LOCAL independent cinemas are amongst the organisations who will receive cash in the second round of grants awarded as part of the Culture Recovery Fund.

The 12 cinemas in Yorkshire to receive funding include Ilkley Cinema which will get £40,398. The Picture House in Keighley receives £39,598 and the Plaza Cinema in Skipton gets £48,641.

As the first independent cinema to have opened in the region in 46 years, Ilkley Cinema, Ilkley is a significant contributor to Ilkley's cultural scene and has received the Ilkley Business Award for best new business. The cinema offers parent and baby screenings, Silver Screen shows for older audiences, free tickets for carers, and discounted rates for local schools. It also supports local filmmakers with the opportunity to screen their work and participates in festivals including Sheffield Adventure Film Festival and Banff Reel Rock plus other outdoor focused

screenings.

Grants totalling £27.6 million has now been awarded to independent cinemas in England, administered by the BFI on behalf of the DCMS.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced.

“Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors - helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”

Dame Judi Dench, Oscar award-winning actor and a BFI Fellow said: “Local cinemas are a vital part of our cultural lives, enthralling us with films about lives that we recognise as well as offering us stories about other cultures from around the world. They are places where people come together for a shared experience and have inspired many to make their careers on screen. We need to make sure that generations today and in the future have the same opportunities to enjoy and take part in the communal big screen experience.”