Curzon Goldsmiths wants your views
The Curzon Goldsmiths is not selling as many tickets as they would like, or perhaps would have expected, given the huge amount of bleating from local residents about the fact that Lewisham was the only London borough without a cinema.
Curzon has launched a survey for locals to work out what they can be doing better to attract customers. You can participate here. My diagnosis is as follows:
1. People don't know they're born. It was only really a technical quirk that Lewisham had no cinema - not a huge problem to be solved. We have cinemas in Peckham, Surrey Quays and Greenwich within very easy reach.
Having a more local option is great, but going to the cinema isn't about convenience (the most convenient thing to do is to stay at home and watch movies on demand on a massive telly). So, to attract punters, the Goldsmiths Curzon needs to be a great experience.
2. It's not cinema-y enough. It's a revamped lecture theatre and it feels like it. It doesn't yet create the sense of occasion that a big multiplex or a great arthouse cinema does. It's not a place to chuck popcorn around or upgrade to D-Box, nor is it a place which has carefully curated programming.
3. Not enough people know about it. Marketing was limited at launch and most people I come across still haven't heard about it. Part of the cinema experience is to experience art with other people. It needs to tell people about it and create moments to draw people in.
4. Price is an issue. Lower priced tickets could draw in the curious and enable a loyal local following, building word of mouth and allowing people to overlook the constraints of the venue. There has been some tinkering with prices and schedules, but the general consensus among BCers seems to be that it remains on the pricey side.
I think it is a great asset, but needs some more work to make it a success. What has your experience been?