Skip to main content
A Magazine for Sheffield

Showroom Cinema to receive over £500k of coronavirus support funding

The award, part of Arts Council England’s £1.5bn Culture Recovery Fund, will safeguard jobs and protect the Sheffield institution.

Showroom Cinema

The Showroom Cinema has been awarded £536,499 in the second round of Arts Council England’s Culture Recovery Fund, part of a £1.57 billion package from central government to support cultural organisations during the pandemic.

Following a six-month closure, delayed releases and a 75% reduction in its seating capacity, the award brings some relief to the cinema during a time of extreme uncertainty for the entire sector.

The city’s only independently-programmed cinema said the grant would help the venue stay afloat and cover the additional costs of creating safe and Covid-secure environments for staff and audiences.

“We are extremely delighted to receive this vital funding which enables us to remain open during these difficult times,” said Ian Wild, Chief Executive of the Showroom Workstation.

“This funding will allow us to plan our next six months and look forward to continuing to present a diverse range of independent, foreign-language, documentary and archive films to Sheffield audiences.”

Brendan Moffett, Chair of Board of Trustees at Showroom Workstation, added that the funding “safeguards jobs for longer and helps us to protect the Showroom Cinema, which plays a pivotal role in Sheffield’s culture scene.”

Local venues such as Yellow Arch, Theatre Delicatessen, DINA and The National Video Game Museum are also among those due to receive funding from Arts Council England, with more than £4 million awarded to venues and organisations in South Yorkshire.

The Showroom will host screenings for Sheffield Adventure Film Festival and Sheffield Doc/Fest over the next week, as well as its regular film programme.

More Film

The Right to Continue Dreaming

Those fighting for a better world continue to do so, whether that's in Palestine or Peru. A double-bill film screening in Sheffield on 19 February celebrates the links between culture and politics, in Latin America and beyond.

More Film