News

Our Centenary Programme

Posted on 12 July 2021

We are delighted to have now launched the programme of events which include the premiere of the Friends of the Picture House Memories Film, The Hebden Royd Valley Story with Nick Wilding, Calderdale on Film presented by our friends The Yorkshire Film Archive, alongside a host of cinema classics such as Cinema Paradiso, Local Hero, Brassed Off, Back to the Future and so much more.

Our centenary programme can be bought in-house now for £2, detailing all 24 events from July 2021 to June 2022. All sales of the programme will help to support the cinema after over 15 months of closure.

Details of upcoming centenary events can also be found via the Picture House website and advance tickets for July and August are now available here The remaining events will be added throughout the year, as seating plan layouts may change dependent on Covid-19 restrictions.

Rebekah Fozard, Picture House Manager, said: “So much of what we do here has not changed in the century we’ve been running, and I hope that this glorious building and the institution of the cinema will be at the heart of our community for many decades to come.”

Calling all film fans aged 16 to 19!

Posted on 7 July 2021

Have your say at Hebden Bridge Picture House and help make our indie cinema the best it can be for young people.

We would love to find out what you think and listen to your opinions on the cinema and our plans to develop our offering for younger cinephiles.

The Picture House is asking for interested young people between the ages of 16 and 19 to come along to an online focus group session on Tuesday 28th September at 5pm, hosted by Into Film, having watched a film at the cinema between now and 28th September (which will only cost £5).

We’d like you to book this yourself via our website / in-house during screening times, so you can give honest feedback on your experience of both booking a ticket and your cinema visit.

In return for your participation, the cinema will give you three free tickets (worth £15) to watch three films of your choice at the cinema.

We’ll be asking you to join us at another focus group session within the next 6 months to gain more insight from you, and in return for your time for this second session we will be offering £20 cash per person.

Ambassadors Group

Hebden Bridge Picture House are hoping to work more closely with interested people of all ages over a longer time frame, to develop this initial young audiences’ consultation into a Picture House Ambassadors group, meeting on a quarterly basis, where programming, access and inclusivity are discussed, and cinema improvements and innovations are suggested.

Sign up now if you love film and you want to ensure your local independent cinema remains relevant for you and your friends. Please email glen.meskell@intofilm.org to sign up for the first session on Tues 28th September. We look forward to hearing from you!

Young Audiences Generation Scheme is supported by the BFI, The National Lottery and Film Hub North.

How are we keeping you safe?

Posted on 21 June 2021

Hebden Bridge Picture House Exterior

How is the cinema keeping everyone safe?

We’ve made lots of changes to keep everyone safe. Here are just some of the measures we will have in place when re-open:

NOTE: We are required under Government test and trace rules to seek contact details for all customers aged 16 and over on arrival, either via a QR code check in via your smart phone on the NHS Covid-19 app (which you will need to download ahead of your visit and provides a speedier method of checking in), or via a form on a clipboard in our foyer. If you do not wish to scan in to the NHS app, you must provide your full name and contact phone number in writing on arrival.

1. We installed a new ventilation and air extraction system in the ceiling of the auditorium in 2020 to replace the original very old system. It isn’t air conditioning, but air extraction, and draws older air out of the building via ceiling vents and out through the lantern in the roof, drawing new air in at ground level. It therefore does not affect the temperature of the venue. The system will be on during all screenings at a level where it changes the air inside the cinema at above the Government recommended air change rate of 5 times per hour.

2. All seats are reserved and all tickets are sold in advance. This is to ensure appropriate staffing levels and everyone is able to be seated at a distance from other customer groups. You must sit in your reserved seats for everyone’s safety. Please only book a seating group larger than your party size if there are no seating groups the same size as your party left as taking additional adjacent seats off sale further reduces our already reduced capacity.

3. We are ensuring seating groups are 1.5 metres from the nearest seating group on re-opening and asking all customers only to book a seating group that matches their party size (where possible). All seating groups have unimpeded access to the aisle, so you can visit the toilet or kiosk during the film (to avoid queues) without passing people from outside your party at close quarters.

4. We are allowing for an enhanced cleaning regime between screenings on the same day and we have developed an extended cleaning regime for our daily morning cleans.

5. We are wearing face masks and ask you to wear a face mask too – the exception to this is when seated if you are eating and drinking at which point face masks can be removed but must be put back on as soon as you have finished eating or drinking. Masks must be worn whenever you are moving around the cinema.

6. Staff are having their temperatures checked at the start of their working day.

7. We have a one way system in place during the doors (entry) and post film period so you won’t risk bumping into people coming the oppsite way to you, and we are asking everyone to maintain as much distance from others as possible when moving around the building. On arrival you will choose whether to visit the kiosk or go straight to your seat. Once you’re seated you won’t be able to double back to the kiosk until the feature has started

8. We are using ticket scanners to read the QR codes on your printed ticket or smart phone screen so you and our staff are distanced. Please hold your print out or smart phone out at arms length for us to scan the code – so we can remain a good distance away from you at check in.

9. There are nine touch free hand sanitiser points within the cinema, including on entrance and exit.

10. We are asking for kiosk purchases to be made by contactless debit card payment to avoid unnecessary cash handling. Please note we do not accept credit cards.

11. We have installed an extensive protective screen at the kiosk and box office counter to protect you and our staff members.

12. We ask those who use our headsets and bluetooth receivers for audio amplification or audio description to bring their own headphones or earphones (with mini jack) to plug into our receivers. This is more hygienic, since we can effectively clean the receivers between customers but not the headsets. If you forget to bring your own, we have a small number of lightweight headphones for sale at the kiosk for £6.