BFI FAN: Green Hour

Retrofit fundraising for community cinemas: building sustainable futures for well-loved community spaces

Starts at 07 Nov 2025 15:00

Location Online

Are you a community cinema or multi-use venue working towards environmental sustainability? 


Thinking about retrofit, but overwhelmed by the cost and capacity needed? Whether solar panels, insulation, or boiler upgrades: this session is for you. From energy efficiency upgrades to ensuring your space continues to serve the community, we’ll dive into funding strategy, application best practices, and how to frame your cinema as a community-led, environmentally aligned project. 

We will be joined by Katie Clark and Marcela Leite.

Katie Clark is a Funding Manager in the National Lottery Awards for All England team, managing the Environment funding stream. She’s worked at the Fund since 2017 and in the Awards for All team since 2018.

Marcela Leite works at Hackney Council in London, leading their community energy and fuel poverty support services. Through the Hackney Community Energy Fund, they help not-for-profit organisations such as cinemas, theatres and music venues, identify and apply for funding to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and reduce their energy bills. 


This session will cover:
  • Application best practice for National Lottery community and environmental funds
  • How to show your space is widely-used by the community
  • Making an environmental, community and accessibility case
  • What assessors are looking for and what gets over-looked
  • How to integrate environmental building upgrades with demonstrable community impact
  • How to make your cinema retrofit part of a bigger story.

This is an interactive session: bring your questions, your project ideas, and your challenges to chat through. 
It is especially relevant if:
  • You have limited capacity and knowledge around building upgrade funding
  • You’re looking at retrofit (not general refurburbishment)
  • You’ve got questions around gaps in funding
  • You want to link sustainability with your cinema’s wider social impact.



Friday 7 November

15:00 - 16:00, Online

Sign up



This is a nationwide event, open to all members of the BFI Film Audience Network’s regional and national Film Hubs.

BFI FAN: Green Hour is a series of events for UK film exhibitors focusing on environmental sustainability, delivered by Film Hub North on behalf of the BFI Film Audience Network.

If you have any access requirements or general queries about the event, or are interested in taking part in a future edition, please get in touch at: info@filmhubnorth.org.uk.



Image
© Glusburn Community and Arts Centre