Overview
- Oriel College says it has no plans to extend the cinema’s lease at this early stage and has no plans to demolish the Grade II-listed building, which sits in its proposed Fifth Quad development footprint.
- The cinema’s lease runs until 2037, but backers and funders require at least a 25-year term to release money for upgrades to access, sound and energy efficiency.
- Dame Pippa Harris, producer of the Oscar-nominated film Hamnet, signed the petition urging a lease extension as campaigners describe a crunch point for the venue’s future.
- The petition has surpassed 11,000 signatures, with Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds publicly urging the college to work with the community-run cinema.
- Community-owned since 2022, the UPP is raising about £50,000 for vital works with £28,000 already pledged, and reports a 29% rise in ticket sales while remaining Oxford’s only 35mm screen.