Issue - meetings

(i)       notes the announcement on 6 October 2022 that the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI), the charity that operated The Belmont Cinema in Aberdeen has gone into Administration with the loss of 22 jobs;

(ii)       acknowledges the efforts of staff at the Belmont Cinema in contributing to the cultural offering of the city;

(iii)      agrees that the Belmont Filmhouse plays a number of important roles supporting accessible and inclusive cultural cinema across the North East, while also making significant contributions to people's lives in local communities in Aberdeen;

(iv)      notes that Aberdeen City Council owns the property that the Belmont Cinema operated from;

(v)      notes that the Chief Officer - City Growth is in contact with the administrators, the Save the Belmont Cinema campaign group, Creative Scotland, Scottish Government and other stakeholders to explore whether there are potential options for the sustainable operation of the Belmont Cinema; and

(vi)      instructs the Chief Officer – City Growth to report back to the next appropriate committee on any developments and the implications for the Council.

The Committee had before it a Notice of Motion by Councillors Boulton, Bouse, Henrickson, Hutchison and Macdonald, in the following terms:-

“That the Committee:-

(1)    notes the announcement on 6 October 2022 that the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI), the charity that operated The Belmont Cinema in Aberdeen has gone into Administration with the loss of 22 jobs;

(2)    acknowledges the efforts of staff at the Belmont Cinema in contributing to the cultural offering of the city;

(3)    agrees that the Belmont Filmhouse plays a number of important roles supporting accessible and inclusive cultural cinema across the North East, while also making significant contributions to people's lives in local communities in Aberdeen;

(4)    notes that Aberdeen City Council owns the property that the Belmont Cinema operated from;

(5)    notes that the Chief Officer - City Growth is in contact with the administrators, the Save the Belmont Cinema campaign group, Creative Scotland, Scottish Government and other stakeholders to explore whether there are potential options for the sustainable operation of the Belmont Cinema; and

(6)    instructs the Chief Officer – City Growth to report back to the next appropriate committee on any developments and the implications for the Council.”

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.