The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre has successfully completed its Community Cinema Project, securing the long-term future of affordable, inclusive cinema in Newport while delivering significant social and environmental benefits.
For more than 20 years, The Riverfront’s Cinema has played a vital role in Newport’s cultural life, hosting around 300 screenings annually and attracting approximately 12,000 attendances each year. At a time when other city-centre cinemas have closed, The Riverfront has continued to offer an accessible, community-focused alternative. Almost two thirds of attendances are for low-cost family films, typically priced at just £3.50, making it one of the most affordable cultural activities in the city.
In early 2024, this provision was at serious risk following the failure of the cinema’s 20-year-old projector. Without replacement, thousands of residents faced losing access to affordable, local cinema. Thanks to support from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund, The Riverfront replaced the ageing equipment, safeguarding its cinema programme for the future.
The new projector has significantly improved reliability and screening quality, while also reducing carbon emissions by over two tonnes of CO₂e per year — lowering both environmental impact and operating costs. The investment ensures that Newport retains a sustainable, low-carbon cinema offer at the heart of the city centre.
In early 2024, this provision was at serious risk following the failure of the cinema’s 20-year-old projector. Without replacement, thousands of residents faced losing access to affordable, local cinema. Thanks to support from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund, The Riverfront replaced the ageing equipment, safeguarding its cinema programme for the future.
The new projector has significantly improved reliability and screening quality, while also reducing carbon emissions by over two tonnes of CO₂e per year — lowering both environmental impact and operating costs. The investment ensures that Newport retains a sustainable, low-carbon cinema offer at the heart of the city centre.
Alongside the equipment upgrade, the Community Cinema Scheme delivered more than 50 free film screenings between October and January, welcoming over 3,000 attendees. The Riverfront partnered with 21 community groups and organisations, many of whom would not otherwise have had the financial means to access cinema provision.
By removing cost barriers and providing high-quality cinema experiences in a welcoming environment, the project strengthened community partnerships and reinforced The Riverfront’s role as an inclusive cultural space.
Sam Sims from Brick Buddies, one of the participating groups, said: “We just want to thank you for letting us put on a free screening for the Lego club members and their friends and relatives. It was very well attended with 90 people watching the movie together and everyone we spoke to afterwards said they really enjoyed it… families enjoyed the community feel.”
The project also demonstrated powerful social outcomes. One attendee in their late 60s who had stopped visiting the cinema after the loss of their partner, returned after seeing free tickets were available. Through the screenings, they met others attending alone and they have since formed a small social group that now regularly attends together - highlighting how accessible cultural activity can help combat loneliness and social isolation.
Key learning from the project shows that demand for community cinema in Newport remains strong. The success of the scheme underscores the importance of continued investment in inclusive, local cultural spaces.
With new, energy-efficient equipment in place and strengthened community partnerships, The Riverfront Cinema is now secured for the long term — continuing to support around 12,000 attendances annually while delivering a sustainable, community-led cultural offer.
The Riverfront extends its sincere thanks to the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund for its support in making this impactful project possible. The Riverfront Cinema is also delighted to be building on the success of the project with further support from Ffilm Cymru Wales, enabling the development of three new strands - Film for Health & Wellbeing, Film for Social Inclusion, and Film for Cultural Inclusion - to deepen community partnerships and broaden access to diverse, inclusive film experiences.
