Sheffield's Showroom Cinema receives £500,000 Government funding

The city’s only independently programmed cinema has been awarded £536,449 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, set up to support organisations that have been affected by the coronavirus crisis to stay afloat and access help over a six-month period.

The Showroom Cinema, a registered charity, has played an integral role in championing diverse and rich film from across the world for 25 years and is a cultural hub for the city’s community.

This award arrives at a crucial financial tipping point for the Showroom Cinema. The culmination of a six month closure, the costs of reopening and a 75 per cent reduction in cinema seat capacity have severely depleted the reserves that were in place.

The Leadmill and Museums Trust among Sheffield venues to receive share of a £257 million boost

Ian Wild, CEO of Showroom Workstation said: “We are extremely delighted to receive this vital funding which enables us to remain open during these difficult times. We are grateful to DCMS, HM Treasury and the British Film Institute for supporting us.

“Our team have worked incredibly hard to ensure we reopened safely after six months of closure during the pandemic. 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.”

And Brendan Moffett, Chair of Board of Trustees at Showroom Workstation said: “The Cultural Recovery Funding is received with immense gratitude. With this, we can navigate the next six months – it safeguards jobs for longer and helps us to protect the Showroom Cinema which plays a pivotal role in Sheffield’s culture scene.”

A number of other Sheffield arts and culutural organisations have already received money from the Culture Recovery Fund.

Sheffield Galleries and Museum Trust were awarded £500,000, while The Leadmill received £241,571. The National Videogame Museum and WTKTD LTD are also among the city groups to benefit from a pot of more than £4 million awarded to the South Yorkshire area.

For more information on Showroom Cinema visit the website at showroomworkstation.org.uk/cinema.

LiveCoronavirus in Sheffield LIVE: Government 'considering Tier 4 local lockdowns' as Covid deaths rise 50 per cent