A Message to our Members on Covid-19

This page will continue to be updated with information and relevant links.

To all our colleagues and friends across the Film Hub Wales membership. We hope you’re well and keeping safe and healthy.

We want to share the following information, which you might need during coming weeks/months:

• Our office
  In line with current medical advice, Chapter has had to make the difficult decision to temporarily close. During this time, calls will be diverted to us during office hours, so please call as normal.
• Hub events
  The rural cinema event on the 28th March was postponed. We will be in touch in relation to any further planned events.
• 20/21 funds
  We launched the repurposed BFI FAN Resilience fund. Recipients of grants can be found yma. The Film Exhibition Fund is currently open with a deadline of September 30th.
• Existing 19/20 funded projects
  If you have concerns about a current award with us for an ongoing project, please get in touch.
• Talking to each other
  Members can access the closed Hub Facebook group and Slack group. You will need to fill in an updated membership form (if you haven’t already) in order to access this. If you can’t locate your Slack invitation, just let us know.
• Reopening
  If you did not fill in our reopening survey, please do let us know when you have a date in mind to reopen. This will help with nationwide return to cinema campaigns.

• Welsh Government announce cultural recovery fund of £53 million. Check your eligibility to apply yma. Applications open from mid September,
• Welsh Government guidance for the re-opening of cinemas and guidance for multi-purpose community spaces yma,
• Cultural and heritage organisations to be protected with £1.57 billion support package,
• Welsh Government test, trace, protect guidance,
• Welsh Government – A traffic light roadmap setting out how Wales could exit the coronavirus lockdown (May 2020) yma,
• Measures for freelancers and the self-employed yma,
• 2020 budget information here,
• Advice for employers yma,
• Welsh Government have announced a support package for small businesses, which you can read about yma with update on 1.1 billion funding available announced yma.
• Monday November 9th, the Welsh Government have announced the Lockdown Business Fund
• The Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee has written a report on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the arts sector can be found yma. (June 2020)
• Wednesday January 13th, applications for the Welsh Government’s Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) – Sector Specific Grant are now open.

• Cultural Recovery Fund for sites in England only (relevant if you operate across the UK),
• Covid-19 Film and TV Emergency Relief Fund set up,
• BFI answer questions on Covid-19 from the screen sector yma,
• The BFI have set up an email address to field general enquiries from across the industry through [email protected],
• BFI advice and information yma,
• Message from CEO Ben Roberts yma.

• Arts Council for Wales: The cultural recovery fund is open for applications until September 9th 2020.
  Information for those working as artists, freelancers and in publicly funded cultural organisations yma.
• Find all sorts of articles from BFI FAN Members and Hubs on The Bigger Picture,
• Independent Cinema Office: Drive-in cinemas in post-lockdown UK (May 2020) yma,
• Film Hub NI: Drive-In Cinema – the answer to getting our film fix soon? (May 2020) here,
• Film and TV Charity
  If you have individuals working with you who are suffering financial loss, or just need someone to talk to, there is a very helpful service from the Film and TV Charity.
• Cinema For All 
  Covid-19 advice for Community Cinemas can be read here. Results of their volunteer-led cinema focus groups can be read here (June 2020).
• UKCA
  The UKCA published safeguarding guidelines for the reopening of cinemas and safeguarding guidelines for the re-opening of drive-in cinemas (June, 2020) you can also check for regular updates and UKCA members can access HR advice.
• Screen Skills 
  Updates and online learning yma.
• CICAE
  Useful advice for cinema operators yma.

We will update you as soon as we have any new information and we are on hand to help if we can do anything to support you. Our utmost concern is that you are all well and that we can work together to keep cinemas, festivals and events running in the long term.

The Film Hub Wales team