THE ELECTRIC CINEMA NEWS
20 May 2024
Why I Love The Electric
Zoe Bond-Pinner
For Audrey Hepburn it was a Jewellery shop known for its little blue boxes that brought calm into her hectic, somewhat troubled life. For me, it was a little cream box-like building on a forgotten street, a small piece of history wedged between the modern shiny new buildings of New Street Station and the Bullring.
The Electric Cinema.
A trip to the Electric was so much more than just going to see a film.
From a young age film offered me an escape from the mundane world I lived in into fantastic new worlds, countries, or time periods where I could be anyone and do anything. Going to the Electric was no different, just that the transportation into another world began at the entrance to the cinema, not when the film began.
Film has also bonded me and loved ones together—sadly some that are no longer with us. Like so many past generations of Brummies, they too visited the Electric under its many guises and while they may no longer be with me anymore, they always were when I visited the Electric.
Watching a film at the cinema is an experience that cannot be rivalled. It is a shared experience with a room full of complete strangers united by emotions evoked from the screen. At the Electric it is impossible not to be aware of over 100 years of this. Sat in those seats, in the same position as someone over 100 years ago, staring at the same screen as they did, sharing the same emotions as a stranger from another time.
Yes, a commercial cinema may have comfier seats, air conditioning and a bigger screen, but you cannot find a cinema with a bigger heart than The Electric.
18 May 2024
Glenbrook Property Developers have released a statement on plans for the Electric. Read more here:
9 April 2024
Statement from Glenbrook on their proposed development plans for Station Street. Read more here:
www.southsidedistrict.co.uk/stories/latest-on-station-street-redevelopment
9 April 2024
28 March 2024
Statement from the Save The Electric Cinema Team
We have now met with both current leading West Midlands Combined Authority Mayoral candidates, Richard Parker (Lab) on Sat 23rd Mar and Andy Street (Con) on Tue 26th Mar.
We would like to thank them for their time. While we can’t divulge what was discussed, we do feel both meetings were positive experiences and that the candidates understand the huge groundswell of feeling and anger from the city’s residents at how Station Street has been treated and neglected. It is up to the Mayoral candidates to publicly announce any manifesto pledges regarding our campaign, something we would, of course, encourage.
We look forward to continuing our discussions with them about an alternative future for The Electric, The Crown and Station Street, one that not only preserves its incredible heritage but also provides world class arts and entertainment opportunities for Birmingham and the wider region.
27 March 2024
27 March 2024
26 March 2024
Statement from Kevin Markwick on X
26 March 2024
A Brief History of The Electric Cinema
On 27th December, 1909, Birmingham’s first film theatre opened on the site of a former taxi rank on Station Street.
Designed by the renowned theatre architect, Bertie Crewe, over two thousand people bustled through the doors of the new Electric Theatre on its opening day, a constant stream of arrivals eager to watch the moving pictures, for many for the very first time.
Film was still in its infancy and while some of the day’s screenings might not draw such crowds today, opening titles such as A Box of Chocolates, The Cabbage and Making Plate Glass would have seemed like magic itself.
Read more here: https://savetheelectriccinema.com/a-brief-history/
25 March 2024
The End of the Eighty-eight Year Howard-Vyse Lease
Today, on the day of the end of the eighty-eight year lease ending, a group of us stood vigil outside The Electric Cinema. But this isn't the end. We are continuing the fight to save this amazing, wonderful, magical cinema.
23 March 2024
The phantom tower of Station Street
Mysterious plans to build a 50 storey building where the Electric cinema sits have been circulating. But who is behind them?
By Jack Walton
Getting the truth about the future of Station Street out of many of the various players involved is like drawing blood from a stone. And trust us — there are a lot of players involved. A pen and paper might come in handy.
Read more here: https://www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/p/the-phantom-tower-of-station-street
This is a savage take down and investigation into the possible plans for Station Street, including The Electric Cinema. Definitely worth a read.
22 March 2024
