The Beehive is a small, multi purpose, community and arts venue and a registered charity, with 4 part time staff and 1 full-time operational manager plus a fabulous team of volunteers who are the lifeblood of the venue. Together, they all aim to create a vibrant and stimulating centre that engages, challenges, entertains, supports, educates and encompasses our whole community. On the periphery of a rural market town with extremely limited previous arts provision, we have built an audience from scratch.
The venue opened in 2014 and raised funds for cinema equipment within a year. The Beehive then introduced a programme of weekly films after widespread public consultation and initially, a community programming group.
Recognising a need for Dementia friendly cinema; in collaboration with the local Dementia action alliance group, The Beehive launched a monthly matinee of Nostalgic cinema with subtitles, tea and biscuits, and a social.
Programming spans a diverse selection of films: including much favoured British films (Fisherman’s Friends, I Daniel Blake, Paddington etc), some less mainstream (The Souvenir, The Levelling, Dartmoor killing) and a few foreign language (Capernaum, Lost in Paris, The Farewell). Additionally, working with IntoFilm Fest for younger audiences, and pulling in a very different audience and people travel from far and near for Environmental/Social commentary films.
The Beehive, Dowell Street, Honiton, Devon, EX14 1LZ
James Harrison, director of South West Silents and Film Noir UK, discusses visiting Le Giornate Del Cinema Muto to discover the latest repertory finds in Italy.
The new BFI FAN Screen Heritage Resource Guide has been developed to assist exhibitors in screening film archive and repertory film.