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January 2014
Montrose cinema & arts centre secures start-up funding

Montrose cinema & arts centre secures start-up funding

January 30 2014

A volunteer action group has received £3,650 in start-up funding toward creation of a business plan for the conversion of Montrose swimming pool into a new cinema and arts centre.

Indicative plans envisage transforming the main pool area with one large 180 seat screen and two smaller 80 seat screens, alongside a café, bar and retail outlet together with a community space.

Located at the north end of Montrose High Street the project would be situated midway between Dundee and Aberdeen, sparing residents of Angus and lower Aberdeenshire, a 60 mile round trip to the nearest existing cinemas in both cities.

David Paton, senior technician at John D. Crawford and head of the volunteer group, said: “The group formed when I prepared these designs at home as I have wanted a cinema in Montrose for years. The town used to have two until around the early 80’s when the multiplexes started taking all the business from the town centre cinemas.

“The building at present is for sale but we have just been approved for a stage 1 community asset transfer and are looking now into our stage 2 application which is a lot more in depth.

“We also have a lottery and local council funding applications in at present for which we hope these will pay for a professional business and feasibility study by cinema consultant Ron Inglis who has helped set up The Birks cinema in Aberfeldy and also the Mareel in Lerwick, both of which are doing better than expected business projections.”

Additional funding to cover the capital costs of the work is being sought from bodies such as the National Lottery and Creative Scotland.

Montrose swimming pool was closed following completion of a new sports hub in November 2012

The cinema is being hailed as offering wider regeneration potential for Montrose

6 Comments

#1 Posted by Jim Strachan on 30 Jan 2014 at 15:13 PM

Best of luck on the project, good for the town, good for the County

#2 Posted by David Paton on 30 Jan 2014 at 19:14 PM

Thanks Jim, there is a facebook page for people who want to follow the project - https://www.facebook.com/MontrosePlayhouseProject

#3 Posted by Stephen @ Hadden Construction on 31 Jan 2014 at 13:58 PM

Good luck with your bid for this community cinema. Having successfully delivered the construction of The Birks in Aberfeldy I know how important these community based cinemas are. If you need any assistance please get in touch.

#4 Posted by wonky on 1 Feb 2014 at 16:45 PM

As a firm believer in the transformational power of film (greater than any other art form) I'm very pleased that another scottish town may have a cinema- these are spaces as vital to town life as churches, community halls, sports centres & libraries. Everyone should have access to the beautiful & uniquely wondrous art of film- just show a good variety of movies.