Fundraising campaign to revive former cinema

A former community cinema based in a converted chapel could be re-opened under a new name.

Maona Art, a Birmingham-based cinema organisation, is hoping to rent the Kinokulture site on Arthur Street, Oswestry, which closed in April 2024 after running for 14 years.

The organisation has launched a £50,000 fundraising campaign to support the project.

The site would be re-named Maona Cinema, said founder Tatenda Jamera, and would offer film screenings as well as community talks and workshops.

The fundraising looks to cover programming and renovation work on the bar and box office, as well as other costs including the lease and new seats.

Mr Jamera said the cinema would be a community hub where people could come together.

"In the months ahead, the cinema will feature a wide variety of programming, with independent films taking centre stage, alongside big-budget blockbusters and a curated selection of international cinema," he said.

"Special screenings will also be held for children, schools, and senior citizens, ensuring the cinema is as inclusive as it is accessible."

Kinokulture was run by Ian Garland and Ruth Carter, who retired in 2024.

They had previously announced its closure in 2022, but passed it on to the community under a new lease, which ran out two years later and was not renewed.

At the time, James Bond from The Oswestry Film Society said the community interest group's bid to take on the cinema had been in doubt "for a little while" and then "failed at the last minute".

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