Help us remain open and accessible to all and in return get a chance to win a private cinema screening of a film of your choice this #GivingTuesday. What’s not to like?

Forget the excesses and consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday – Tue 28 Nov is #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving, the perfect antidote to the two biggest shopping days of the year.

We think it’s only right that we should give something back as a thank you to all of our ace supporters for all the support in helping us remain inclusive and able to offer a diverse cultural cinema programme, so we are, once again,  giving everyone who donates £9.00 or more before 4 Jan a chance to win a great prize: a private screening of a film of your choice for you and your family and friends. Read on for more details!

#GivingTuesday is dedicated to giving and saying THANK YOU. It’s a day where everyone from all over the world comes together to give time or donations to the causes closest to their hearts, and to share good stories. As a registered charity we think it’s only fitting to be celebrating and encouraging giving in all its forms. Please take a look at our Impact Report to learn a bit more about the work we do, why we do it, and how support from our audience has made a huge difference.

To give you some idea of how this support helps us continue to celebrate and champion the diversity of world and cultural cinema and ensure we stay inclusive and accessible for all here’s a bit more information on our approach starting with a few words from Mark Cosgrove our Cinema Curator…

“The screening of a film is in part a cultural journey; an exploration of what it means to inhabit this moment in the 21st century whether that is a reflection through the historical, a meditation on the contemporary or a projection of the future.”

 “Here at Watershed we support films for their capacity to engage with and open up fresh perspectives on our world, societies, cultures and identities. We support audiences in their critical engagement with film creating opportunities for them to connect with both the subject matter and with their fellow audience members and collaborate with colleagues and communities to widen and deepen those connections.”

Thanks to you, we have been able to continue to present an inspiring, diverse film programme that brings audiences, from all walks of life, together, to experience, share and debate, in a relaxed, open environment. 

This approach to our curation and presentation of our cinema programme costs us around £1.21 million a year to run. Cinema ticket sales bring in £750,000 (after the deduction of £150,000 VAT) and we look to a range of other income sources to cover the additional costs (such as… £345,000 through cinema advertising, Cafe/Bar profits, and a range of funding applications ). Each year we are left with around £115,000 to find from alternative funding sources to fill the gap. 

This is why we are asking if you would consider donating the equivalent price of a cinema ticket this #GivingTuesday: to help us fill this gap so we can continue with our curated cinema programme.

Here’s how you can get involved:

Donate

Set up a regular monthly donation or make a one off donation.

It’s super simple and your donation can start at just £5.00. You can donate online (there are separate pages for the monthly and one-off options), in person, via Box Office or over the phone on 0117 927 6444. If your total gift is £9.00 or more you will be entered into the prize draw.

Sponsor a Cinema Seat

A brilliant way to support Watershed in addition to being a super special Christmas gift, sponsoring a cinema seat is the ideal gift, commemoration or dedication. Pick a seat in any of our cinemas and decide on what message you’d like to have on your plaque – this is your chance to become part of the furniture and you will be entered into the prize draw for a private screening (who knows, you could get a chance to sit in your seat at your winning film!)

Share your Watershed story

Make some noise! We love hearing your stories behind why you support Watershed and why you love Watershed. Share your stories on social media using #GivingTuesday and tag us on Twitter (@wshed) or Facebook.

#GivingTuesday is really just a way for us to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has supported us this year and made a difference with their donation, it really means a lot to us. So get thinking about what your ideal film might be and who you would put on the guest list: the prize draw runs until 4 Jan so there’s plenty of time to donate and keep your fingers crossed. Good luck!

See here for the #GivingTuesday Watershed Prize Draw 2017 Terms and Conditions.

 

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