FABRIC Fund Recipients: Supporting rural exhibition

The Fabric Fund supports work that removes barriers for screen audiences, ensuring accessible and affordable cinema is available to those who live in more remote and rural areas.

Fabric aims to develop film exhibition in rural areas and underserved areas of Scotland, recognising the strength of building a network in a particular area.

Film Hub Scotland activity – including the Fabric Fund – is supported by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.

We are pleased to announce the organisations who are supported by the Fabric Fund 2024/25:

Driftwood Cinema – Southwest/Borders

Driftwood currently supports 15 active community cinemas and four ad-hoc community screening groups. Groups are supported through providing a recommended programme of films quarterly, booking film screening licences, supplying screener DVDs, hire of screening equipment, technical advice and marketing.

Driftwood is currently working with community groups at: Barbour Hall (Glencaple), Coalburn, Dalry, Dundrennan, Eskdalemuir, Kirkbean, Machars Movies (Isle of Whithorn), Port Logan, Portpatrick, Roberton, Sanquhar, South Machars, Traquair, Waterbeck, Borgue, Carsphairn, Sorbie Whauphill and Gatehouse of Fleet.

Generation Arts – West Lothian

Fabric funding will enable Generation Arts to develop and grow the West Lothian Community Cinema Network. The Cinema Network – consisting of six cinemas – allows communities to access cinema in areas where there are significant economic and/or geographic barriers.

The community cinemas will host family film events, classic film screenings as well a short series of archive and heritage films. The community cinemas include: Howden Park Centre (Livingston), Wee Cinem (Winchburgh), Muireston CDT, Reconnect Regal Theatre (Bathgate), Kirknewton CDT, Spark (Craigshill), Low Port Centre and Fulshie Films (Stonyburn).

North East Arts Touring (NEAT) – Aberdeenshire

Working with a network of volunteers across the North East (mainly Aberdeenshire), NEAT aim to make cinema inclusive, affordable, and accessible, regardless of their proximity to mainstream cinema venues or socio-economic backgrounds. They are working to rebuild their network post covid (with quite a few new groups emerging) and supporting their network of volunteer promoters to become more confident programmers.

NEAT is currently working with Alvah and Forglen Arts Group, Banff Castle, Bennachie Leisure Centre (Insch), Collieston Community Centre, Drummuir Hall, Dufftown Royal British Legion Club, MacRobert Hall (Tarland), New Deer Public Hall, Oyne Village Hall, Portgordon Village Hall, Tarves, The Haven (Stonehaven).

Screen Argyll – Argyll and the Isles

Screen Argyll provide training, support with technical set up, advice on film licensing, programming, governance, access and enhanced programming activities within Argyll and the Isles. Funding will continue to develop year-round film activity within the area, including new activity where possible and ongoing support as part of a network of community cinemas; bringing remote audiences together through film. Most activity is focused on islands and remote locations within Argyll and the Hebrides where access to cinema is limited, as well as supporting the four (since the closure of Oban Phoenix) full time established cinemas.

Their current network includes Dunoon Burgh Hall, Discovery Cinema (Bute), Dervaig Community Screenings, Mull Film Club, Screen Tiree, Bute Film Club, Achievement Bute, Luing Community Cinema, Iona Community Cinema, The Studio (Dunoon), Campbeltown Picturehouse, Kyles Cinema (Colintriave), Small Isles (Eigg, Canna, Muck, Rum), Barra & Vatersay, SOAR on Jura, with another 15 organisations across Argyll expressing an interest in starting screenings.

The Iris – South Ayrshire

The Iris is currently working with community groups in Dundonald, Girvan, Monkton, Symington, Mossblown and Annbank to provide a regular screening programme. The Iris have previously delivered screenings in Girvan, Annbank and Mossblown and will look to add new areas such as Monkton, Symington and Dundonald; areas that have expressed a strong interest in screening films but at present have no resource to do so. The Iris will provide training, equipment and resources to build screening activity in the areas whilst coordinating the activity and publicity across the area. These communities currently face barriers in attending cinema events, including the cost of travel and tickets, lack of film choice out-with mainstream cinema releases and lack of accessibility. In addition, families and young people currently have few arts or leisure opportunities within their community.

WHALE Arts – Edinburgh

The Local Cinema project will offer local communities across Edinburgh a bespoke co-curated film programme operating out of community-based hubs, that is both affordable and distinct from the mainstream offer in multiplexes.

The project will work across six locations across the city and operate directly out of community hubs based in those areas. In addition, the project plans to support one-off test screenings in collaboration with other community-based spaces across the city. In the absence of Filmhouse, Local Cinema will offer audiences direct local access to a wide range of independent Scottish/British films, family friendly events and expanded film experiences in the city.

The community hubs are: WHALE Arts, Craigmillar Now, North Edinburgh Arts, The Crannie Community Hub, Duncan Place Community Hub and Out of the Blue Drill Hall.