The Living Room Cinema will take up residence in the former Anchor Garage in Liphook’s central square. This venture has been several years in the making, and is now almost ready to open its doors to the local community.
Founder Claire Beswick and her team are pleased to announce that they are opening this month!
Who is behind The Living Room Cinema?
CEO, Founder and Director Claire Beswick, who has had an 18-year cinema career spanning Vue, Odeon, the British Film Institute and Curzon Cinemas, is the brains behind The Living Room Cinema. Named one of the ‘Top 50 Women in Global Cinema’ in 2018, Claire is a UK Cinema Association speaker, National Film & Television School teacher, and is on the main jury for the British Independent Film Awards. Claire has lived in Liphook for 12 years, and is immensely passionate about bringing welcoming, community-led cinemas to communities not served by other operators.
Where did the idea for The Living Room Cinema come from?
Claire began The Living Room Cinema to address the need for quality independent cinemas in smaller communities. Since the closure of The Rex cinema in Haslemere in 1986, the closest purpose built cinema for Liphook, Haslemere and surrounding local residents is 25 minutes in any direction, requiring a journey to Odeon Guildford, or down to Portsmouth. By repurposing vacant, iconic high street buildings, like the Anchor Garage in Liphook, we seek to play a leading role in the regeneration of high streets. Post-pandemic the future is local and social, and we will be a place for everyone in the community to enjoy.
How has the renovation been going?
While renovation has, at times, been trying, the construction process is now approaching its end. Construction delays caused by the pandemic have affected us, as they have affected every project, but we are very close to the finish line now!
How often will films be shown and what style of films will you show?
There will be up to four showings a day, seven days a week, and something for everyone to enjoy.
The film programme will be diverse: from new-releases, independent titles and family films to subtitled, audio-described, autism-friendly and parent and baby screenings. Saturday mornings will be home to The Little Living Room Kids’ Club screenings, and ‘The Living Room Presents’ will showcase arthouse and foreign language films on a monthly basis. Live performances showcasing the best in theatre and ballet will bring the world stage to Liphook.
Tickets are now on sale for our opening month and beyond, including Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore; Downton Abbey: A New Era; Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; The Batman; Sonic the Hedgehog 2; National Theatre Live performances, Royal Opera House Swan Lake, and more.
How many seats will the cinema have and what style of seating will there be?
Our 61-seat auditorium will hold a selection of handmade armchairs and sofas - like your living room, only better. The front row of the auditorium will have two wheelchair spaces.
Will there be a bar, cafe and refreshments available?
Our casually luxurious yet comfortable foyer will serve local, specialty coffee from Moon Roast in Alresford and cocktails hand-crafted by our talented Front of House team. With pastries and cakes on offer during the day, and more substantial meals come evening, as well as cinema snacks like popcorn and confectionery, The Living Room Cinema will be an all-day, destination venue. We hope that locals will regularly join us for daytime coffees and evening cocktails.
What ticket and membership options are available?
We have three tiers of membership, plus a corporate membership scheme, but we are not members only & tickets are on sale now. Concessions tickets will be available for seniors, students and children.
Standard Membership - for the casual regular (£85)
Includes 4 complimentary tickets per year, member-priced tickets for the member and a guest, 15% off food and beverages, and exclusive discounts at partner businesses.
Premium Membership - for the ultimate film fan (£500)
● Unlimited tickets for the member, member-priced tickets for a guest
● Priority booking for special events including high profile films and event cinema performances
● 15% off all food and drink purchases
● Invites to members-only screenings of pre-release films
● Exclusive partner offers
● No booking fees
Founder Membership - for The Living Room Cinema VIPs (£1500)
We will be offering 50 exclusive Founder Membership packages for our biggest supporters. This truly is the hottest ticket to our cinema, and these VIP members will be entitled to the following:
● Unlimited tickets for the member and a guest
● A complimentary glass of wine, beer or a soft drink for the member upon each visit
● Priority booking for special events including high profile films and event cinema performances
● No booking fees
● One private screening of a film of your choice
● Invite to the VIP launch party
● 15% off all food and drink purchases
● Exclusive partner offers
● Invites to member only screenings of pre-release films
● Founder Member preview screenings
This membership package will be renewed at the Premium membership price going forward, yet the Founder Member benefits will remain for the lifetime of the member.
Will there be local business sponsor opportunities?
Yes The Living Room Cinema is also offering local businesses the opportunity to become a part of the fabric of the cinema forever by sponsoring a seat in the cinema. Seat sponsorship costs £500 and includes a personalised plaque with your name, logo or message, as well as a Standard Membership for each seat sponsored.
Can the venue be used for any other events?
Both our foyer and auditorium are available for private hire, for birthdays as well as special events and corporate meetings.
Our Special Events programme will feature Q&As and presentations from film makers utilising the extensive network of film-maker connections known to the senior team, and we will have a monthly film quiz for locals to flex their movie muscles, as well as children’s workshops.
For all enquiries please contact The Living Room Cinema at:
EMAIL: hello@thelivingroomcinema.co.uk
Our focus is to grow this space to become a place of value where you can contribute, learn, teach, share & feel engaged in community life. Our vision is to create a space for the community and support you to create something amazing within it.
Brought to you by
BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER THROUGH THE STRENGTH AND POWER OF VOLUNTEERING
Community Interest Company (number 13424641)
Email us on
info@thisishaslemere.co.uk
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