Barriers to Diversity in Film – A Research Review – Aug 07

4.6 Barriers to cinema attendance
Barriers to going to the cinema include finance (when it may be
cheaper to rent a DVD), travel, child care, physical access to the
cinema, and a perception that certain films are not ‘for us’. An urban
location increases attendance. A BFI study showed that some minority
ethnic groups feel ticket prices are too high (BFI 2000). People of
mixed ethnicity and Chinese and other origin groups were most likely
to regard the cost of attending cultural events as a barrier (Bridgwood
et al 2003). Black Africans and people of Bangladeshi and Pakistani
origin were the most likely to say that concerns about feeling
uncomfortable or out of place prevented them attending cultural
events (Bridgwood et al, op. cit.).
The industry has done much to encourage disabled people to visit the
cinema. The issue of ticket prices for disabled people has been given
priority by the Cinema Exhibitors Association (CEA), with help from the
UK Film Council. The CEA now offers discounted prices, with two
tickets for the price of one, enabling a disabled person to be
accompanied by a carer. Many cinemas, with help from the UK Film
Council, have installed subtitling and audio-description to meet the
needs of blind, partially sighted and deaf people. One third of cinemas
now have this equipment and most mainstream films are subtitled or
audio described, though much of this equipment is underutilised
(Brandon et al 2007). Significantly more people with sensory
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