Chapter Arts Centre
Market Road, Canton,
Cardiff,
CF5 1QE
Market Road, Canton,
Cardiff,
CF5 1QE
1 person
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A redundant school building situated about 100yards from the former Canton Cinema (closed 1960) was provided as the site for an ambitious project to create an Arts Centre with workshops, exhibition spaces, theatre and cinema. It began operations in 1971.
A row of classrooms was fitted out with curtains, screen and some old cinema seats. At first projection was by 16mm Bell & Howell and a regular audience was soon obtained.
Improved seating was installed and to become a full public cinema a set of Gaumont-Kalee equipment was acquired and restored to use. The Kalee arcs were subsequently replaced and the audience benefitted from seats bought from the closed Capitol Cinema.
By 1987 funding was obtained to build a completely new cinema;Chapter One, seating 194, with a screen approx 24' wide and Cinemeccanica projectors subsequently upgraded from Dolby Stereo to Dolby Digital. Digital Projection may be installed soon.
The original cinema was closed and the space re-used. However, a second cinema had been created by a private society and became part of Chapter, as Chapter Two, seating 68 with more basic seating and equipment and catering for a minority audience.
Contributed by
Geoff
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
Thats great to hear E54. I get to Cardiff 2 or 3 times a year so will check it out if i can soon.
That is stunning! Wow!
A couple of photos taken in 1989 here:–
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Refurbishment of both cinemas at Chapter is a part of an extensive improvement plan to deal with problems with the 100-year old main building and improve the theatre and entrance areas.A number of fund-raising initiatives are in place and work is expected to begin in 2008.
Yes that is most certainly not the place i went to all those back. Thanks 54.
Building work and refurbishment starts today and will involve reduced performances and temporary closure of the cinemas for a time over the next few months. Check the centre’s web site for details.
The rebuilt Chapter Two has now opened (Feb 2009) and the redecoration/reseating of Chapter One is now scheduled for late March/Early April after a series of Oscar nominated films has been shown.
This site has a 1995 photo.
The refurbishment and modernisation of Chapter is now complete.
Almost all films are now presented by digital means in both cinemas.