As far as I can see no-one in any position of power in Leicester takes a blind bit of notice of the whingers and whiners who inhabit the comment pages on Leicester Mercury website. Which is just as well. They are incredibly predictable. They hate the city council (curiously most of them seem to live in the county), they hate modern buildings, they're not at all keen on Muslims, travellers, art, young people, the present time...the list is a long one.
Saturday's Mercury headline - LEICESTER'S PHOENIX SQUARE NEEDS A £250,000 COUNCIL BAIL-OUT - was, naturally, like a red rag to a bull and all the usual suspects weighed in with their expert opinion. This had everything they hated - the council, spending money, a new building, art - oh they must have been so excited!
The fact that £250,000 (a small amount of money) would save 12 jobs and keep the only independent cinema in Leicester going was irrelevant to them. They saw a way to bash the council, bash "minorities" (i.e. people who go there), bash modernity itself. The Mercury encourages this, of course, or they wouldn't have put this minor bit of news on the front page, mischief making for the council is the Mercury's favourite pastime. As anyone who has read the Mr Leicester page (or it's sister publication the Leicester Chronicle) will know, they're not keen on the "new" Leicester, either.
I don't know if the Phoenix has been a success or not. I've never met anyone (who has actually been there rather than commented on it from afar) who didn't think it was pretty good. The cinema facilities are excellent and much more preferable to going to a huge, corporate multiplex. There was excellent (and sold out) performances during the comedy festival. The Mercury article tells us that there is an average attendence of 17%. I have no idea if this is a bad average for cinemas (I saw a film - Superbad - at the Odeon when I was the only person in the audience) and the Mercury, of course, doesn't explain any further.
I don't suppose this will be the end of the story. The winds of change are against those of us who think governments should spend money to improve life and employ people and the only way the phoenix will survive is if more people use it. So check out the diary, and go along. You might like it.
2 comments:
Weel said on all accounts (though should it not be "cheap at twice the price"?). A very good point about the limitations of the Mercury's reporting. What got me about the press and TV coverage of the issue was that they illustrated their pieces with poeple saying "well it is a bit out of the way". Well it clearly isn't but it's aludicous notion that an arthouse cinema should rely on passing trade - as if anyone passes by and thinks "ooh there's a cinema - I'm not doing owt for the next three hours - I wonder if they're showing The Phrophet?"
Obviously Phonenix should have the best possible marketing, the best possible signage and should build usage by having outstanding service. Personally I think it's doing quite well, but it takes time to bed down and build an audience. Anyone who enjoys cinema and wants the chance to see more than the multiplexes offer should adopt the "use it or lose it" maxim. If there's anything you vaguely fancy seeing, don't stay in and watch television, get yourself down there.
250,000 didnt save the 12 jobs and it maybe the last money they get. Think its brilliant concept but fear it will be taken over by a commercial concern to save it and best bits mothballed etc.
They should change the bar and bring back small live acts playing in the foyer.
What they are offering at the moment is narrow compared to Quad in Derby should be doing more community arts activities?
i think i am right in saying you cant put a big sign on the building facing the main road as this is against planning rules?
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