Support The Lume Cinema

The former REEL Cinema on Green Street, Kidderminster has closed its doors during the Covid-19 Crisis. We need you to help us to bring the cinema back to life again for the community.

The cinema originally opened in 2006 as the Warehouse Cinema before becoming a Reel Cinema, converted from a former derelict carpet warehouse the cinema soon become an integral part of the community. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the doors were closed in March 2020 with the threat that the cinema would no longer exist.  A consortium of social entrepreneurs have come together to save the local cinema, renaming the cinema the “Lume” and aiming to reopen the doors as soon as the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted having secured the cinema site. 

(Warehouse Cinema 2006)

(Warehouse Cinema 2006)

Lume will not just be an amazing independent cinema, but will support the community in many ways, from being a place for people to meet, hold events and get together through a number of community focused projects in our newly refurbished venue.  

(Lume 2021 Concept Design)

We will also be bringing great alternative film content to the area and supporting local filmmakers. There will be many exclusive benefits for those who become patrons as well as hearing about our red carpet events first!

About The Lume

Following Reel’s shock announcement in March that they were closing the cinema, James Anderson Brown founder of The Mockingbird Cinema in Birmingham, together with Anthony Hughes and Eddy Morton, founders of Stourbridge Community Development Trust, stepped in to begin negotiations with the owners of the building.

James Anderson Brown said: “Cinema has been a part of the town since the turn of the 20th Century, it has always been a way to bring people together. The town used to have many Cinema Theatres such as The Grand Theatre, Royal Bijou and Empire right up to the Warehouse and Reel. These were always places to really spend a great night out in opulent surroundings that transported people from the everyday reality to a world of escape. This is why they were often called Picture Palaces and people really need that escape now more than ever.”

The 4 screen cinema is currently being redeveloped by the team and will offer a range of other community benefits alongside the cinema experience.

Anthony Hughes said: “We have formed a new community development trust for the town and will use the cinema as our first social enterprise to engage both film audiences and other community groups who will also benefit from the downstairs café and arts space.”

Eddy Morton added: “We really want to offer something to the whole community of Kidderminster through the various projects and initiatives. The space will not only be an amazing new independent cinema but a space for meeting, community activity and a great café for the local businesses, shoppers and specific groups to book for private event use.”

The cinema will be truly independent and, alongside the new blockbusters, will programme a range of themed screenings and events.

Anthony added: “It may seem like a difficult time to be taking on this sort of venture with many major releases being put back to next year, but we believe that we can meet the challenge. Many people really miss going to the cinema and can’t wait to get back to see films the way they were intended to be seen - on the big screen. With our strict social distancing procedures and meeting the guidelines of whatever the ‘new normal’ looks like when we open, we will offer a safe great quality experience for both film fanatics and general audiences across the region.”