At Picturehouse, we love cinemas. Nested in the heart of their neighbourhoods, each of our 26 cinemas are distinct, welcoming, full of personality and run by welcoming and attentive staff. We don't just screen excellent films. We provide places to eat, meet and relax and host a busy calendar of events for everyone to explore.
If you love opera or theatre, we screen it live and direct from stages around the world. If you're all about superhero films, come to one of our state-of-the-art screens and get yourself a large popcorn.
We even screen 35mm and 70mm at special presentations at select Picturehouse cinemas, welcome independent film collectives and are proud hosts of some of the most visionary film festivals around.
Our range of films is broad and carefully curated by a team of passionate programmers spanning quality mainstream, indie, family, foreign language and documentary films.
We believe cinema can change lives and broaden perspectives. Catering to a diverse and inclusive audience is part of our DNA. We know that our communities make us and we champion films made for all ages, backgrounds and walks of life, knowing that the best kind of cinema is made for all.
The first Picturehouse cinema opened in 1989 and we've been running exceptional cinemas ever since. In 2012 Cineworld became our parent company giving us the exciting opportunity to expand even further and thrive in shape-shifting film industry. In the last six years, we have opened six new cinemas, created 100s of new jobs and grown our independent film distribution arm Picturehouse Entertainment beyond what we could have imagined. Cineworld have given us support to grow our business in a meaningful and dynamic way.
From 1998 to present-day, the original spirit of Picturehouse is still at large. Our distinct character runs from the buildings we own, the films we screen, the people we employ to the way we run our business.
Picturehouse and Cineworld are two very unique and separate brands, but both companies share a passion for delivering a fantastic big-screen experience.
We take our planet and the climate crisis seriously. From Edinburgh down to Exeter, we play our own small part in the safekeeping of our planet and look to set an example for how cinemas can best reduce their energy consumption and waste.
At Picturehouse, working with responsible and ethical suppliers and reducing our impact on the environment is something we’re passionate about.
We source sustainable products, choosing UK-made whenever possible, and have reduced the deliveries we receive to dramatically reduce food miles. Recently, we’ve improved our menu and ordering processes in order to minimise food waste, and the items we do order come from partnerships with small, ethical British businesses, perfect for bringing home-grown products to our tables and kiosks.
Our fish is sustainable, our eggs are free-range, and we’re making great efforts to ensure our meat is sourced from reputable British farms. We’re also offering more vegetarian and vegan options than ever before, to ensure that everyone can enjoy what’s on the menu.
Our craft beers are brewed here, and even our water and soft drinks are local too - we try to avoid shipping water over water when great options can be found at home.
We stock Thirsty Planet water, which is dedicated to bringing clean water to communities across sub-Saharan Africa. On every bottle or pack of Thirsty Planet sold we guarantee a significant, fixed donation to Pump Aid, a fantastic charity that provides cost-effective, sustainable clean water to those who need it most.
We sell tempered glass Keep Cups to help reduce the waste caused by single-use coffee cups and lids. We encourage people to use Keep Cups by offering a discount on every hot drink bought and providing a donation to charity. Plus, if you buy one of our Picturehouse cups, you get your first hot drink free! (You’ll find plenty of non-dairy milk alternatives too, and look out for cinemas giving away their coffee grounds for compost.)
Behind the scenes, we’re working to stay green too. Our kitchens work with our oil partner Olleco, who collect used oil and convert it to Biofuels.
Picturehouse has been in the vanguard of sustainability for many years in cutting back on our use of paper, only using FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) accredited paper, using non-toxic vegetable-based inks, and recycling items such as photocopy cartridges.
At all our sites we recycle all paper, card, cans, glass and plastics, with some sites having their own glass crushers and card balers. We also encourage the purchase of paperless e-tickets online to reduce the need for printing.
Above all, we know we can always do more to help the environment: that’s why we’re working with WM101 to improve all our waste and recycling streams, and working with our industry partners to come up with national solutions and objectives.
We understand and are committed to our role in fighting consumption habits for a more sustainable future. If you've seen anything that you'd like to improve in our cinemas, please get in touch at [email protected], we'd love to hear from you.
Our ongoing charity partner is Refuge. In 2019 we partnered with the longstanding UK charity which supports women and children against domestic violence. Through various fun and thoughtful ways we are committed to raising £50,000 by May 2023 to help the charity change the lives of those needing safety and sanctuary. By reaching our target, we will provide the equivalent of 962 nights in a refuge.
Refuge are pioneers and opened the world's first refuge in Chiswick, West London, in 1971. Since then it has grown to become the country's largest single provider of support to women and children escaping the many forms of violence and abuse. Refuge provides emergency accommodation and community-based outreach services and operates a Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run in partnership with Women's Aid.
We're excited to be supporting Refuge through this ongoing partnership which will change the lives of many for years to come. Joining with us marks their biggest partnership yet, and we will raise the profile of their essential work across our growing family of nationwide cinemas.
For more information on Refuge or to access their services visit refuge.org.uk