Cinema hails supporters as it prepares to reopen

ABERFELDY: Outdoor screenings helped it stay afloat

A community-run cinema in Highland Perthshire is getting ready to reopen after a successful fundraising campaign.

Hollywood star Alan Cumming helped launch the appeal for Aberfeldy’s Birks Cinema during lockdown, amid fears for the art deco picture house’s future.

The Birks, which has a staff of around 12, faced a financial blackhole after management were told by insurers their policy for business interruption does not cover it against a government-enforced shutdown.

Organisers, fresh from hosting a weekend of well-attended outdoor cinema screenings, are now preparing for a post-pandemic relaunch after supporters helped raise £40,000.

A spokesman said: “Across the past six months, our community has rallied around the Birks Cinema as we have never seen before.

“This allowed us to keep going, and to prepare and get ready for reopening.”

He said: “We raised a phenomenal amount of money with over 500 individuals and trusts, from within Highland Perthshire and from elsewhere, providing donations and sponsorship amounting to more than £40,000.

“We cannot thank everybody enough.”

Around £2,500 has gone towards paying overheads to keep the town centre building operational, while a further £9,000 was invested in a general upgrade of the property.

Approximately £2,000 has been spent on measures and adaptations to help the cinema comply with Covid-19 regulations.

The Birks spokesman said donations, along with government grants, will help cover staff following the reopening of the cafe bar area.

“All of this helps put us in a good position to reopen the auditorium as soon as we feasibly can,” he said.

“At the moment, this looks like sometime in the next few weeks, but it is still a moving goalpost.

“Many cinemas are starting to open, but we know we will open at a loss until our communities feel comfortable coming out to support us, so we are keeping a close eye on this.”

Perthshire-born actor Cumming was involved in the eight-year campaign to relaunch the Birks Cinema. He took part in the grand reopening in 2013.

The original building opened in 1939 and remained a popular attraction for residents and visitors throughout the decades. However, by the 1980s – like many local cinemas – the business began struggling financially.

Even the introduction of twice-weekly bingo sessions failed to keep it afloat. It closed its doors in 1982.

The Friends of Birks Cinema was formed in 2005 with the ambition to bring the venue back to life and make it a focal point of the town once again.

They managed to raise more than £2 million for the redevelopment, including a £540,000 Big Lottery grant.

Picture: Steve Brown. Drivers enjoying Jurassic Park.