QUAD receives cash to boost film audiences

QUAD has been awarded £70,000 to help increase audiences for UK independent and international film.

The Market Place venue is one of 17 organisations nationwide to receive money from the £6.5 million BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund.

QUAD will use the cash over the next three years to develop new audiences.

The BFI Fund aims to secure 4.67 million admissions nationally, with a focus on audiences that are representative of the UK population.

Adam Marsh, cinema programmer at QUAD, said: “QUAD is delighted to have received this funding, which allows us to continue and expand on the audience development work we do.

“This renewed confidence in our work from the BFI will allow us to use innovative digital methods to engage with audiences both old and new.

“The first cinema events to benefit from the funding include the Japan Foundation touring programme, Paracinema Film Festival in September and a ‘New Worlds of Cinema’ season with events across the year.”

The BFI is a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image.

Ben Luxford, BFI’s head of UK audiences, said: “As we kick off our new BFI National Lottery strategy, we’re proud to support these organisations to focus on the necessity of growing new audiences, to celebrate and champion fantastic screen culture and enrich communities across the UK.

“Our National Lottery funding is for public benefit, so we are working with projects which have demonstrated a strong commitment to reaching and welcoming audiences who are currently underserved by their activities.

“These projects also demonstrate the variety of activity and organisations we can support through the fund, which I hope inspires future applicants.”