Funding
Broadway Cinema operates as a not-for-profit organisation, with income from the café bar and cinema being used to support its mission of inspiring a lifelong love of film. [12] This is achieved through outreach projects, reduced ticket prices including a Pay What You Can model (£2–£10) for family matinees and select screenings, discounts for charities and community groups, and accessible programming.
In 2006, Broadway Cinema underwent a major redevelopment with funding from the National Lottery and Arts Council England. Works were completed in October 2006 and cost around £6 million. The redevelopment expanded the cinema to four screens, including the world's first (and only) cinema screen designed by Sir Paul Smith.
In 2019, Broadway invested £390,000 of its own resources in a cinema refurbishment project, upgrading seating in all four screens including reupholstering the Paul Smith Screen (Screen 4) seats in the designer's signature "Big Stripe" design. [13] The project also included upgrades to 7.1 surround sound, installation of new hearing loops, and the addition of 4K projection in Screens 1 and 2. Capacity in Screen 1 was reduced from 350 to 248 to increase seat widths and leg room. As part of the renovation, Broadway donated 268 seats to Nottingham Arts Theatre. [14]
In 2020, Broadway was awarded £499,744 from Arts Council England's National Lottery funded Small Capital programme to continue its major refurbishment project, focusing on improving environmental sustainability, the terrace, foyer, and both bars. [15]
History
1839-1954 | Chapel to Cultural Landmark [26]
In the heart of Nottingham, 1839 marked the birth of a bold vision. Amidst a national recession, £11,000 was raised - equivalent to around £1.4 million today - to construct a grand Wesleyan chapel on Broad Street. Designed to seat 1,900 worshippers, it quickly became a spiritual and architectural beacon.
Five years later, in 1844, the chapel played host to a moment that would ripple through history. During a visit by American evangelist Rev. James Caughey, a young man named William Booth - then a pawnbroker’s apprentice - found faith within its walls. Booth would go on to found the Salvation Army, and today, a brass plaque in Broadway’s foyer commemorates his transformation.
By 1909, the chapel was thriving. A magnificent organ was commissioned from Norman and Beard, filling the space with music that echoed its grandeur. Through the interwar years, the chapel’s Sunday School and Boys’ Brigade flourished, nurturing generations of young minds.
World War II brought unexpected change. In 1941, the basement was repurposed by Nottingham Council as a British Restaurant—a communal kitchen feeding those displaced or rationed by the war. The building adapted to serve its community in new ways.
But by 1947, the congregation faced mounting costs and dwindling numbers. The need for a new roof and limited funds led to the chapel’s closure in 1954. Yet, this was not the end - it was the beginning of a new chapter.
1959 - 1966 | The Co-operative Education Centre [27]
In 1959, the former chapel was reborn. After major redevelopment, it reopened as the Co-operative Education Centre, a vibrant hub for music, cinema, and dance. The top floor housed a cinema - now Screen 1 - while the legendary Rainbow Rooms below pulsed with life.
Jazz artists from the USA and rising British bands graced the Rainbow Rooms stage. In 1962, The Beatles were booked to perform, but fame intervened: “Love Me Do” hit the charts, and they pulled out. Today, Broadway’s Café Bar sits where those electric nights once unfolded.
The cinema upstairs became a cultural cornerstone. The Nottingham Film Society screened international and archive films monthly, and began discussions with the British Film Institute (BFI) to gain official status.
By 1966, the Nottingham Film Theatre opened its doors, one of the first BFI-supported Regional Film Theatres in the UK. It screened films three days a week, laying the groundwork for Broadway’s cinematic legacy.
1974 - 1983 | Film and Art in the 1970 [28]
The 1970s saw Nottingham’s creative spirit flourish. In 1974, East Midlands Arts appointed its first Film Officer, Alan Fountain, sparking a wave of innovation. A year later, the Independent Film Makers Association (IFA-EM) formed, championing accessible filmmaking from script to screen.
The BFI began promoting “contextual programming”, films shown within themed events, supported by talks and documentation. Nottingham Film Theatre embraced this, launching “Challenge to Imperialism,” a Friday night series accompanied by 100-page booklets. This approach would shape Broadway’s future programming ethos.
Meanwhile, the Midland Group transformed into a contemporary arts centre on Carlton Street. It became home to the New Cinema Workshop, which absorbed IFA-EM, and launched the New Cinema - a 75-seat basement venue dedicated to experimental film.
These developments attracted international attention. In 1981, Frank Abbott and Steve Neale published a seminal paper in Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media, exploring the intersection of film production and exhibition. Their questions - about audience engagement, cinematic norms, and cultural impact - still resonate in Broadway’s mission today.
1984 - 1987 | Towards Broadway [29]
By the mid-1980s, Nottingham’s creative community was ready to dream bigger. In 1984, informal meetings began at the Midland Group to respond to the BFI’s media centre proposals. Artists, academics, councils, and film societies came together, forming the Nottingham Media Centre Consortium.
In 1985, the Consortium published “Nottingham as a Media Centre,” a visionary proposal advocating for a community-led, pan-media hub. It emphasized production and exhibition across all media - not just cinema - and called for grassroots development.
In 1986 the BFI was won over by the Nottingham Media Consortium's approach to developing a Media Centre in Nottingham. It agreed to fund a consultant to develop the project - working with NMC. Malcolm Allen was appointed in May that year
CODA, a pioneering organisation offering digital arts training to unemployed people, joined the Consortium in 1986. Their “NewLine” project taught digital art and MIDI music, operating from 7b Broad Street a space that became a hive of activity.
In 1987, the Midland Group closed, but its legacy lived on. The New Cinema and Nottingham Film Theatre merged to form City Lights, a full-time cinema programme. The Consortium gained momentum, launching working groups to explore media exhibition and production. The vision of Broadway was crystallising.
1988 - 1990 | Broadway Begins [30]
In 1988, after years of planning and collaboration, the Nottingham Media Centre Consortium secured the Co-operative Education Centre building on Broad Street. Funding came from Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, and the BFI - a testament to the project’s significance.
The Consortium registered as Nottingham Media Centre Limited, a not-for-profit company and charity. In 1989, the building was officially named Broadway, and Adrian Wootton (now Adrian Wootton OBE) was appointed its first Director. The BFI-funded consultancy concluded, and Malcolm Allen moved on to new ventures. [31]
Development work began in earnest. Teams were assembled, spaces transformed, and the spirit of collaboration infused every corner. On 31 August 1990, Broadway opened its doors with its first screening: Enemies: A Love Story.
