A POPULAR community cinema is looking to expand after a successful refurbishment.
The Jam Jar Cinema, in Park Avenue, Whitley Bay, recently re-opened after being closed for a month due to a £40,000 renovation.
And following a successful few years that have seen visitor numbers exceed 25,000 a year, the organisers have revealed they are looking at ways to expand the cinema.
Managing director Dan Ellis said: “We raised the money for the refurbishment almost entirely via ticket sales and the bar. The building that the cinema is in was slowly falling apart, so we’ve decided to renovate it to make a nicer environment for customers.
“When we first started the Jam Jar we had very little money and two years ago we were actually thinking about closing. Since then things have really taken off, and we did this refurbishment mainly as a thank you to our supporters.”
The success of the Jam Jar led to an investment of £60,000 earlier this year, which resulted in a new sound system and the ability to show films closer to their actual release date.
When asked about plans for the future of the Jam Jar, Dan said: “Short-term we have a strong slate of films releasing, right up until awards season. But in the long term we’re actively looking into different ways of expanding.
“We definitely want to get a second screen, but we could eventually open a new cinema at another site. We still want to serve local people, and this expansion could potentially help a lot more people in North Tyneside enjoy the cinema.”
Following their re-opening, the Jam Jar has announced their line-up for the rest of the year. More information can be found on the cinema’s website here.