Case study: Campbeltown Picture House
What is the history of the building, monument or area?
Originally built in 1913, Campbeltown Picture House is a Grade A-listed building. Having recently undergone a refurbishment and restoration it is now operating as a community cinema. Alongside showing a range of films we are dedicated to outreach work; some of our recent events include bringing an animator from Aardman up to visit schools, running numerous film-making workshops, linking with The Hub (local youth club) to provide assistance on their project to make a film about being LGBTQ+ in a rural area, putting on annual screenings where people “pay” for their ticket using a can of food which is then passed on to the Kintyre Food Bank and numerous other projects in the community and schools.
Campbeltown Community Business (CCB) was founded in 1987 to run Campbeltown Picture House. CCB consists of company members and a volunteer Board of Directors. Since the reopening of the Picture House in December 2017, CCB has overseen the management of the building and the business therein.
How did the project begin and what community need(s) was it seeking to address?
The restoration project began through a need to save our historic Picture House and return it as a community asset.
How did you source funding and support for the project?
Funding came from lots of different places from National Lottery capital funding down to donations from individuals in the community.
How did the project progress from inception to delivery? What obstacles did you overcome and what were the major milestones?
We went through many ups and downs as you would expect from such a large scale building project. Obstacles were mainly understandable ones about the Grade A status of the building and having to be very careful to look after it!
How did you involve the community in your project?
The community were involved throughout the entire process and kept up to date with progress. A band of volunteers were instrumental in the sorting of the archive and researching the history of the Picture House.
What has been the impact of the project on the community?
The Picture House is the most iconic building in Campbeltown so the need to restore it so it can continue to serve the community was essential. It is high on the list of tourist attractions in the area and provides that always useful rainy-day entertainment!
What’s next for your project?
More of the same! The business is running well and continues to provide for the community.