Background info on the project and donation details for anyone who wishes to contribute towards the cost of the project can be found at the bottom of this page.

Updates on the progress of the project are below, with the newest information listed first.

        

In December 2012, our application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for funding for The Centenary Project was rejected. The Board were hugely disappointed but felt that the future of this priceless, historic building must be secured.

To this end a meeting was held on 24th January 2013, chaired by the head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, with representatives from Creative Scotland, Historic Scotland, Regional Screen Scotland and Campbeltown Community Business. All present gave their support to finding a new solution to restore the building and make the business sustainable. It means going back to Square One with the complex process of applying for HLF funding, but all the development work undertaken during the past three years will not be in vain. Further information will be given when available.

In the meantime, The Picture House is going digital! Thursday, 31st January witnessed the end of the era of regular 35mm projection, as the cinema closed for the installation of digital projection equipment. However, the old projector will be kept operable, particularly in the hope that the particular skills of a projectionist can still be passed on to future generations. Campbeltown has been lucky to have such a passionate exponent of that art in Russell Carroll, who has nurtured both his equipment and the historic building through the past 24 years, becoming the General Manager in 2000. During the last 12 years he has passed on his art to a number of others, including Joyce Campbell, the Deputy General Manager. The town has been so fortunate in having these two stalwarts and their part time assistants keeping the cinema open six days a week, 52 weeks of the year over recent years.

The Wee Pictures has always been a community undertaking. 41 local shareholders invested in the original project and for the past 25 years volunteers from the community have run the business. It is also thanks to the local people that it has been possible for digital projection equipment to be installed. 18 months ago The Picture House won RBS's Community Challenge which kick started the fund raising effort with £6,000. The cinema joined the Digital Funding Partnership, set up to help independent cinemas 'go digital'. Various fund raising events were held, generous donations received from local groups and with help from HIE, LEADER and Awards for All the total of nearly £100,000 has been raised.

The cinema will be closed from 2nd to 15th February to allow the installation of our new digital projector and ancillary equipment. It will re-open on Saturday, 16th February.

The Picture House has been a dominant feature on the waterfront in Campbeltown for nearly 100 years. It opened on 26th May 1913 at a time when the town was at the height of its prosperity. For the last 25 years it has been run successfully by volunteers, hugely supported by the local community. It is the only form of family entertainment open six nights a week, 52 weeks a year.

Now this community is embarking on its third, most important phase of restoration. For more than two years the Directors have been developing a plan to make the enterprise sustainable in the future. The historic auditorium will be conserved and an adjoining annex will be brought back into use. The cinema-going experience of the visiting public will be enhanced with a new enlarged kiosk. A small second screen will be built in the courtyard to widen the audience base. Renewable energy will be used. An historical interpretative exhibition will be created, using the iconic MacGrory Photographic collection, which portrays local social history during the 1890s and early 1900s.

We are seeking £1 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund should we succeed at their second round stage in December, but already have a confirmed repair grant of £449,674 from Historic Scotland. Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Minister for Culture and External Affairs said: “ it is vital that we preserve this iconic building which will not only help to breathe new fabric into the heart of the community and preserve our sense of history and heritage but also assist in attracting visitors”. We have also just received a First Round Pass for a capital grant from Creative Scotland of £433,000. We are in negotiation with Argyll & Bute Council, HIE and LEADER too. Our final target is just under £3 million!

We are working on a UK wide PR Campaign and are now launching our Seat Sponsorship Scheme (SSS). We hope that individuals, companies, societies and families from Campbeltown, Kintyre, wider Argyll and even other parts of Scotland will 'buy' a seat, or two or maybe even a row! Each one will cost £250 and we need 190 in the main auditorium and 50 in the Second Screen Building. Names of benefactors will be recorded for posterity on a Roll of Honour Board in The Picture House. Michael Russell, MSP, said when launching this scheme “This is a great opportunity for all those who love cinema in Scotland to be a part of history. Sponsoring a seat will put their name into the longest continuously running movie palace in the country and secure its future. I am delighted to be the first such sponsor and would encourage others – at home and abroad – to sign up too.”

Mike Russell MSP, commented, “This is a fantastic vote of confidence in the community company that runs the cinema and in the Campbeltown community itself which will next May be able to celebrate having one of the longest continuously operating cinemas in Europe on their doorstep.”



Donations can be made online using the button to the right of this page, while Seat Sponsorship forms can be downloaded here and returned to the cinema. Leaflets can also be picked up at The Picture House.

The Picture House is to receive a £449,674 boost to its Centenary Project fund, one of eight recipients of Historic Scotland building repair grants totalling £1,900,970. This grant is a major step forward in securing funding for the project.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Minister for Culture and External Affairs said: “Scotland has a wealth of fascinating buildings and architecture and it is vital that we preserve these iconic buildings which help regenerate areas and communities.

“These grants not only help to breathe new fabric into the heart of the community and preserve our sense of history and heritage but also assist in attracting visitors, which in turns boosts Scotland’s economy.”

Mrs Jane Mayo, Chairman, Campbeltown Community Business Ltd and The Picture House (Campbeltown) Ltd said: “The Directors and the Design Team of The Picture House are delighted with the offer of grant assistance from Historic Scotland to conserve this internationally important cinema. From the outset Historic Scotland have provided support for this building and we very much welcome their substantial contribution. This funding will enable the building to be conserved and repaired to the highest standard. We look forward to working with them to ensure the survival of this important cultural and community asset.“

Mike Russell MSP, commented, “This is a fantastic vote of confidence in the community company that runs the cinema and in the Campbeltown community itself which will next May be able to celebrate having one of the longest continuously operating cinemas in Europe on their doorstep.”

“The Campbeltown Picture House will mark its centenary at that time and the ambitious refurbishment and restoration plans have been given a huge boost by Historic Scotland. I was very pleased to speak at the funders day event earlier this year and I will go on supporting what is not only an architectural gem , with probably the best siting of any cinema in Scotland as well as some unique interior features , but also a vibrant community business that is serving local people week in, week out. ”

The Friday plane from Glasgow towards the end of April held a large contingent of important passengers bound for The Picture House. Senior executives of the major funding organisations had been invited to visit the cinema by local MSP, Mike Russell, formerly Arts and Culture Minister, and Jane Mayo, Chairman of CCB, for a presentation by the team working on The Centenary Project.



Whilst the attendees were assembling a slide show of over a hundred photographs from the MacGrory Archive were shown, depicting life in Campbeltown and Kintyre at the end of the nineteenth, beginning of the twentieth centuries. And at 12.40 the formal presentation began. Just under 40 people were welcomed to the historic building by David Mayo, Project Manager for the forthcoming work. He stressed the importance of the building to the community which had sustained it for the past 25 years and the competent management that had enabled it to survive. Jane then set the scene by describing how The Picture House was conceived and then built nearly one hundred years ago. The importance of the building in the world of cinema, where few original buildings survive, was stressed and a brief outline of what is proposed was described. First the conservation of the precious but frail interior, with particular emphasis on bringing back the magic of the unique 'atmospheric' feature of the 'wee houses' on either side of the screen. Conversion and extension of the annex building will provide a new ticket/kiosk facility and a small cafe. New buildings in the rear courtyard will house a second screen and exhibition space to display the MacGrory collection. The current foyer will be enlarged and adapted to give an interpretation of the history of cinema and The Picture House in particular, with the cinema's original Mercury Arc Rectifier taking centre stage.

Martin Hadlington, Conservation Architect and Design Team Leader, then led the audience through the planned designs for the work, stressing the number of alternatives that had been considered. He also pointed out that one of the original purposes of the project had been to find a sustainable future for the operation of the cinema in the future. One of the important features of his designs was the inclusion of renewable energy in the form of photovoltaic panels on the rear roof and a wood pellet boiler for heating.



David then reiterated the original aims of the project and declared that these were being met. The Business Plan showed a modest surplus after completion of the project. The expected costs were then highlighted before Jane outlined the hoped for grants from the various funding agencies. She then invited Mike Russell to sum up. He expressed a particular interest by saying he was actually the only trained projectionist in the Scottish Parliament, had run a community cinema and was very interested in photography! But he also underlined the importance of achieving a successful outcome to the project with the help of all those present.

The attendees were then invited upstairs to the balcony where a buffet lunch of local food was served. Generous help had been given to CCB in producing this meal by local suppliers, Carradale Bakery, The Old Smokehouse and Inverloch Cheese Company. There was now an opportunity for the visitors to meet some of the descendants of the original debenture holders who had also been invited. Help was also given by the Cinema Supporters Group and an RBS volunteer, a bonus from winning their recent Community Challenge.

After lunch there was an opportunity for tours of the buildings and closer inspection of the plans laid out on display.

It is almost a year since the last update because it has been a challenging time working on the development phase of the project. It is such an important undertaking that it is vital to find the correct solution. First and foremost, the aim is to conserve the historic building for the future. But it must be financially sustainable, and this is where the challenge lies. How best to bring back the unused assets to provide a financially viable way ahead? There is an empty annexe beside the main auditorium and an empty courtyard to the rear.

The Board has looked at many many options, and the consultancy teams have worked tirelessly to see whether each of these could work. It is hoped that a solution has finally been found that will deliver all the original aims presented to the Heritage Lottery Fund in our application. Further details will be posted soon.

In the meantime however, The Picture House must Go Digital. This has happened sooner than was originally planned. The industry is expected to move away from 35mm projection by the end of 2012. Only about five prints of each film will be made in the 35mm format. The Picture House cannot wait its turn for one of these if it is to fulfil its stated remit of showing films within 4 to 5 weeks of release. Steps are being taken to ensure that we do not get left behind. For the past fifteen months a cinema supporters group has been mounting a series of fundraising efforts. These were greatly increased by winning the recent Royal Bank of Scotland's Community Force challenge, providing a boost of £6,000. This sum has been matched by generous donations from local bodies like The Rotary Club of Campbeltown and the Balure Trust, a coffee morning, a bingo night, a bottle stall, a quiz, charity boxes in shops, garden openings, and the sale of the commemorative DVD of HMS Campbeltown's final visit to the town. These efforts will continue till we reach our goal of approximately £16,000. (The total cost of the equipment needed will be just over £100,000! Other funders will hopefully be the Digital Funding Partnership, HIE and LEADER.) The Picture House would welcome help to reach this total from other groups or individuals.

On Sunday, 11th March the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo'ness will reach its hundredth birthday and we join with them in celebrating this important event. They underwent a thorough restoration process starting in 2005 and reopened in February 2008 after thirty years lying empty. We earnestly hope that we can follow in their footsteps and restore our precious but fragile gem to its former glory.

The Development Phase of the project is going well. We have instructed our Conservation Architect, Martin Hadlington to now develop his original sketch plans. Meanwhile Jura Consultants have nearly completed the Activity Plan, which incoporates many of the ideas suggested by those who attended the Consultation Day or completed the survey. However, they have also come up with many very exciting other ideas, particularly what we might do to celebrate the Centenary itself. They are also working on the Business Plan to see what is financially possible and sustainable. David Campbell of Campbell & Co. is looking at the Interpretive Plan for the main auditorium and what might happen in the annexe.

Various fund raising initiatives are underway. Already a garden has been opened for the project's benefit. A film quiz will be available shortly and a Coffee Morning will be held in the Red Cross Hall on 4th June. The recent final visit of HMS Campbeltown will be celebrated with a CD/DVD compiled from the many, many photographs taken by over 20 different people, who have generously donated their photos. It will be available shortly at £10, with all the proceeds going to The Centenary Fund. Meanwhile discussions with Historic Scotland, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and LEADER are also underway for funding and also applications will be made to national grant giving trusts.

The Design Team and CCB Ltd met to discuss progress of the project following a visit to the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo'ness on 8th February. Local consultations were going well with nearly 100 on-line surveys and 10 hard copy surveys returned. The possibility of talking to people in the street was also suggested to get additional views. There will be a further press release to remind public.

Discussions about the use of the interior space of the cinema and annexe continue with no firm decisions being made at present. Suggested options include; cafe facilities, an exhibition space, a second smaller screen, outdoor seating in the courtyard with possibly a childrens play area. Additional opportunities to help the viability of the cinema business were also discussed.

Martin Hadlington said that there may be a possibility for additional revenue from renewables. The south facing roofs could be fitted with photovoltaic solar panels which could produce an income of £5000 to £10,000 per year.

A good turnout of local people came along to the Campbeltown Town Hall to listen to a presentation by conservation architect, Martin Hadlington and representatives from Jura Consultants. The presentation also allowed people to have their say about the future of the cinema. They heard how the Picture House is 100 years old in 2013 and work is currently taking place to conserve and restore the interior of the building, bring the annexe back to life and to give the cinema a sustainable future.

'This is a building of international historic importance, right here in Campbeltown,' said Martin Hadlington speaking to the local newspaper, The Campbeltown Courier. He added, 'It was built only seven years after the oldest cinema in the world and is unique in that it has remained as a cinema throughout its life and its historic interior is intact.'

This was the first scheduled update by Martin Hadlington to the CCB Board. The reports previously received from the Design Team covering the Structural, Mechanical/Electrical and Services of the cinema were discussed at the meeting.

A major item arising out of the Internal Structural report was the condition of the steel beams in the balcony floor as rectification of this could have considerable impact on the project costs. There were no reported problems with the external structure though some external site investigation works may need to be carried out.
Nothing identified from the Mechanical/Electrical report required further action at this stage although initial indications are that some waterproof sealing may be required under the floor of the auditorium and in the (current) boiler house.
The Services report concluded that sufficient knowledge is available in-house of the various services and their location to enable initial design work to be carried out.

Martin Hadlington gave a report on his own progress so far. He mentioned that he had had a first site meeting with the Argyll & Bute Conservation Officer who is very supportive of the project and pleased to be involved at this early stage. Martin also tabled his latest conceptual sketch with a more conventional design for the annexe roof. Discussions highlighted the need for the final design to incorporate good access for maintenance and cleaning of roof areas.

Martin will be attending the Open Day to be conducted in The Town Hall on Tuesday 1st February and it is intended that he will introduce each of the planned presentations.

The planning phase of a project to enhance Campbeltown Picture House begins in earnest with a programme of consultation, starting with an open day to discuss ideas and proposals on Tuesday 1st February 2011. Jura Consultants, a consultancy firm specialising in the improvement of historic and cultural buildings will be holding a public consultation event at the Council Chambers in the Campbeltown Town Hall. Members of the community are welcome to stop in at 2pm, 4pm or 7pm that day to hear a short presentation about the project, ask questions and contribute their opinions and ideas on the options being considered to improve the Picture House.

Anyone who would like to comment on the proposals but is unable to attend the consultation can contact Jura Consultants direct by e-mailing admin@jura-consultants.co.uk or by filling out the online questionnaire at http://www.tinyurl.com/weepictures

CCB Board members met with Jura Consultants and Campbell & Co today to discuss the Business Plan and Activity Plan. Jura Consultants stressed that the initial aim was to work towards celebrating the Centenary of The Picture House. Their immediate issue was to define a brief for the Design Team to work to and start a period of public consultation.

The public consultation will take the form of an open meeting with a number of short presentations on the project and the opportunity for the community to give feedback. Venue and date still to be decided. An on-line questionnaire will also be prepared with link published in the Courier, Picture House website and elsewhere.

The first meeting with the newly appointed Design Team took place today. The team were welcomed by the Board with introductions being made between all attending. The Design Team members stressed that the majority of their work was concerned with historic buildings.

The aspirations of the Board were discussed with the main priority being to create a new sustainable business, closely followed by a top quality restoration of the cinema. Key dates and a timetable for the project development were agreed. Tours of the premises were conducted during the showing of a film and more intensively at the end of the meeting.

Further meetings are planned for January 2011.

Contracts for the Development Phase of The Centenary Project have now been awarded. Martin Hadlington, Conservation Architect, will lead a strong Design Team. He will be supported by Morham & Brotchie, Quantity Surveyors; David Narro Associates, Structural Engineers; Irons Foulne, Energy Consultants and CDM Scotland as Construction Design Management Co-ordinators. All are experienced in working on heritage projects.

They will be joined by Jura Consultants for the Activity and Business planning and Campbell and Co. for the Interpretive and Exhibition plan.

The Board of Directors is delighted that such a high quality team has been appointed and will hold the first meeting with the Design Team on 16th December 2010.

The Directors of Campbeltown Community Business and The Picture House are delighted to announce that the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded this project a first-round pass of £700,000. This award is to conserve the interior of The Picture House and bring the annex back into use by joining the two buildings together.



The cinema-going experience of the visiting public will be enhanced with a new kiosk, café bar and the introduction of digital and 3-D projection. Also within this new space an historical interpretative exhibition will be created, using the iconic MacGrory Photographic collection which portrays the social history of Campbeltown and Kintyre during the 1890s and early 1900s.

A further small auditorium will be built in the courtyard to provide an additional screen for the showing of other films and the audio visual history of the area over the past centuries. This will provide a further income stream to ensure the financial survival of The Picture House. It will also enable us to open the doors during the daytime for visitors and locals alike. The completed project is expected to cost in the region of £1.7 million.

HLF also awarded a grant of £70,000 for Development Funding. Augmented by a grant of £23,623 from LEADER the Directors will spend the next six months working on the plans ready to submit a Round Two application to HLF in June 2011. Contracts for this work will be awarded very shortly and regular updates will be placed on this page.

The final project has been provisionally costed at £1,740,000, pending the development work. If success is achieved at Round Two, then HLF will cover 40% of the costs. It is hoped that other funders like Historic Scotland, LEADER and HIE will contribute towards the balance of the project.

If you wish to contribute, a Picture House Centenary Fund account has been opened and donations can be sent to the Picture House office, handed to a member of staff or you can make a donation online by clicking the button below. The Board of Directors urges all those interested in the preservation of this very special building to support this project.