VIEWS TO A THRILL
Put us in the picture say project organisers
An ambitious project which is hoped will bring a dedicated cinema to Crieff has reached an“important” stage, according to organisers.
Creative Crieff is currently developing a plan that could see the site of the former Crieff Hotel in East High Street turned into a newbuild, state-of-the-art cinema complex, with the potential for two screens, and ancillary facilities.
A survey was recently launched as part of a wider feasibility study to ensure that the views of the community are incorporated into the case put forward to potential funders and stakeholders.
Creative Crieff director John Mauchline said: “We are at the start of one of the most important steps so far on the Creative Crieff journey – the gathering of information on the demand for a state-of-theart cinema in Crieff.”
He added: “The impacts and benefits for our community will be enormous.”
Strath film- lovers are being called upon to air their views on what they want from a cinema.
The survey is the latest stage in an ambitious project by Creative Crieff to bring a dedicated cinema to the Strath capital.
The charity is currently developing a project that could see the site of the former Crieff Hotel in East High Street turned into a new-build, state-of-theart cinema complex, with the potential for two screens, and ancillary facilities.
The site has been acquired by Creative Crieff through a community right to buy scheme, with support from two local trusts and Perth and Kinross Council, and planning permission is currently being sought to demolish the dilapidated hotel building.
The survey will allow Creative Crieff – whose mission is to use music, film and the creative arts to improve lives – to ensure that the views of the community are incorporated into the case put forward to potential funders and stakeholders.
John Mauchline, a director of Creative Crieff, told the Herald: “We have employed Jura Consultants to update our feasibility study.
“The first stage of this will be to survey our local community and we have prepared a questionnaire to do this.
“We are at the start of one of the most important steps so far on the Creative Crieff journey – the gathering of information on the demand for a state-ofthe-art cinema in Crieff.
“We already have a fantastic radio station, still in its infancy but making a huge impact on our town.
“Now we are taking the same energy and ethos and combining that with a community- led cinema. The impacts and benefits for our community will be enormous.”
Within the first 24 hours of the survey going live, 200 responses were received.
Mr Mauchline continued: “The more people that participate in the survey, the more credible the outcome will be. The survey is open until early March.
“The cinema is obviously catching the imagination of many people in town. All our voices count. We have done so much work on this already but as we, hopefully, come into a post-Covid era, we need to gauge the community need again.”
Paper copies can be picked up from Radio Earn in East High Street, and there is a link on the station’s Facebook page.
We are at the start of one of the most important steps so far on the Creative Crieff journey
John Mauchline