Financial boost for Fife cinema project

Cinema facilities at Dunfermline’s Carnegie Hall have received a financial boost.

The Fife Cultural Trust has received £10,598 to update its equipment at the venue to provide dementia friendly, autism friendly and baby friendly screenings, as well as films which are captioned, and audio-described. Films are affordable at £3 per ticket.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop visited the theatre and met with Ruth McCabe from Dementia Friendly Fife and 56-year-old Gerald King, who has younger onset Alzheimer’s, to discuss the importance of dementia friendly screenings.

She also spoke to local mum Clare Smart who brings three-year-old daughter Megan to child friendly screenings.

Projects to improve access to cinema across Scotland have been awarded more than £800,000.

A total of £818,912 has been awarded so far to projects located across the country, from Dumfries to Shetland, and Inverkip to Montrose. And applications for the next round of funding are being invited by 28 January 2020.

Ms Hyslop said, “This investment improves local community cinema facilities to ensure audiences can enjoy high quality films in venues across the country.

“It’s been a really positive year for the Scottish screen sector, and this investment will allow more people to enjoy the big screen experience in their own communities.”

Heather Stuart, chief executive of Fife Cultural Trust (ONFife) said, “Watching a film as part of an audience can be an entertaining and enriching experience and this award is a welcome boost to what we can offer at Carnegie Hall.

“It makes our screenings much more accessible to more groups of people who might otherwise miss out on the whole cinema experience because of their circumstances – whether that’s parents with young babies or someone living with dementia.”