Founded in 1833, The Poly was the inspiration of two young women – Anna Maria and Caroline Fox. The Cornwall Polytechnic Society was formed to ‘…promote the useful and fine arts, to encourage industry, and to elicit the ingenuity of a community distinguished for its mechanical skill.

Today, it is a charity working to promote engagement in the arts, sciences and Cornish history. It is the home of Falmouth History Archive, and the proud guardian of locally, nationally and internationally significant collections of heritage archives and many of the works of Henry Scott Tuke.

Our film programme showcases British, independent, foreign language, documentary, Cornish, and classic films. In 1910, The Poly was the first of seven cinemas to open in Falmouth, and – apart from Covid-19 restrictions – we haven’t shut since!