October 2020 • Covid-19 Response • Deptford Cinema is looking for a new home

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What are the current plans for reopening Deptford Cinema?

This has been a very difficult time for all cinemas and we, as a community cinema, have been working behind the scenes to allow us all to watch films together again. Unfortunately, reopening our cinema space is no longer a possibility and we will be leaving our current venue soon. Our plan is vacate the building by the end of November and begin looking for a new cinema space in the Deptford area. In the interim we hope to organise a number of pop-up screening events at partnership venues, as well as continuing our online activities, such as free film service, DC on Demand, podcast series, film quizzes and Instagram interviews. Please get in touch if you have suggestions for possible venues. 


But what about the space on Deptford Broadway?

Amidst the ongoing pandemic, an Emergency Volunteer Meeting was organised to decide the future of the cinema. Deptford Cinema needed to consider ongoing issues with the current space it occupies that predate the pandemic, such as rent insecurity and physical access. 

Deptford Cinema has always aimed to balance sustainability with affordability to audiences. With a limited number of seats and less-than-ideal ventilation at the venue, current Covid-19 advice makes it extremely difficult for us to continue to operate with a fair ticket price. It was decided to hold a vote on whether the cinema should remain at its current venue or leave and seek a new space. 

The result of the vote was to leave the current venue and begin looking for a new home for the cinema, while in the interim to hold pop-up screenings at other spaces. We hope to find a new permanent space for the cinema in the Deptford area in 2021. We are always open to suggestions for possible venues. Please get in touch: info@deptfordcinema.org


How was this decision made?    

The decision was made after our Emergency Volunteer Meeting on the 9th of August where the majority of the volunteers voted for finding a new venue for the cinema. Initially, we were not going to move out quickly but use our current site as a base to find a new space, but with the end of our tenancy on Deptford Broadway, we no longer have any other option but to leave the premises as soon as possible. 


What is the timeline on finding a new venue? 

We are moving out of Deptford Broadway at the end of November and are now actively looking for a new venue. We are hoping that by next year we would have already found a new venue. We would welcome any suggestions and recommendations  of venues, which match our criteria (see our priorities here below). 

Contact us at info@deptfordcinema.org.


What are the priorities in finding a new venue?

A new venue will help us address these issues that we have faced in our current venue:

  • Improved accessibility for people with physical disabilities

  • Improved electrics for cinema screenings and events

  • Suitable capacity to carry out social distancing safely for volunteers and customers

  • Insecure rental situation

Any venue we are looking for will ideally match these priorities for our group:

  • Located in the Deptford area

  • Full physical access to all areas of the venue

  • Capacity to run sustainably with Covid-19 safety measures in place

  • A larger bar and social area

  • A long-term lease

  • Able to reach a wider audience in Deptford and beyond

  • Improved projection


What are the values of Deptford Cinema, wherever it’s based?

Deptford Cinema is an open, volunteer-run space for film lovers, renowned for its innovative community programming. The organisation values everyone’s experience, both in terms of the volunteers who contribute to running it, the films we screen and our diverse audiences who form our community. Our strength lies in incorporating different views and experiences, as we always aim to be: 

  • Non-hierarchical

  • Accessible

  • Egalitarian

  • Non-profit

  • Community-focused

  • Affordable

We want this move to be an opportunity to build upon what we have already achieved (as a space and as a volunteer group) and include new people who would like to participate to improve our ability to deliver on our values.


What is the timeline on starting pop-up events?

We are currently at the initial stages of planning a programme of pop-up events, looking for local organisations to temporarily host our films and events in 2021. We welcome any suggestions for suitable temporary spaces and ideas for pop-up screenings. 


I’ve left something in Deptford Cinema. How can I come and collect it? 

Please contact the cinema at: info@deptfordcinema.org as soon as possible if you have left something at the cinema that you would like to have back before the cinema closes at the end of November. 


What can I do to help right now? 

Your assistance and support is really needed at this time. Firstly, you can get involved as a volunteer, assisting with activities such as finding and setting up a new venue, programming for our DC on Demand service and pop-up screenings, helping with our online film quiz events, setting up a new venue, social media and communications, and much more. 

Your support is also needed in terms of donations toward a capital fund for a new venue and for our new programme of pop-up film events. If you would like to make a donation to help us with the next chapter of Deptford Cinema, you can do it via PayPal at this link.


How can I get involved? 

New volunteers are always welcome. We organise weekly meetings –- currently held online via the Zoom platform –- every Sunday morning at 11am. Please drop us an email at: info@deptfordcinema.org for information to the Zoom link and password.


What about my donation?

Thank you so much for donating to Deptford Cinema. We will be using any donations we have received to give us a strong financial base for opening a new venue that retains the spirit of Deptford Cinema as it was formulated in Deptford Broadway. If you would like to make a donation to help us in our cause, you can do it via PayPal at this link.


What about my patronage?

We are really grateful to everyone who has supported Deptford Cinema with patronage. We wouldn’t have been able to run the space as it is without you. There are three options for patrons as we enter this period of change:

  1. Continue your patronage and extend your membership by any months you’ve contributed when we reopen

  2. Freeze your patronage and restart it when we reopen, extended by the number of months you’ve contributed to while we’ve been closed

  3. Cancel your patronage and a refund for the months we have been closed


We hope that you are happy with your ongoing patronage going towards the start-up costs for our new venue, but we can refund your patronage for the months that we have been closed. Alternatively, when we reopen, we can extend your current patronage by the number of months we were closed. If you would like to freeze your patronage, please get in touch.


What about my Kickstarter donation?

Our recent Kickstarter was set up to fund emergency electrical works to ensure that we could continue to run a safe space. Ideally, we would like to use these funds generously provided by our backers to set up a new permanent home for Deptford Cinema. 

However, if you would like a full refund of your donation, we are happy to reimburse. Please email info@deptfordcinema.org and we will process your refund as soon as possible.

We are aware that some of the Kickstarter backer rewards have not been delivered or collected (depending on the level of support) and we will be ensuring that these are either transported over to the new space or we will deliver them in the interim. If you would like to discuss your reward, please email info@deptfordcinema.org.