Cinema committee setting sights on long-term prosperity

AN MSP, a local councillor and two marketing and fundraising experts have been appointed members of a committee to help ensure the long-term prosperity of one of Edinburgh’s most-loved cinemas.

Sarah Boyack MSP and Edinburgh councillor, Lorna Sheils, have agreed to join the nine-strong committee, which is an echo of a Save the Cameo group set up almost two years ago when owners, City Screen, attempted to sell the cinema.

When the For Sale sign was taken down last summer, Save the Cameo agreed to work with City Screen to help secure the cinema’s long-term viability. A member of City Screen – business development manager, Lynn Morrison – also sits on the new committee, which is appealing, among other things, for cinema-goers to share their memories of the Cameo, for an exhibition.

The committee chair is Genni Poole, who initiated and co-ordinated the Save the Cameo campaign.

Already some refurbishment suggestions are being pursued by the committee, including potential changes to the foyer in a bid to improve the visual impact of the cinema frontage, which has ‘List B’ architectural status from Historic Scotland.

Efforts are also being made to increase the number of cinema members.