Cinema Staff hours and screenings cut
SCREENINGS have been reduced and staff hours cut at a historic cinema as it continues to try to balance the books post-pandemic. Bosses at Clevedon Curzon’s Cinema say the picture house is trading 40 per cent down from where it was before Covid.
The cinema – one of the oldest continually running purpose-built cinemas in the world – reopened in May when restrictions eased.
But it has yet to see business return to pre-pandemic levels.
Steps have been taken to mitigate the reduction in business, including reducing the number of screenings per day from three or four to just two. Staff hours have also been cut.
The Grade II listed cinema has also been forced to run at reduced capacity at screenings due to the virus still circulating widely in the community.
Curzon Community Cinema chief executive, Susannah Shaw, said: “We are trading at around 40 per cent down from where we were in 2018 and 2019. Our numbers are down, but there are reasons for this. Due to the pandemic, there are not so many films around to show.
“Although people are coming back to the cinema, there are some who are still quite nervous. It is a worrying situation, but we have put measures in place to try to mitigate that to allow us to break even.
“We are continually juggling and it’s not easy as it is a lot of revenue for us to lose.”
Mrs Shaw said the cinema had seen an uptick recently, thanks to the release of the new Bond movie.
For the first time, the cinema removed restricted seating – a move it has now reversed due to rising numbers of Covid-19 in the local community.
The cinema is also diversifying its offering and showing more local films.
“We had a film called Troublemaker in the other week and that was a sell-out, despite us having restricted audiences,” said Mrs Shaw.
“And as a positive, we are also seeing more people come to the Curzon from further afield, keen to see what we, as a smaller venue, are all about and find out more.”
The cinema has also run live comedy shows.
“It has been tough, but we do believe we are on an upward trajectory now,” said Mrs Shaw.
“However, if there is any other form of lockdown, especially one without the job retention scheme, that could be the final nail in the coffin.”
Volunteers have also continued to play their part in supporting the cinema, which opened in 1912.
“We could not manage without our volunteers,” said Mrs Shaw.
“Ticket sales alone just cover our overheads and it is the money from the kiosk and the bar which keeps us afloat, which are run by our team of volunteers.”