Acton Arts Project is a Community Interest Company made up of local residents. Our shared objective was to stop the Old Library building on Acton High Street, which has Asset of Community Value status, being sold to developers. It was decided that a cinema would be an inclusive and popular use of the ground floor space and the ideal way to re-purpose part of the of the building.  Combined with a café and bar, with space for local artists to display their work, our projected plans will facilitate the sustainable reuse of this setting. The full- term plan is to construct a two-screen cinema but, due to the social restrictions imposed by the pandemic our immediate objective is to launch with the pop-up. This will be a single screen, simply constructed and COVID 19-ready cinema. There will be a bar and cafe run by local traders to support this activity. This will operate while we establish community interest and demonstrate financial viability to potential investors.

The project aims are to engage and benefit the community of Acton through the provision of a centrally located, welcoming, setting.  Our outcomes will include a growth in prosperity through the regeneration of the high street and revival of the night time economy while promoting community cohesion.

The project will:

• Support arts, culture and heritage through our activities.
• Boost the local economy by increasing footfall to the high street
• benefit local residents by providing a location they can be proud of
• provide volunteering, training and employment opportunities
• use tailored programming to promote inclusivity and be representative of the many cultures in our demographic.
• provide a non-denominational centre for the wider community to come together
• preserve an historic, Grade II listed, building for the public use it was originally intended for.

We are excited to be fundraising for the equipment to construct a single screen, COVID ready, cinema within the old library on Acton High Street.