Tyneside Cinema hosts “Summer of Cinema” to help reinvigorate Newcastle’s cultural economy

A summer of cinema has been planned in order to help reinvigorate Newcastle’s cultural economy post-Covid.

Tyneside Cinema, which is the city’s only full-time independent cinema, is offering thousands of cut-price cinema tickets between July and September. Simon Drysdale, Tyneside Cinema’s interim chief executive, explained: “In line with most other independent cinemas, our ticket sales haven’t yet grown back to their pre-pandemic levels.

“Recent research by Arts Council England showed that the arts sector, including venues like the Tyneside, makes a really important contribution to the wider economy and by encouraging more people back to film, we want to help return our contribution to its pre-pandemic levels – as well as securing the future of our much-loved cinema.”

Tyneside Cinema’s Summer of Cinema launches on Monday July 18 and runs until September 21. Tickets booked for the Summer of Cinema events between these dates will be discounted by as much as 50 per cent, with screenings before 5pm costing £5 per person, and screenings after 5pm priced at £7 per person.

Staff at the cinema have programmed a range of special screenings including 80s cult films like Dirty Dancing; highlights from 2022 including Downton Abbey: A New Era; and double bills such as Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick.

Simon Drysdale, Tyneside Cinema’s interim chief executive.

For families the selection will include Paddington and James and the Giant Peach. Special events will include screenings of Casablanca and Singin’ in the Rain with afternoon tea, an ‘80s night, and kids’ activities will take place alongside some of the family films.

The Tyneside Bar Café, which generates a significant proportion of Tyneside Cinema’s income, will also be running film quizzes, cult classic screenings and its regular Kids’ Sunday Brunch Club.

And the cinema’s corporate hire offer, which includes the opportunity to hire the cinema for staff screenings and corporate events, is also fully up-and-running since the venue reopened in August 2021.

Simon added: “While of course this is about increasing our ticket sales and our contribution to the city’s economy, it’s also about encouraging more people to experience this very special cinema.

“What’s come through to me loud and clear since I joined the Tyneside is that it means so many different things to so many different people. The Tyneside Cinema has been in Newcastle for 85 years and we want it to be a place where everyone feels welcome.”

Built in 1937, Tyneside Cinema is the UK’s last surviving newsreel theatre still in operation. It is a registered charity and, as well as its film programme, delivers an award-winning learning and participation programme for children and young people, accessible cinema programmes and free community events.