COVID-19 UPDATES
18 Jun 20
The doors to our Art Deco building have remained closed due to the Coronavirus for 11 weeks, and we’d like to thank our audiences for your support during this challenging time. We’ve enjoyed being able to stay in touch with some of you through conversations, sharing our film recommendations and activities.
We want to update you further on our current situation and ask for your continued support until we can safely open our doors again.
The Government has announced that cinemas could (subject to conditions) re-open from 4 July 2020. Our current plans, however, assume that we won’t open our cinema in July even if the Government does allow – because, at this moment in time with the data we have available, we’re not convinced that we can do so safely. Instead, we would be looking to early September, and apologise that we’re not able to provide you with a more specific date right now. We intend to wait until we’re able to open safely and responsibly with our audiences and staff in mind, and as the situation is evolving and changing, so will our plans.
The situation is challenging for us because even when the building is closed, and we’re not trading, we still incur costs. However, we’ve have had an overwhelming response to our #myTynesideCinema appeal, which has helped us enormously. This is a true expression of the love and support that exists for Tyneside Cinema, and we’ve been humbled and overwhelmed.
Lots of people have been asking us how they can help. It’s still possible to make a donation to the campaign and contribute to the essential running costs of the building, here, or you can join the community of regular donors and join our Supporter’s Circle, via a monthly or annual donation here.
“We are so lucky in Newcastle to have the Tyneside on our doorstep. Let’s make sure it returns in fine fettle!”
– Tyneside Cinema Patron and musician, Paul Smith (Maxïmo Park)
5 May 20
As the UK lockdown looks set to continue into Spring and the uncertainty continues for us all, we wanted to give an update on Tyneside Cinema’s current situation, and ask for your support until we can open our doors to you again.
We’ve had an overwhelming response to our #myTynesideCinema appeal, which we launched at the end of March. We’re humbled and so very grateful for the everyone’s love, support and generosity.
This support, together with flexibility from our landlord, Arts Council England and the British Film Institute, means we have been able to secure our short-term future.
However, longer-term, the picture is less clear. 80% of our income comes from tickets sales and revenue from our bars and café. While we’re closed, we receive no income. To safeguard our team and organisation into the future, we’ve furloughed the majority of our staff. But it still costs £36,000 each month in essential building and on-going costs to run Tyneside Cinema while in lockdown.
If you love Tyneside Cinema as much as we do, we’d like to ask for your help to ensure that your independent cinema has a bright future.
We realise these uncertain times are making things financially difficult for many of us, but if you’re able to donate to our #myTynesideCinema appeal, rest assured it will go directly towards securing the future of the Tyneside by:
- Helping to pay for the maintenance of our beautiful Grade II listed building and our facilities
- Supporting our small but dedicated team who remain working to keep our cinema viable, and develop and deliver our future programmes
If you’re not in a position to donate to #myTynesideCinema, you can still help by sharing the details of the appeal to your friends and followers on social media.
29 Mar 20
We launched the #myTynesideCinema Appeal because of the immediate and deep impact the Covid-19 health emergency had on the Cinema. We’ve been overwhelmed with the warmth and generosity of your response, which raised almost £30,000 in the first 72 hours, and we’re grateful for every single donation.
Tyneside Cinema is a cultural icon for our city, and our community, and this appeal will help us secure its future.
The appeal is one piece in a jigsaw of support. We’re making use of all other avenues available to us, including government schemes, support from trusts and foundations, and we are grateful for the flexibility that our funders at Arts Council England, and the British Film Institute have shown us. However, just 6% of our income comes from public funding, which is why your support is so important. Even when we’re closed, there are significant costs to keep our Grade II listed building going.
We remain 100% focused on ensuring we re-open as soon as we are allowed to, and when we do, we’ll have a full and vibrant film and learning programme ready to go.
In the meantime, we’ll be working hard to bring you, our Tyneside Cinema Community, a steady stream of fun and exciting opportunities to stay connected with us.
Thank you for the many messages of support and kindness we’ve received during this challenging time. Rest assured, we’re determined to do everything possible to make sure we’re ready to welcome you all back through our doors as soon as we possibly can.
20 Mar 20
It’s with great sadness that due to the latest Government advice on the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the Tyneside Cinema family will be closed from 20 Mar 2020 until further notice. This is for the continued safety of our much-valued customers and staff.
We’ll continue to monitor this situation on an ongoing basis and provide further updates as and when possible.
Customers who had already booked tickets for films and events up to, and including 13 Apr 2020, will have been contacted via email or letter. Should you still need to contact us, our dedicated box office team are available via boxoffice@tynesidecinema.co.uk
Please note that our box office phone lines will remain closed.
As an independent charity which only receives 6% in public funding, this latest closure will continue to have considerable financial implications for us. We understand that the current situation is hard for everyone, and we greatly appreciate the support of our audiences during these unprecedented times.
You can make a donation or purchase a gift voucher to enjoy at a future date.
You can also text TYNESIDE 5 to donate £5, TYNESIDE 10 to donate £10, or TYNESIDE 20 to donate £20 to 70085.
We’re remaining hopeful and positive that things will get back to normal soon and we hope to see you in the not too distant future
Please refer to our website and social channels for further updates over the coming weeks.
17 Mar 20
It is with great regret that due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, and following the Government’s updated advice, we have taken the decision to close Tyneside Cinema from the 18 March 2020 until 13 April 2020. This is for the safety of our valued customers and staff. As a result, all forthcoming events and screenings are now cancelled or postponed. Vicolo and Tyneside Coffee Rooms will also be closed.
Tyneside Bar Cafe will remain open for business during the hours of 10am – 7pm, and we will continue to monitor this situation moving forwards. We will continue to provide further updates.
Customers who have already booked tickets for films and events up to and including 13 April 2020 will automatically receive an email or letter from us.
We understand you may have concerns regarding any future bookings and we would like to reassure you that we are in the process of contacting everyone affected. Should you need to contact us, our dedicated box office team are available via boxoffice@tynesidecinema.co.uk
Please note that our box office phone lines will be closed.
As an independent charity which only receives 6% in public funding this decision has not been taken lightly, particularly as the financial implications during this period for us are considerable. We understand that the current situation is hard for everyone, and we would be incredibly grateful if you are able to offer your support during these unprecedented times. You can do this by making a donation or purchasing a gift voucher to enjoy at a future date.
We greatly appreciate the support of our audiences at this testing and anxious time. It is a fast-moving situation; we’re monitoring it closely and will keep you posted. We’re hopeful that things will get back to normal soon and we hope to see you in the not too distant future. In the meantime, we will be hard at work getting Tyneside Cinema ready for your return.
Please refer to our website and social channels for further updates over the coming weeks.