The newly rebooted Catford Mews is taking shape as the official list of local food vendors is announced.
Ciarán O'Fathaigh got a sneak peek of the site and its progress when we caught up with Isra Al Kassi - programme and marketing manager - to chat about working with local film makers, screening cultural movies, local employment opportunities and recruitment, feedback from the local community, as well as membership and general ticket prices ...
The Really Local Group [the company behind the new Catford Mews] has met with Catford Film to discuss hosting screenings for their festival in September and they've been chatting with Catford Arts about a collaboration for their annual arts trail.
Keith Arnold of Catford Film says "We will hold two free screenings at the Catford Mews as part of the Catford Free Film Festival 2019.
"This will include a Saturday morning kids' screening of Big Bad Fox & Other Tales 10am 21st September [which is] a really stylised cartoon and something that will appeal to families that want to share something slightly different to the regular, mainstream offerings with their children".
"The second film will be Tucked 8pm 16th Sept as part of our LGBT offering at the festival. The films we screen at the festival are all free to the public with no booking required".
Catford Mews have also met with local film collective We Do Good Disco who say that there will be a double bill screening for Halloween of Stephen King's Christine and Peter Strickland's In Fabric, complete with hair and make up salon, a quiz and a spooky disco.
Catford Mews have also been trying to open conversations with local independent film makers in general about supporting their work and the possibility of showing their shorts along with regular ads and trailers ahead of and between regular, programmed screenings.
And they've been reaching out to distributors of world, cultural and niche cinema, too.
"I've been in touch with every single [cultural] distributor that is in London and the UK - from really big ones to really, really small ones and I've reach out to loads of black film collectives cos I think, there's very black-specific collectives in London. I think the best thing would be to collaborate with them" says Isra.
"I've had people email in about doing like, Romanian film festivals, so we're working on that ... It's really important to remember that we are definitely trying to bring in small, small films - films that people just don't think they would be able to see in the cinema".
In terms of employment opportunities and recruitment, applications for the last available job vacancies closed on the 4th August and Catford Mews have received over 200 applications.
"I'd say around 90% of people who have applied are Catford-specific".
"We listed it online of course, but because I went to the Catford South Local Assembly and I printed out loads of adverts and I mentioned it ... just to make sure that we sort of reached a local community".
"Social media's been really great and I've received some emails where it's been like 'I'm emailing n behalf of ...' and they wanna like, find out more information".
"We tried to put up job ads as much as we could in the area like Tesco and Costa and just outside the [Catford Mews] building and stuff just for anyone who doesn't go online? But I do think it spread quite wildly on there".
Isra really feels that feedback from consultation and engagement with the community has been great, "I think people are realising that we are open for suggestions and we're open for like, collaborations".
"So far everything I've gotten through has been something I want to work on with people".
"I think the only thing is that people can't fully believe how we turn it into a 3 screen cinema and I think people will be really surprised how we do it".
"The bar is in place now food vendor stalls are in place the screens are in place ... every day I'm seeing something I'm like 'This wasn't here yesterday, this is so cool'".
Other key suggestions from the community have been about accessibility as well as natural light, both of which have had fortunately already been considered by the Really Local Group.
Local food vendors
Catford Mews will be hosting a selection of local independent food vendors to sell refreshments at the venue and the official list is as follows:
Membership and ticket prices
320 people have signed up to be Founder Members through Catford Mews' Kickstarter campaign which has now ended. The membership were offered at a lower rate and the venue is open the prices will be:
Membership:
Adult standard membership £40
Student membership £25
60+ membership £25
(12 months, 3 free cinema tickets, reduced cinema ticket prices, 10% off food and drink)
Family Membership £50
(12 months, 1 free family cinema ticket, reduced cinema ticket prices, 10% off food and drink)
Tickets:
Catford Mews say that it’s very important to them to keep the ticket prices as low as they can. During the week and in the day the ticket prices for new releases start at £4.99.
Overall ticket prices are between £4.99 and £9.99.
They will accept CEA cards so that carers can go free.
For their weekly family favourite screenings of old releases, and relaxed screenings tickets will be lower.
Daytimes:
(Monday to Friday, 10am-5pm)
Child
£4.99
Adult
£6.99 (£5.99)
Student
£5.99 (£4.99)
60+
£5.99 (£4.99)
Family
£24.99 (£19.99)
Evening:
(Monday to Thursday from 5pm)
Child
£5.99
Adult
£7.99 (£6.99)
Student
£6.99 (£5.99)
60+
£6.99 (£5.99)
Family
£25.99 (£21.99)
Evening:
(Friday from 5pm, all day Saturday and Sunday)
Child
£5.99
Adult
£9.99 (£8.99)
Student
£8.99 (£7.99)
60+
£8.99 (£7.99)
Family
£26.99 (£22.99)
*Members' prices in brackets.
For the weekly family favourite screenings of old releases and relaxed screenings tickets will be lower.
Take a look at progress at the site below:
*All photography by Renegade Production.
Catford Mews are keen to hear feedback and contributions RE any ideas and suggestions for screenings, social events and anything else.
Here are some links to relevant communication channels and digital platforms:
Catford Mews:
Really Local Group:
Team Catford:
Lewisham Council:
Comments