The Battle for Hull Screen 06.11.2004 By Pablo Luis Gonzalez

It was good to receive Councillor Gemmell's assurances that Hull Screen will continue with similar or improved programming, delivering a higher quality service with better facilities and equipment. Councillor Gemmell, Hull City Council Portfolio Holder for Quality of Life, wrote "it is, and has always been, our intention to have an Art House Cinema in Hull and in the City Centre. At no time have I or anyone from the Council said that we were to loose this service".

However, he also said that Hull Screen "will not be in its current location and it may not be run by Hull City Council". This means that there are a few loose threads here. If the cinema were not to be run by the Council, how can Councillor Gemmell or anyone else from it be able to guarantee its future? They will be simply in no position to do thus. Will this mean that the cinema will become entirely a purely commercial and profit-driven set up? If this were to be the case, it could be akin to the kiss of death to an art house cinema, resulting in a much reduced programming in depth and breadth and no space left whatsoever for experimental, art, local and community based projects.

It seems that the reality is that Hull City Council does not wish to pay for Hull Screen, an attitude which is quite unbelievable, particularly when viewed under the light of other recent expenditure incurred by the Council, much more controversial at that. There is no longer any doubt that the cinema is being pushed out of its current location by the myopic determination of the Library Services to carry out Phase 2 of the re-development of Hull Central Library at any cost, leaving in its wake the sacrificial corpse of Hull Screen.

I will urge to you to write again to Councillor Gemmell and to Mr Hayton asking for assurances that Phase 2 of the re-development of the Central Library will not be allowed to proceed until such times when Hull Screen is already running in its new viable location, and that the programming should make space for experimental, art, local and community produced films, videos and digital works.

Councillor David Gemmell Portfolio Holder for Quality of Life Southcoates East ward 45 Strathmore Avenue Beverley Road Hull HU6 7HL Tel 01482 804354 Email Councillor.Gemmell@hullcc.gov.uk Brian Hayton - Head of Cultural Services Hull Museums & Art Gallery c/o Ferens Art Gallery Queen Victoria Square, Hull HU1 3RA Tel : 01482 613902 Email museums@hullcc.gov.uk

Save Hull Screen campaign has been launched, and an option being considered is the formation of a Moving Image Consortium to take over the running of the cinema, a group formed by several organisations and individual with an interest in the continued existence of an independent art house cinema in Hull. For more information, to comment, to give suggestions and to get more actively involved in the campaign, visit the following sites: Save Hull Screen www.slackvideo.com/shs R-bow pabloluisgonzalez.tripod.com Pablo Luis González 6 November 2004

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