditoria.

26 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picturehouse_Cinemas 27 http://www.curzoncinemas.com 28 http://www.abdadesign.co.uk/project/curzon-cinema-ripon/


The recently opened Curzon Victoria has 5 screens seating between 27 and 60 people per screen

and their forthcoming Sheffield 4-screen venue will have three small screens (65, 55 and 40

seats) plus a 22-seat VIP screen.29

Curzon has established a partnership approach in order to extend their brand and market share

– ‘Franchising quality cinema across the UK’ according to the company web site. Six very

different venues are currently operating under the Curzon franchise:

HMV Curzon 3 screens

(103, 91, 71 seats)

Opened in late 2009 and intended to be the forerunner of up to 20 similar partnerships (before HMV encountered financial difficulties). Described as ‘a new experience in cinema’ the three colour coded auditoria are complemented by a stylish café bar. The whole venue can be operated by one person.

Pinewood Cinema

1 screen Weekend only screenings in the world famous Pinewood Studios. Family friendly screenings in the mornings then independent / arthouse and blockbuster films in the afternoon and evening.

The Screen @ RADA

1 screen Screening the best recent releases and re-mastered classics, while working with the Academy to offer audiences exclusive Q&A events with practitioners from both stage and screen.

The Watermark, Ivybridge

1 screen A joint venture with a local arts centre

The Hawth, Crawley

1 screen A lively arts venues playing host to a diverse mix of theatre, dance, music, comedy and visual arts, as well as a varied and exciting film programme.

Woodend Barn, Banchory

1 screen 20 miles from Aberdeen, the Barn is the leading multi-arts organisation in North East Scotland

6.5.3 Everyman Cinemas30 Like Curzon and Picturehouse, the Everyman group has until recently been concentrated in

London but is now targeting other large cities. Originating from the Hampstead Everyman

cinema the company expanded when it acquired six cinemas from Screen Cinemas in 2008. The

company is listed on the Alternative Investment Market. The cinemas aim to provide a strongly

upmarket experience and have been at the forefront of food-and-drink-at-your-seat

developments.

The company is now expanding northwards with a 4-screen, 500 seat art house cinema in the

Trinity Shopping centre in Leeds, and a 3-screen 12,000ft2 art house in The Mailbox shopping

centre in Birmingham (scheduled to open in 2015).

The Leeds cinema has seating capacities ranging from 230 down to 32. All auditoria have

premium quality seating including sofas, armchairs and footrests for certain seats. The restaurant

offers a good range of starters, wood fired pizzas, grills, salads and deserts. (See Appendix 9)

29 Sheffield Telegraph 20 March 2014 30 http://www.everymancinema.com


The Mailbox cinema will follow a similar model and will also feature a fully licensed bar with

wines, champagnes, beers and cocktails, as well as a food offering.

6.5.4 Light Cinemas31 Light Cinemas are a new entrant to the UK market having previously developed multiplexes in

Germany and Romania. They were established ‘to capture an important element of the UK

cinema market. This new cinema concept targets all socio-economic categories but with a

particular emphasis on the growing cinema audiences within the A, B and C demographics,

families and also the mature market.’

Their first UK cinema opened in September 2011 in New Brighton, Merseyside. The 8-screen

multiplex is trading well and a second 8-screen venue in has recently opened in Wisbech,

Cambridgeshire as part of a Tesco development.

Light Cinemas seek to ‘create a dynamic cinema offer, exploiting the flexibility of digital cinema

and offering a wide range of on-screen content including broadcasts of live arts and sports

programmes, with supporting food and drink experiences that appeal to a market that has felt

alienated by the predominantly youth targeted ‘popcorn and cola’ multiplexes prominent in

recent years.’

Their aim is to create cinemas with the following features:

• A city / town centre location with easy access by both car and via safe pedestrian access to

public transport.

• Eye catching architecture and contemporary interior design which creates an exciting

environment and encourages socialising.

• Adventurous film programming, featuring blockbusters, independent and international films.

• The newest and latest on-screen content: opera, sport and music

• A café bar creating relaxed atmosphere, a place to socialise and attract the mix of families,

young people and mature adults who make up the cinema audience.

• Stadium seating, well formulated sightlines and good disabled access

Over the next 2-3 years Light plan to open cinemas in the following towns:

Bolton 8 screen Q3 2015

Walsall 8 screen Q4 2015

Sheffield 9 screen Q2 2016

Dundee 8 screen Q2 2016

Stockport 10 screen Q3 2016

Thetford 3 screen Q4 2016

Although their focus is on mid-scale multiplexes the Thetford venue is closer in size to the

proposed Guildhall cinema. Also, the company is considering two single screen venues in

Merseyside to be operated as satellite venues to its New Brighton multiplex.

6.5.5 Reel Cinemas32 Reel Cinemas is run by energetic entrepreneur K. C. Suri and has cinemas in 15 towns and cities

in England:

31 http://www.lightcinemas.co.uk and http://www.lightcinemas.com 32 http://www.reelcinemas.co.uk


Borehamwood (4) Ilkeston (1)

Bridgnorth (3) Kidderminster (4)

Burnley (9, formerly Apollo) Morecambe (4, formerly Apollo)

Astoria Chippenham (2) Plymouth (3)

Fareham (5, formerly Apollo) Port Talbot (6, formerly Apollo)

Grantham (2) Widnes (5)

Halesowen York (5, formerly Odeon)

Hull (7)

The Reel circuit consists of a variety of types and sizes of cinema. Several are older cinemas

which have been adapted and/or upgraded, and some venues were acquired from Odeon or the

former Apollo multiplex circuit.

Reel’s cinemas are predominantly town centre venues and the company emphasises its ambition

to play a strong role in the local community. Their web site states ‘Each REEL Cinema plays an

important role in supporting the communities they serve, through offering choice, and great

customer service. And where we can, we help good causes too through running special events

and money raising activities… We believe in offering local people a great cinema experience at

affordable prices – what we call REEL Value.’


7 Next steps The research and consultations for this report has sought the views of current and potential

users of the Guildhall, especially the Abbey Hall auditorium. Taking these comments into

consideration along with the more recent architectural proposals and cinema sector

developments, the next steps in the redevelopment process should be:

1) Securing funding

Establish the amount of funding available for the redevelopment work, including fees, non

recoverable VAT and any legal fees. A timescale for securing these funds should be

outlined and a funding strategy put in place.

2) Developing the scheme

The Abbey Hall, foyer and associated facilities all require an integrated and detailed

architectural and technical assessment. Changing the configuration of the building is likely

to be difficult and expensive. Priorities will again need to be established for what works

must be done and what work can be held back pending availability of funding.

3) Selecting priorities

If insufficient funding is available to complete all or even a majority of the proposed

redevelopment, decisions about which activities and facilities to prioritise must be taken

and clear guidance given for those responsible for carrying the redevelopment forward. (A

phased development programme may be necessary although this is usually more expensive

and disruptive.)

4) Business planning

In parallel with the evolution of the redevelopment scheme, work on an outline business

plan should proceed. A critical aim of the redevelopment is the creation of a facility which

is financially self-sufficient. In particular, detailed attention should be given to the

introduction of a substantial cinema service which is an entirely new activity for the

Guildhall.

5) Management and operational planning

Operating the Guildhall more intensively than at present will present management and

operational challenges especially in relation to staffing skills, knowledge and attitude. If a

third party is involved in operation of the cinemas, the integration of the Town Hall staff

and activities with the cinema operator’s staff and programme will require detailed

attention.

6) Invite expressions of interest to operate the cinemas

The redevelopment proposals are at the stage where is would be prudent to invite

expressions of interest from companies with appropriate cinema expertise. In addition to

the five companies listed in section 6.5 there may be other independent cinema operators

who are interested in expanding and would have the capability to run the Guildhall

cinemas. Advertising in the cinema trade and leisure property press would bring the

Guildhall project to a wide range of potential investors/operators.


8 Risks

8.1 Risks if the Town Council is the operator of the cinemas

Funding and development risks are outwith the scope of this initial study. However the risks

associated with the Town Council operating the redeveloped Guildhall are likely to include:

Identified risk Level of risk Preventative actions Contingent actions Attendance estimates not achieved

High • Employ film programming agent / operator

• Create web site with on-line booking

• Develop PR plan (post launch)

• Programme for targeted sectors of audience

• Recruit marketing-aware staff

• Leverage community activism & enthusiasm

• Liaise with schools and other institutions

• Monitor attendance levels weekly

• Adjust programme policy and schedule

• Implement special promotions

Operational costs greater than anticipated

High • Timely production of management accounts

• Monitoring key cost areas – staffing, film rental, marketing, energy costs

• Ensure that hire activities are fully charged to clients

• Schedule activities and performances to make optimal use of staff and resources

• Adjust performance and activity schedule to prioritise high earning events

• Minimise film bookings with high rental terms

• If necessary, reduce days open to 5-6 days a week

• Seek sponsorship and patronage

• Involve more volunteer staff

Inability to attract suitably experienced and knowledgeable staff and volunteers, especially a senior operating officer (General Manager)

High • Ensure that the job specification is attractive for the type of person required

• Liaise with stakeholders • Advertise in the specialist

press and on-line • Consider broadly assessed

performance bonus scheme (mainly for the catering operation)

• Spread roles broadly – avoid being reliant on just one person

• Identify training opportunities for staff and volunteers

• Seek a business mentor • Ensure that Town

Council supports staff and volunteer development

Poor quality governance and/or management

Medium • Management training • Good management

information systems and monitoring

• Recruitment of experienced staff and volunteers

• Annual review of the

• Senior manager appointed on fixed term contract

• Staff contracts and volunteer agreements, performance assessment and


Guildhall performance against cultural, social and economic indicators

disciplinary procedures implemented from outset

Inability to secure high quality first run films

Medium • Initially work with experienced film programmers and bookers

• Supply film distributors with box office information on time, also send press cuttings

• Senior manager to visit film distributors in London

• Invite film distributors to launch event

• Ensure that high profile films are well marketed and deliver high returns

• Join the Cinema Exhibitors Association (CEA) trade organisation

• Investigate difficulties with programmer / booking agent

• Focus attention on the diversity of the film programme and responsiveness to local tastes and audiences

• If necessary seek a programme sharing arrangement Picturehouse cinemas in Oxford

• Build evidence of the ways in which the cinema benefits the local community (defensive measures)

Lower than anticipated level of hires and third party usage

Medium • Develop hire rates with discounts for local organisations

• Collaborate with local voluntary organisations

• Research charges levied at other local venues including hotels and schools

• Prepare a detailed information pack (in print and online) to send to prospective hirers

• Ensure staff and Council members are committed to the hires policy

• Monitor activity and encourage feedback and participation

• Seek partnerships or collaborations with other local businesses

Lack of support from the local community

Low • Provide regular news to the community during the development phase

• Build links with community groups

• Programme a range of films and other events for opening twelve months

• Invite targeted groups for special events, e.g. host a local business seminar or social event

• Focus on ways of attracting children, young people and families

• Develop a community relations plan which aims to build links with specific influential groups

• Institute a ‘bring a friend free’ or a ‘recommend to a friend’ scheme to encourage new users

• Stress the range of facilities available for use by the local community

• Ensure that press releases and public relations activities are professionally delivered


8.2 Risks if a 3rd party operates the cinemas

If the cinemas are leased to a 3rd party the risks for the Town Council will be different and are

likely to include the following (in addition to several of the risks identified in section 8.1):

Identified risk Level of risk Preventative actions Contingent actions Attendance estimates not achieved

High • Select an experienced cinema operator with adequate back office resources to support the Guildhall cinema

• Include a Service Level Agreement (SLA) within the operating lease

• Build quarterly reviews into the Service Level Agreement

Quality of service fails to meet expectations

Medium • Agree performance standards in lease and SLA

• Include incentives in the lease for over-achievement of targets

• Conduct regular customer surveys

• Establish a co-ordinating management group to monitor performance and periodically agree upgrades to facilities

Financial failure of 3rd party

Low • Get expert financial advice on the 3rd party’s financial situation and resources

• Outline an emergency action plan for use in the unlikely event of the 3rd party failing


9 Appendices

9.1 Arts audience segmentation

Arts

Cou

ncil

Engl

and:

Arts

-bas

ed s

egm

enta

tion

of E

nglis

h ad

ults

(upd

ate

2011

)Ba

sed

on th

e AC

E Ta

king

Part

surv

ey a

nd th

e Ta

rget

Gro

up In

dex

Note

: the

Tak

ing

Part

surv

ey e

xclu

des

goin

g to

wat

ch a

film

at a

cin

ema

and

atte

ndan

ce a

t mus

eum

s/ga

llerie

s

Coun

ty/U

nita

ry A

utho

rity

Base

Adu

lts

16+

% U

rban

arts

ec

lect

ic

% T

radi

tiona

l cu

lture

vu

lture

s%

Fun

, fas

hion

an

d fri

ends

% M

atur

e ex

plor

ers

% D

inne

r and

a

show

% F

amily

and

co

mm

unity

fo

cuse

d%

Bed

room

DJ

s%

Mid

-life

ho

bbyi

sts

% R

etire

d ar

ts

and

craf

ts%

Tim

e-po

or

drea

mer

s%

A q

uiet

pin

t w

ith th

e m

atch

% O

lder

and

ho

me-

boun

d

% L

imite

d m

eans

, no

thin

g fa

ncy

Oxf

ords

hire

522,

487

5.8

5.4

20.3

12.5

19.2

11.5

2.2

4.2

2.2

5.3

5.3

4.2

2.0

Engl

ish a

vera

ge s

egm

ent %

4.5

3.8

18.3

10.5

19.8

11.2

2.5

4.3

2.8

6.7

7.8

5.5

2.3

Dist

rict/C

ounc

il Ar

eaBa

se A

dults

16

+%

Urb

an a

rts

ecle

ctic

% T

radi

tiona

l cu

lture

vu

lture

s%

Fun

, fas

hion

an

d fri

ends

% M

atur

e ex

plor

ers

% D

inne

r and

a

show

% F

amily

and

co

mm

unity

fo

cuse

d%

Bed

room

DJ

s%

Mid

-life

ho

bbyi

sts

% R

etire

d ar

ts

and

craf

ts%

Tim

e-po

or

drea

mer

s%

A q

uiet

pin

t w

ith th

e m

atch

% O

lder

and

ho

me-

boun

d

% L

imite

d m

eans

, no

thin

g fa

ncy

Vale

of W

hite

Hor

se94

,710

4.7

5.3

21.4

13.5

19.7

11.6

1.8

4.2

2.3

4.7

4.9

4.1

1.8

Engl

ish a

vera

ge s

egm

ent %

4.5

3.8

18.3

10.5

19.8

11.2

2.5

4.3

2.8

6.7

7.8

5.5

2.3

War

dBa

se A

dults

16

+%

Urb

an a

rts

ecle

ctic

% T

radi

tiona

l cu

lture

vu

lture

s%

Fun

, fas

hion

an

d fri

ends

% M

atur

e ex

plor

ers

% D

inne

r and

a

show

% F

amily

and

co

mm

unity

fo

cuse

d%

Bed

room

DJ

s%

Mid

-life

ho

bbyi

sts

% R

etire

d ar

ts

and

craf

ts%

Tim

e-po

or

drea

mer

s%

A q

uiet

pin

t w

ith th

e m

atch

% O

lder

and

ho

me-

boun

d

% L

imite

d m

eans

, no

thin

g fa

ncy

Abin

gdon

Abb

ey a

nd B

arto

n4,

661

6.9

6.1

22.0

12.2

19.1

10.1

2.3

4.4

1.7

5.3

4.5

3.6

1.8

Abin

gdon

Cal

deco

tt3,

397

3.3

2.4

16.4

12.0

18.9

12.8

2.2

5.4

2.9

7.0

8.8

5.2

2.8

Abin

gdon

Dun

mor

e3,

591

4.6

5.1

24.6

13.8

20.9

10.8

1.3

3.6

2.2

4.6

4.1

3.1

1.2

Abin

gdon

Fitz

harri

s3,

451

5.4

6.9

22.2

12.7

19.0

10.6

2.3

4.6

2.2

4.0

4.3

3.7

2.1

Abin

gdon

Nor

thco

urt

3,67

54.

44.

420

.312

.419

.511

.82.

14.

12.

65.

55.

94.

82.

2Ab

ingd

on O

ck M

eado

w3,

720

4.7

3.8

20.5

13.5

19.7

11.9

1.9

4.3

2.7

5.8

5.1

4.4

1.9

Abin

gdon

Pea

chcr

oft

3,33

74.

33.

423

.314

.321

.311

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84.

61.

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92.

51.

6En

glish

ave

rage

seg

men

t %4.

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818

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54.

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325

,832

Urba

n ar

ts e

clect

icHi

ghly

qual

ified,

affl

uent

, and

in th

e ea

rly s

tage

s of

thei

r car

eer,

Urba

n ar

ts e

clect

ic ar

e dy

nam

ic, a

nd b

elie

ve in

sei

zing

life's

oppo

rtuni

ties.

Trad

itiona

l cul

ture

vul

ture

sAt

a la

ter s

tage

in lif

e an

d ha

ving

atta

ined

a h

igh

stan

dard

of l

iving

, Tra

ditio

nal c

ultu

re v

ultu

res

have

tim

e to

dev

ote

to th

eir m

any

leisu

re in

tere

sts.

Ar

t and

cul

ture

take

s up

the

maj

ority

of t

heir

time,

alo

ngsid

e tra

vellin

g an

d sp

endi

ng ti

me

with

fam

ily.

Fun,

fash

ion

and

frien

dsFu

n, fa

shio

n an

d fri

ends

are

dev

elop

ing

thei

r car

eers

or j

ust s

tarti

ng fa

milie

s. In

thei

r lei

sure

tim

e, th

ey lik

e to

indu

lge

in th

eir i

nter

ests

of f

ashi

on a

nd fo

od.

They

are

am

bitio

us, o

ptim

istic

and

relis

h se

ekin

g ou

t new

exp

erie

nces

with

frie

nds

and

fam

ily.

Mat

ure

expl

orer

sBa

lanc

ed a

nd p

ract

ical,

Mat

ure

expl

orer

s ke

ep u

p to

dat

e wi

th c

urre

nt a

ffairs

and

the

news

and

see

k to

dev

elop

info

rmed

opi

nion

s, d

ispla

ying

thei

r eth

ical c

once

rns

thro

ugh

thei

r life

style

cho

ices.

Ne

ither

fadd

ish n

or b

rand

or i

mag

e co

nscio

us, t

hey

are

mor

e pr

actic

al in

thei

r spe

ndin

g ha

bits

and

tend

to o

pt fo

r the

ʻtrie

d an

d te

stedʼ a

ppro

ach.

They

use

art

as a

way

to b

ring

a ne

w pe

rspe

ctive

to th

eir l

ives.

Dinn

er a

nd a

sho

wDi

nner

and

sho

w ar

e a

mai

nstre

am g

roup

con

sistin

g of

a s

igni

fican

t pro

porti

on o

f you

ng a

nd m

iddl

e-ag

ed p

eopl

e. W

ith tw

o-th

irds

empl

oyed

and

a th

ird c

omfo

rtabl

y of

f, th

is gr

oup

has

disp

osab

le in

com

e to

spe

nd o

n le

isure

act

ivitie

s.

Youn

g or

you

ng a

t hea

rt th

ey e

njoy

life

- eat

ing

well,

socia

lisin

g an

d go

ing

on o

utin

gs re

late

d to

mus

ic.Fa

mily

& c

omm

unity

focu

sed

Typi

cally

in th

eir 3

0s a

nd 4

0s, F

amily

and

com

mun

ity fo

cuse

d ha

ve b

uilt

a co

mfo

rtabl

e ne

st w

ith th

eir m

oder

ate

finan

cial m

eans

, and

thei

r prio

ritie

s lie

with

thei

r chi

ldre

n, c

onne

ctin

g wi

th th

e lo

cal c

omm

unity

and

hol

ding

on

to th

eir

cultu

ral r

oots

. The

ir in

tere

sts

lie s

quar

ely

with

thei

r im

med

iate

sur

roun

ding

s an

d un

ders

tand

ing

peop

le lik

e th

emse

lves.

Bedr

oom

DJs

In th

eir 3

0s, 4

0s a

nd 5

0s, M

id-li

fe h

obby

ists

are

fam

ily-fo

cuse

d an

d sp

end

mos

t of t

heir

leisu

re ti

me

at h

ome.

The

y do

not

cur

rent

ly at

tend

any

arts

eve

nts,

mos

tly c

iting

cost

and

lack

of t

ime

as th

e m

ain

reas

ons.

Th

is gr

oup

are

mos

t like

ly to

resp

ond

to e

vent

s an

d ac

tivitie

s th

at a

re fa

mily

frie

ndly

and

info

rmal

and

whi

ch d

on't

requ

ire to

o m

uch

plan

ning

or a

dvan

ced

book

ing.

Mid

-life

hob

byist

sIn

thei

r lat

e te

ens

or 2

0s, s

till liv

ing

with

thei

r par

ents

or h

avin

g ju

st fl

own

the

nest

, Bed

room

DJs

are

sta

rting

out

in lif

e. T

hey

are

mot

ivate

d an

d as

pire

to d

o we

ll in

thei

r car

eers

. With

few

com

mitm

ents

, the

y te

nd to

live

for t

he m

omen

tan

d sp

end

impu

lsive

ly ev

en th

ough

they

are

fina

ncia

lly c

onst

rain

ed. A

ppea

ranc

e co

nscio

us a

nd s

ocia

ble,

they

spe

nd m

uch

of th

eir t

ime

and

mon

ey o

n sh

oppi

ng, s

ocia

lisin

g an

d en

terta

inm

ent.

Retir

ed a

rts a

nd c

rafts

Hom

e-lo

ving

and

down

to e

arth

, Ret

ired

arts

and

cra

fts fa

vour

a re

gula

r rou

tine

and

a slo

wer p

ace

of lif

e. T

his

grou

p ha

ve a

pas

sion

for n

atur

e an

d ar

e ke

en g

arde

ners

.Th

ey a

re h

appy

with

life,

but

may

be

limite

d in

thei

r abi

lity to

get

out

and

abo

ut d

ue to

thei

r age

, disa

bility

or i

llnes

s.Ti

me-

poor

dre

amer

sEa

rly o

r mid

-car

eer,

ofte

n ju

gglin

g wo

rk a

nd fa

mily

com

mitm

ents

, Tim

e-po

or d

ream

ers

are

busy

, and

sho

rt-te

rm o

rient

ated

, livi

ng in

the

mom

ent.

They

eng

age

with

pop

ular

cul

ture

and

the

arts

are

not

a p

riorit

y fo

r the

m.

A qu

iet p

int w

ith th

e m

atch

A qu

iet p

int w

ith th

e m

atch

are

con

tent

with

life

and

are

not s

eekin

g ch

ange

. The

y sp

end

muc

h of

thei

r lei

sure

tim

e at

hom

e, o

r you

mig

ht fi

nd th

em h

avin

g a

drin

k wi

th fr

iend

s at

the

loca

l pub

.

Old

er a

nd h

ome-

boun

dIn

thei

r sen

ior y

ears

, the

Old

er a

nd h

ome-

boun

d gr

oup

are

gene

rally

con

tent

and

hav

e a

prac

tical

out

look

on

life. T

hey

enjo

y a

slowe

r pac

e of

life

and

like

spen

ding

a lo

t of t

heir

free

time

at h

ome.

So

me

of th

em re

port

poor

leve

ls of

hea

lth, w

hich

rest

ricts

thei

r act

ivitie

s in

gen

eral

.Li

mite

d m

eans

, not

hing

fanc

yLi

mite

d m

eans

, not

hing

fanc

y ar

e in

form

atio

n se

eker

s wh

o te

nd to

spe

nd th

eir d

ispos

able

inco

me

caut

ious

ly.

Non-

judg

men

tal a

nd d

utifu

l, th

ey v

alue

fam

ily a

nd fr

iend

ship

s - f

or th

em le

isure

tim

e is

all a

bout

hav

ing

a br

eak

and

chilli

ng o

ut, w

ithin

thei

r lim

ited

mea

ns.

J R Inglis, Mayfield Arts & Media, May 2014 Abingdon Guildhall Redevelopment Page 49 of 61

9.2 Abingdon Community Arts Forum

The following document was produced in 2009 by a group of local arts organisations.

Mission Statement

AbCAF aims to make the Guildhall complex an affordable, sustainable and vibrant focus

for Arts, Community, Social and Business activities in the town, providing a central

venue for a regular programme of activities and events, both amateur and professional.

To that end, we wish to assess the potential of the Guildhall complex to provide the following:

1 A main entrance/foyer area with immediate impact, providing a sense of arrival to the

building and an immediate ‘wow’ factor. This will either be an integral part of, or linked to, a

spacious bar/café area which we see as forming a central focus for all parts of the Guildhall

complex – both new and historic, and which will attract customers in its own right. A

prominent reception/ticket sales office/desk needs to be located somewhere in this area and

the cafe should, if possible, also give access to some outdoor seating space (decking, garden)

for summer use. A display area for changing exhibitions could also be part of the central hub

or, if not, needs to be located somewhere adjacent to it.

2 A much improved and visually open link between the new and historic parts of the building

in order to reduce the current sense of separation and to improve ease of movement/flow

between different areas. Might there be any alternative to the steep flight of stairs to access

the Roysse Room? (Extend present foyer floor and install a lift?)

3 Adequate easily accessed storage areas throughout the building so that equipment and

furniture not currently in use can be stored out of sight thus avoiding any impression of

‘clutter.’

4 A visible ‘presence’ on Bridge Street - if not the main entrance to the Guildhall complex, then

something else that will advertise its presence and draw people in. Could some use perhaps

be made of the garden area?

5 Measures to improve the exterior of the Abbey Hall, particularly as viewed when approaching

from Abbey Close. (Plantings? Sculpture? Signage?) If the main entrance remains on this

side of the building, should it perhaps be sited immediately ahead as one approaches?

6 State of the art theatre facilities in the existing Abbey Hall:

a) Stage and technical infrastructure (lighting, sound, stage tracks for masking panels,

flexible stage extension etc.) to professional standards.

b) Auditorium heating system, lighting, blackout etc. to modern theatre standards.

c) Flexible theatre seating for up to 350 patrons. This will probably best be provided by high

quality retractable, raked seating plus any necessary changes to the existing balcony to

maximise its capacity and satisfy fire regulations. When retracted the seating should be

visually attractive and must leave enough flat floor area for civic and other functions.

d) Necessary facilities for showing films eg. retractable screen, projection ‘box’.

e) Professional advice on improving the general acoustics for both music and speech.

7 Office/administration space somewhere in the complex.


8 Sound-proofing in the ceiling of the Magistrate’s Court if it is to continue to be used by the

Music Centre Trust.

Most specifications on this list could be achieved either by making alterations to the existing

1960s structure or – more ambitiously and excitingly - by gutting or demolishing it and starting

again from scratch. It would be helpful to have ballpark figures for both options.

We have limited our list to structural changes at this stage but have a number of other more

detailed ideas which might be worth discussing in the future.


9.3 Cinema provision map

5 mile radius

5-screen Cineworld

1-screen Corn Exchange

9-screen Vue

1-screen Ultimate Picture

Palace

6-screen Odeon

2-screen Phoenix

Picturehouse 2-screen Odeon

Cinema provision around Abingdon


9.4 Cinema audiences

9.4.1 Attendances overview

Chart 2.1

Cinema attendances fluctuate largely in response to the films on offer, there are ‘good years’

(Avatar, The King’s Speech, Harry Potter, Skyfall) and ‘bad years’ (few successful blockbusters).

Chart 2.2

Monthly cinemagoing is affected by a number of factors including the weather, competing

attractions such as the Olympics, and the general economy but by far the most important is the

release schedule of major films. The UK cinema sector is tightly aligned to the USA sector which

prioritises the summer and pre-Christmas periods to release major ‘tentpole’ movies. Almost a

quarter of all UK cinema admissions have been recorded in July and August in recent years.

From late autumn through until March ‘quality’ films, often dramas, are released in anticipation

of the BAFTA and OSCAR awards season. The poorest months for cinemagoing tend to be

March-April, June and September.


It is important to note that even in so-called poor months individual films can do excellent

business if well marketed. This is particularly true for films which provide an attractive alternative

for a sizeable portion of the (predominantly female) audience during sporting events such as the

World Cup.

9.4.2 Cinema audience by age The annual rate of cinemagoing varies according to age (and lifestage). Teenagers and young

adults are the most frequent cinemagoers. According to the UK Film Council, in 2008 the 40%

of the population in the 7-34 age group provided 64% of the top 20 film audience. The younger

(15-34 yrs) audience has a male skew whereas the older audience (45+ yrs) has a female skew.

The proportion of people aged 35 or above going to the cinema has increased gradually at the

expense of younger cinemagoers over the past decade. Data compiled by the Cinema Advertisers

Association reports that in 1999 17% of the cinema audience were aged 45+ yrs whereas in

2009 25% of cinemagoers were in this age bracket.33 Over the same period the 25-34 yr

audience declined from 29% to 21%. Film genre preferences vary considerably according to

age. For example action, comedies and romance/fantasy films appeal to the 15–24 age group

whereas UK dramas appeal strongly to the over 55 audience.

Age group Nº in UK population

% of cinema admissions Annual average cinemagoing frequency

7-14 5.6m 16 4.5

15-24 8.2m 32 6.2

25-34 8.2m 18 3.6

35-44 8.9m 16 2.7

45-54 8.5m 9 1.7

55+ 17.6m 9 0.8

Overall 57.0m 100% 2.8 visits

Table 2.5 Source: ONS estimates / Cinema Advertising Association research

9.4.3 Cinema audience by social group For many years the cinema audience has been biased towards the ABC1 social groups. The skew

is even more marked for specialised (non-mainstream) films and for film festivals, for example

90% of the audience at the Edinburgh Film Festival comes from the ABC1 group.

Cinema audience by social group

Proportion of population who: AB % C1 % C2 % DE %

See at least one film per year 81 80 71 54

Go to the cinema at least once a month 29 28 24 19

See top 20 films 31 33 19 16

See top UK films 31 35 19 16

Total population 25 29 21 25

Table 2.6 Source: CAVIAR 23 (2005) and UKFC Quarterly Reports

33 Cinemagoers are defined as those who reported to have ‘ever gone’ to the cinema in the surveys.


9.5 Cinema operation

9.5.1 Digital projection Introduced to the cinema public in 1999, digital projection has transformed the cinema sector

and now, in 2014, all UK cinemas operate digitally.

Digital cinema projection systems offer a number of operational advantages to cinemas:

• The daily programme of screenings, including all trailers, advertising and pre-show music

can be automated and operated by one person, usually the duty manager.

• The programme schedule can be complex and varied – six or more different films can be

shown in a single screen cinema each week without storage or operational difficulty.

• Non-film content including live relays of operas, music concerts, theatrical performances,

business and sporting events, and computer gaming sessions can all be presented in the

same auditorium.

9.5.2 3D cinema Digital projection systems, when appropriately adapted, are capable of reliable, high quality 3D

screenings of cinema films and 'as live' broadcasts of operas, theatre performances, and sporting

events. Approximately one-third of cinemas in the UK have 3D capabilities.

There are at least six different systems available to digital cinemas. The choice of system depends

on technical, operational and financial factors. For example systems which use disposable

polarised glasses require the cinema screen to have a silver surface, whereas systems which use

reusable glasses can operate with standard matt white screens.

Although the initial batch of 3D films, lead by Avatar, did attract a larger audience than 2D films,

this effect has subsided and audiences are now more selective about which films they choose to

view in 3D. For example, 90% of the audience for the award winning film Gravity – which was

widely acclaimed for its use of 3D – watched the film in 3D. A factor affecting 3D attendances is

often the additional charge cinemas make for 3D screenings (+£1.50 to +£2.25 per ticket).

9.5.3 Satellite and broadband delivery of content Initially digital cinemas received copies of films on secure hard disk drives which were physically

delivered to the cinema shortly before the scheduled screenings begin. This system is still in use

but is being rapidly replaced by satellite or broadband downloads of film files34 thereby

eliminating the troublesome physical delivery of hard drives.

Note that the same satellite reception system –- based on a 1.2 metre diameter aerial dish – can

be used to receive live relays of operas, theatre and music performances.

9.5.4 Distribution issues Film distribution is dominated by the USA major studios35. The six 'majors' accounted for three

quarters of all UK cinema releases, including most of the high earning ‘blockbuster’ titles. A

further four 'independent' distributors accounted for approximately 20% of releases. Access to

the films these top ten companies distribute is essential for almost all cinemas. Independent

34 Digital feature films are 200Gb – 300Gb files which are expected to take 10-15 hours to download from satellites 35 Warner Brothers, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, Sony Pictures


cinemas can often gain more favourable treatment by making use of film booking agents to help

negotiate rental terms with film distributors.

9.5.5 ‘Cinemas’ or just a place to screen a film? A cinema can enhance the evening economy and regenerate town centres. It can provide

entertainment and pleasure for a diverse range of cinemagoers. When complemented by a café

bar, or by neighbouring food and drink outlets, it anchors an evening out or a leisurely

afternoon.

Many independent local cinemas have distinctive architectural styles and décor as well as

offering a personalised, non-multiplex cinema experience. Almost all recently developed local

cinemas have good café bars or restaurants, for example the City Screen/Picturehouse arthouse

circuit, the Kino in Hawkhurst36, the Station in Richmond37, Zeffirelli’s in Ambleside38, and the

pioneering 3-screen, fully automated, fully digital HMV Curzon in Wimbledon39.

9.5.6 Programme Most cinemas screen commercial new release films, either at the time of their UK release or

within a few weeks of that date40. Alongside blockbuster titles cinemas can provide a broad

spectrum of films – children’s animated films in 3D, family films, genre films41 for young

cinemagoers, comedies, dramas, documentaries, arthouse or specialist films, classic films, and

locally produced films.

Although sell-out performances are common for high profile new release films, most screenings

will attract a small number of paying customers – many cinemas, including multiplexes, average

between 20-40 customers per screening (occupancy ratios of 15%-20% being typical). However

with low operational costs and overheads as a result of digital cinema technologies, a collection

of small audiences can result in a viable weekly total attendance.

36 www.kinodigital.co.uk 37 www.stationcinema.com 38 http://zeffirellis.com/ 39 www.hmvcurzon.com 40 Programmes shown several weeks after the UK release are known as ‘off-date’, whereas films shown in the same week as the UK release are ‘on-date’ 41 Genre films include horror, comedy, fantasy, science fiction, thriller, romantic comedy and generally appeal strongly to the mainstream cinema audience. These films often include sequels and films based on TV shows or old films.


9.6 Cinema ticket pricing comparisions

9.6.1 Phoenix Picturehouse

Category Weekday matinees Weekday evenings Weekends

Adult £8.00 £9.00 £9.50

Member £6.00 £7.00 £7.50

Concession* £7.00 £8.00 £8.50

Member’s child** £5.00 £6.00 £6.50

Family of 4 £22.00 £26.00 £28.00

* Concession status = students, claimants, senior citizens

** Child tickets are for under 15s only

Guest night (Every Tuesday night members can bring one guest at member’s prices)

Guest: £6.50

Silver Screen (Weekly screenings for customers who are retired)

Retired: £4.50 Others: Normal prices

Big Scream (Weekly club for parents with babies under 1 year old. No adult unaccompanied by a child will

be admitted)

All tickets: Members’ rates

Kid Club (Saturday morning screenings for 3-12 year olds. No adult unaccompanied by a child will be

admitted)

Kids Club Members: £1.50 Other children: £3.50

9.6.2 Vue Oxford

Off-Peak Mon to Fri before 5pm

Peak Mon to Fri after 5pm plus

Sat & Sun & Bank Holidays all day

Adult £8.40 £9.90

Child £6.35 £7.45

Teen 13-18 £6.70 £7.90

Student £7.15 £8.40

Senior £6.35 £7.45

Family of 4 £25.40 £29.80

VIP Seats: add £1.95 to ticket price

3D screenings: add £2.85 to adult ticket, add £2.15 to other ticket prices

Over 18s Screenings: add £1.05 (no under 18s admitted, avoid distractions)


9.6.3 Odeon George Street, Oxford

Super Saver

Mon – Thur before 5pm

(except Bank Holidays)

Peak

Mon – Thur from 5pm. All day

Fri – Sun and Bank Holidays

Adult £8.40 £9.95

Child (12 yrs and under) £6.35 £7.00

Teens (13-17 yrs) £6.50 £7.50

Student £6.70 £8.00

Senior (60+ yrs) £6.40 £7.50

Family of 4 £24.00 £28.00

3D films: add £2.00 to adult ticket, add £1.60 to other ticket prices

Premier seats: add £1.60 to ticket price

Saturday & Sunday morning kids screenings: Child ticket £2.50 (accompanying adult free)

Mid-morning screenings: £3.20 including tea/coffee

9.6.4 Cineworld, Didcot

Mon – Fri

before 5pm

Mon – Fri

after 5pm

Sat – Sun all day

Adult £8.00 £9.10 £9.10

Child (14 yrs and under) £5.90 £6.80 £6.80

Student & 15-17 yrs £6.40 £7.40 £7.40

Senior (60+ yrs) £6.60 £7.60 £7.60

Family of 4 £24.80 £28.80 £28.00

Bargain Tuesdays £5.90 £5.90 n/a

Movies for Juniors £2.70 n/a £2.70

3D films: add £2.20 to adult tickets, add £1.60 to other tickets

Cinemagoer registered with MyCineworld and booking online, can save 10% on all tickets

9.6.5 Wallingford Corn Exchange cinema screenings

Adult £6.00

Under 15s £4.00


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9.8 Specialist cinema circuits

Picturehouse Cinemas Name Screens 1. Bath The Little Theatre Cinema 3 2. Brighton Duke of York's Picturehouse 1 3. Brighton Duke's at Komedia 2 4. Cambridge Arts Picturehouse 3 5. Edinburgh The Cameo 3 6. Exeter Exeter Picturehouse 2 7. Henley-on-Thames Regal Picturehouse 3 8. Liverpool Picturehouse at FACT 4 9. London Clapham Picturehouse 4 10. London The Gate 1 11. London Greenwich Picturehouse 5 12. London Hackney Picturehouse 4 13. London The Ritzy 5 14. London Stratford East Picturehouse 4 15. Norwich Cinema City 3 16. Oxford Phoenix Picturehouse 2 17. Southampton Harbour Lights Picturehouse 3 18. Stratford-Upon-Avon Stratford-Upon-Avon Picturehouse 2 19. York City Screen 3 20. London Shaftesbury Avenue (opens 2014) 7 21. London Dulwich (opens 2015) 3 22. London Crouch End (opens 2015) 5 23. London Chiswick (opens 2015) 4 Total screens 76

Curzon Cinemas Screens Notes 1. Knutsford 1 2. London - Bloomsbury 2 3. London - Chelsea 1 4. London - Mayfair 2 5. London - Soho 3 6. London - Victoria 5 Opened May 2014 7. Richmond 1 8. Ripon 2 Opened Autumn 2013 9. Stafford 3 The Apollo. Acquired Autumn 2013 10. Canterbury 3 Due to open June 2014 11. London – Kingston Upon Thames 3 Awaiting planning approval 12. Sheffield 4 Opens autumn 2014

Total screens 30

Everyman Cinemas Screens Notes 1. London - Baker Street 2 2. London - Belsize Park 1 3. London - Hampstead 2 4. London - Screen On The Green 1 5. Leeds 4 6. London - Maida Vale 2 7. Oxted 1 8. Reigate 2 9. Walton-on-Thames 2


10. Winchester 2 11. Birmingham – The Mailbox 3 Opens Winter 2014 12. Bristol (Whiteladies) 3 Opening date not confirmed

Total screens 25


9.9 Everyman Cinema, Leeds – Restaurant menu

abingdon guildhall redevelopment · in 2012, according to the british film institute statistical...

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