Help keep 50 years of independent cinema alive in Ipswich

Why it matters: King Street Cinema faces "serious challenges" in keeping the cinema operating without volunteer support, after seeing audience numbers fall every year since 2015 and struggling with rising costs.

The historic venue, which has brought independent film to Ipswich audiences for almost 50 years, is now recruiting volunteers to help.

The details: Volunteers would be responsible for front-of-house and projection duties before and during screenings. The cinema will provide training on processes and cash handling for front-of-house roles, whilst projection volunteers need some technical knowledge or experience.

Director Daniel Champion said: "We have seen audience numbers fall every year since 2015, suffered in the aftermath of the events of 2020, navigated changing audience habits, and found it difficult to combat rising costs, all of which means we now face serious challenges in keeping the cinema operating without a volunteer base to support our screenings."

Sophie DebenhamIpswich.co.uk

What's on offer: Volunteers receive one free ticket to any performance when not on shift, plus a 30% discount on food and drink at any time.

The bigger picture: King Street Cinema, originally the Ipswich Film Theatre when it launched in 1975, has served as a training ground for film programmers and built its reputation as a shrine to international, cult and classic cinema. The venue plays a crucial role as the cultural heart of Suffolk within the Corn Exchange.

What's changing: Starting from July, the cinema will no longer hold Thursday evening screenings to help control costs and manage its finances. All other screenings, including Saturday and Thursday matinees, remain unaffected.

The bottom line: Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Dan at dan.kingstreet@gmail.com to help ensure the longest-running independent cinema in Ipswich continues to operate.