How we work
From The Star And Shadow Cinema Wiki
Non-hierarchical structures, no body is more powerful
Endlessly evolving, bringing in and taking on new methods and processes.
Consensus, involvement, community action
Keyholders
No trustees, no management committee
Why do we do it this way?
It gives everyone an opportunity to do everything - nobody can hog the fun jobs - each person explores the whole range of jobs that need to be done to run the Cinema, increasing their understanding and adding to the value of their experience of volunteering here. Everyone invests themselves in the success of the Cinema.
It enables us to learn from each other - skills, knowledge.
It's good for your brain!
Statement from a long term volunteer?
A description of the star and shadow:
Star and Shadow Cinema is a grass roots community organisation, doing something with film (and other) culture that no one we are aware of in the country is doing - making the entire process participatory, from idea to reality. It is about providing a resource that we collectively manage and programme to democratise culture. Run entirely by volunteers, on motivation and love, this venue provides facilities, support and opportunities for developing personal and professional knowledge, skills, networks, hearts and minds. We focus on film exhibition, and also have facilities for making films on celluloid and digital formats in a quick, d.i.y friendly way.
Our programme includes open submission screenings; controversial documentary screenings with heated discussions after; b-movies and sci-fi duds which deserve a new appreciation for the spirit with which filmmakers made them outside of the seamless, feel good Hollywood industry. Our 'cinema of the world' programme provides a very warm and positive space for communities who rarely see their culture exposed to congregate and socialise amongst a really varied audience. We show some current releases that might get short or no run elsewhere, and try to bring things which are lost or lesser known into the public realm on our screen. We have a project space which changes daily with exhibitions by local artists. We are also a popular place to have gigs and private hires for parties - often including film somewhere along the line. We can provide screening facilities for film makers or production companies (35mm, beta SP, DVD/ miniDV) at any stage of their process from rushes to launch; we have a bar and some good-for-you, tasty drinks and nibbles sourced ethically.
Most incredibly, the Star and Shadow Cinema was built by hand, in only 6 months, on a very small budget - over 150 volunteers, some coming from as far as Hungary, Portugal and Berlin, helped turn the old Tyne Tees set building premises at the top of Stepney Bank into a state of the art (in an avant-garde way!) cinema, studio and social space. Of that we are very proud, and it means that many many people have ownership of this building - we hope you will too by coming to watch something here, and maybe extending that in to helping out or putting on something here you have always dreamed about.
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