The Social Impact of Independent Cinema

As part of a new Film Hub Wales project, funded by the BFI via the National Lottery, Awen colleagues and volunteers at Maesteg Town Hall worked with cinemagoers on a series of marketing initiatives to encourage locals to make the most of the films being screened in Y Bocs Oren. These included:

• A 3 minute long, 90 second and fly-through video explaining how local cinema helps improve wellbeing, reduces loneliness and breathes life into local high streets.

• A social media campaign to promote Maesteg Town Hall’s brand new 74 seat cinema and its programme of films to the Llynfi Valley community.

• A digital advert aimed at attracting younger audiences, by showing how Y Bocs Oren is affordable, accessible and closer to home than multiplex cinemas.

Aled Williams, Marketing and Communications Assistant at Awen said: “Having a purpose-built cinema in Maesteg Town Hall is a boost to community cohesion: it’s something that belongs to all of us. It’s something special that’s right on our doorstep and means we don’t have to travel to Bridgend or Cardiff to watch a film. It’s a wonderful asset to our community and I would encourage everyone to come and take a look.”

Hana Lewis, Head of Film Hub Wales, explains: “It’s been a challenging time for cinema, with many organisations still trying to reconnect with audiences post Brexit, Covid, and then during a cost-of-living crisis. Cinema marketing teams are often under-resourced. This is why projects such as this, that promote the existence of the venue itself amongst the community, are so important. The BFI and Creative PEC’s report which measured the economic value of cinema venues, showed that each local UK cinema generates around £600,000 in added social value every year. We can’t afford to lose these vital spaces.”