Work Experience Showed Me Why Tyneside Cinema Is the Ultimate Spot for Young Film Fans

by Work Experience Student

The Tyneside

Louie, one of our recent work experience students, wrote this article to share his first-hand experience exploring everything from digital projection to front of house roles and creative marketing. His story shows how The Tyneside is more than just a cinema - it’s a vibrant community space where young people can dive into film history, learn new skills, enjoy the latest movies, and find a welcoming, inspiring environment. Join the next generation of cinema enthusiasts and discover why The Tyneside is a must-visit destination for young audiences in Newcastle.

During my time working at Tyneside Cinema, a go-to for young people in Newcastle, I have learned many pieces of film and cinema information. This ranged from the history of The Tyneside, starting from 1937 until its time now, to how to run the projectors, all the way to how marketing and front of house operations take place.

To begin, my time personally has been absolutely spectacular. Many great memories have been made, and lots of great learning has entailed.

Every single person I have met has greeted me with a bright, smiling face and a wonderful welcome, making me and my co-student, Ruby, feel cared for and welcomed into the teams. Learning about how the films were projected many years ago compared to how they are projected digitally in modern times, with Adam, The Tyneside’s projectionist, has been very insightful and interesting.

All of the amazing tours of the grand building have been amazing, and I can now confidently return to The Tyneside and boast to family and friends about my wide knowledge of The Tyneside and its history – beyond even what you’ll see in its vast educational exhibition spaces.

Working in front of house has been as equally as fun as it has been useful. We began with Baby Club in the Roxy screen, observing how to get the cinema ready with George and Michael, aiding in the setup of the projectors with Adam, manning the doors and then serving the hot drinks and biscuits for the parents and their children.

We then went on to help promote a new movie, Jurassic World Rebirth, by supporting the marketing team’s campaign to add dinosaur footprints leading toward The Tyneside from both sides of the lane. This is part of their experimentation to widen their film offerings and strengthen The Tyneside’s role as a young people cinema Newcastle audiences are excited about, using trend forecasts to guide what appeals to younger viewers.

Later in the week, I must admit, another highlight was simply checking tickets for Silver Screen, The Tyneside’s weekly over 60s screenings. It was very wholesome and provided some great into the world of an usher as all of the older audience were very lovely and very excited about viewing the movie and having a tea, coffee and a nice free biscuit.

Marketing was also incredibly enjoyable and interesting. We spent time with Emily and Hannah working out the best ways to appeal to a younger audience, specifically through social media trends, which are essential for any young people cinema Newcastle audiences follow and engage with. We also spent a day as marketing consultants for The Tyneside, picking out all of the best ways that The Tyneside customer experience can be made as smooth as possible, eventually ending in a business meeting at the end of the day where Ruby and I offered our feedback on everything from the website to the Box Office – with adjustments already in action based on our comments!

To conclude, my experience has been completely and utterly wonderful. Everyone is absolutely brilliant, incredibly kind and very passionate about their jobs and film overall. I have loved working here and definitely will be returning for all of my future film viewing opportunities – especially now I’m signed up for their free Young Tyneside membership!