THE Alexandra Theatre in Newton Abbot and Teignmouth’s Pavilions are among more than 200 independent cinemas across England being supported this Christmas with £16 million in grants from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

The WW-Scott Cinemas South West Ltd owned Newton Abbot cinema will receive £42,143.

While the Teignmouth cinema will receive £7,036,

Dan Harris, operations manager for WTW-Scott Cinemas the owners of the Alkxander Cinema, said: ‘Scott Cinemas are very pleased to have been awarded a safety grant from the Culture Recovery Fund, which will go towards the changes necessary to make our customers feel safe and also welcome when they visit our cinemas.

‘Through surveying, customers have told us that they feel reassured when these changes are made and we are very grateful to be able to still provide a somewhat normal cinema-going experience in these trying times.

‘Our wonderful teams at our cinemas, who have shown so much dedication over the last few months, are able to feel safe and secure with our implemented safety procedures, doing a job they love.’

202 cinemas have received funding so far from a £30 million pot allocated by the British Film Institute (BFI), on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, as part of the biggest ever single investment in this country’s cultural sectors.

More grant applications from independent cinemas are also currently being assessed.

Cinemas will be able to apply for another £14 million in grants in the new year as part of the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund. The new round of funding is in addition to the £30 million already being allocated by the BFI.

The BFI has been accepting applications and awarding grants to independent cinemas throughout the autumn.

Recognising that cinemas need content, during this crisis, the Government’s Film and TV Production Restart Scheme has helped keep the cameras rolling at the other end of the screen supply chain.

The £500 million scheme, which opened for applications in October, has assured nearly 100 productions that they will be supported if future losses are incurred due to Covid-19 and provided the confidence they need to restart filming.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: ‘As a Star Wars fan, I know there’s no better place to experience great films than in your local cinema and these grants will provide vital support for independent venues.’