6 days ago
Aberfeldy cinema shuts for 1 month to create 'bigger and better' events space
The cinema in Aberfeldy has shut for one month to create a 'bigger and better' events space.
The Birks Cinema in Dunkeld Road closed on Monday as construction work on an upgraded creative hub got under way.
The space is used for community events and has a cafe, which will also be closed during the renovations.
Work is expected to last a month, with the cafe reopening on June 30 and the cinema on July 4.
Cinema manager and film programmer Patty Havey, 41, told The Courier what filmgoers can expect from the project.
She said: 'We're planning to host a grand opening at the end of July.
'We'll invite as many people as possible to come and walk through our new space.
'We're going through an upgrade where our mezzanine level is going to turn into a first-floor creative learning space.
'It'll be a larger area with a lot of improvements.
'It'll have audio and visual elements and blackout blinds, so we can show movies and stream rugby up there.
'We'll be able to host lectures, talks, and do a lot more workshops.
'The cafe will also be closed while we fit in a few improvements at the same time.'
The funding for the construction project came from the SSE Griffin and Calliachar community fund.
The grant to improve the activities and programmes at the cinema was from Creative Scotland's multi-year funding.
Patty added: 'We didn't get quite as much as we requested, so we're definitely searching for ways to finish funding that project.'
'We want the cinema to offer more than just film, and do more for young people in Aberfeldy.'
She added the new space will allow for a 'bigger and better' Birks Wilderness Film Festival in March 2026.
In 2023, a fundraiser was launched to save The Birks Cinema from closure due to the 'perfect storm' of online streaming, cost-of-living crisis and good weather.
