Doorstep Pictures brings silver screen back to Northumberland

Nov 29 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal

MOVIE-GOING is enjoying a revival in part of Northumberland – despite the fact that the area hasn’t had its own cinema for years.

Film fans in Wansbeck have faced a trek to North Tyneside or Newcastle since the last local cinema – The Wallaw in neighbouring Blyth – brought the final curtain down almost five years ago.

But recently a special DIY-style film project has seen the latest movie blockbusters and classic golden oldies showing on screens in church halls, community centres and miners’ welfares across the district.

The Doorstep Pictures scheme allows community groups or residents’ associations to hire in their chosen film – together with the equipment required to screen it and a trained cinema technician – for a bargain £35 a time.

This week the project attracted its biggest audience so far, when more than 120 people turned up to watch the hit musical Mama Mia at the Stakeford and Bomarsund Welfare. Now Doorstep Pictures – which is run and subsidised by Wansbeck District Council – is making a big push to get more community groups and venues on board the silver screen revival to ensure that the project continues after April’s radical shake-up of local government in Northumberland.

So far about six venues across the district have been showing films on an eight feet by six feet screen, which is provided by the project along with a top quality sound system. New blockbusters can be hired three months after their release in mainstream cinemas.

Yesterday Julie Ballands, the Doorstep Pictures project manager, said: “With Doorstep Pictures, community groups can see their favourite films for £35, when the real cost of hiring in the film and the required equipment would be more than £200. We are now trying to get more venues and community organisations involved, because the more people who use the project the more chance it has of continuing. Groups can charge an admission fee or sell refreshments at screenings if they wish, so they should be able to break even.”

Juliana Mensah, arts development officer with Wansbeck Council, said: “There are also opportunities for volunteers to be trained as cinema technicians, helping to deliver, set up, operate and maintain the equipment.”