Like other arts and cultural venues across London, The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley has had to close its doors for months due to Covid-19 restrictions. Fortunately for the independent cinema, which was built in 1910 and is one of the oldest continuously-running cinemas in the UK, there has been a silver lining.

In December, the Phoenix was awarded £126,328 from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Culture Recovery Fund. The cinema element of the fund was overseen by the British Film Institue (BFI) which awarded £5 million in grants to 33 cinemas.

Ben Roberts, Chief Executive, BFI said:

“Across the country, local independent cinemas are lifelines for communities and often the only form of culture and entertainment. As well as bringing people together to enjoy the magic of the big screen, local cinemas are hubs for educational and film activities and provide thousands of jobs. The pandemic has made clear just how important local communities are and the support of the Culture Recovery Fund means that many cinemas will be able to reopen and play a vital role in local economies and regeneration.”

Representatives from the Phoenix Cinema tweeted: “This support is invaluable in allowing us to keep our doors open and we are so grateful to BFI for recognising our work and place in the community”.

Shout out for Arts and Culture contributions

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