Crossing Boundaries - BFI - British Film Institute

- Digitalisation has increased (potential) access to minority media: the venues are no longer the only providers of
accessible minority media, although arguably they are the only providers of the ‘minority cinema experience’. In
addition, the programmes of mainstream ‘multiplex’ cinemas do overlap with the venue programmes. In some cases,
such as where larger cinema operators are located in city centres where there is a significant ‘knowledge worker
footfall’, this overlap is increasing. In such cases, the cinema experience can be the determinant of choice.
- The main audiences for the venues are under-representative of the city’s black and minority ethnic (BAME)
demographic profile. In some cases, as with Watershed, the per cent proportion of the audience that is from BAME
backgrounds match that of the per cent proportion of BAMEs across the city; but this is not to say that every BAME
community is engaged. There are many instances of excellent programming that have attracted large mixed
audiences, but such audiences are not representative of the core audience for the venues. This has implications for
the ownership of the programming and the wider offer of the venues. That the venues are interpreted by some as
being ‘cliquey’; ‘open for some and closed for others’, presents a significant challenge to the legitimacy and integrity
of the venues.
Doubtless, the venues undertake considerable outreach and education work and they do programme with audience development
an absolutely central concern. They are working on their openness. Mother and baby mornings; minority programming; and myriad
community projects exemplify this. However, capacity here has been limited and initiatives such as mother and baby mornings
have in some cases stalled because licences have not been granted for babies to be present at films certificated for an older
audience. However, a key challenge here is the rather out-moded notion of ‘audience’ and an inflexible methodology for engaging
with said audience. The venues have actively fund-raised to conduct audience research, but in most cases a standard approach has
been adopted that quantifies how services can be improved. Little work has been done on how the public understand them 17 , how
the venues understand the public, and thus how new types of ownership can be invigorated. In addition, little research has been
undertaken that explores how the wider offer of the venues – across their physical and digital footprints – can engender new types
17 Watershed’s 2007 audience research found a lack of awareness about the breadth of programme.
Introduction 50
tom fleming / creative consultancy
UK Film Council
in association with
Arts Council England and the Arts Humanities Research Council