The Watermark -the main community and entertainment hub for Ivybridge (which is the largest town in the South Hams) -is looking to upgrade and improve its cinema offer, and has launched a crowdfunder for people to show support.
Improve accessibility
Not only do they want to install fully digital cinema equipment to bring the facility up to modern standards, but they also want to improve accessibility.
‘The equipment will mean that blind, partially sighted, and hard of hearing audience members will be able to enjoy films without the need to attend a special screening,’ says the crowdfunder.
‘It will also make quality cinema available to younger people who cannot travel or afford to travel to the nearest cinemas, and provide social benefits to these underserved young people.
Social benefits
‘It will also offer a social benefit to older people, again often have trouble travelling and would benefit from daytime shows for social and transport reasons too.’
In a recent survey, most people said they use The Watermark to support it as a community venue. Other reasons (excluding entertainment) people gave were: opportunity to experience art/culture that isn’t available in the area, sense of community and social interaction.
Reducing social isolation
Plenty of the respondents were over over 60, demonstrating the importance of The Watermark to the older population of the community and its role in reducing social isolation.
‘However,’ they say, ‘only 7.9% [of those who answered the survey] were aged under 30, suggesting that we are under-serving this section of our community and so this project will help improve that.’
The Watermark has already bagged funding of £40,303, but need a further £17,945 to complete the project -and this is where the crowdfunder comes in.
Rewards
You can be an Audience Supporter, and get two free cinema tickets and two free drinks, along with a massive thank you (and the sense of a job well done). Or at the other end of the reward spectrum, you could opt for an Exclusive BIG Night Out. Just what that entails, for the other options, or just to donate, you’ll have to pop along to the A Cinema For Ivybridge crowdfunder page.
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