"Thirty years ago, the battle to save a cinema would take Jan Dunn and her community on an adventure worthy of a film itself. When she heard that the Apollo, the last cinema in the area, was closing, she got together with a group of women who rescued it from demolition, and so was born the Plaza community cinema, run by volunteers and a handful of employees."
"One of these is Lola, 19, who says: There were loads of people around my age who started at the Plaza and had their lives transformed. She explains how, for some, it built confidence and offered a focus: I grew up local to the cinema but always felt a bit distant from the community. By volunteering there, I learned about the area from other volunteers and it really made me feel connected."
Jan Dunn and a group of women rescued the Apollo cinema from demolition and established the volunteer-run Plaza community cinema in 1997. The venue operates as a charity with eight paid staff and 60–70 volunteers aged 14 to 80. Volunteers worked urgently to prepare the site, even reupholstering seats before the grand opening. The Plaza programs community and accessible events, including autism and disability screenings. Volunteering at the venue has helped young people build confidence and connect to their area. Community cinema tickets are often cheaper than mainstream venues, with examples around £2.50 per film with membership.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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