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Independent Cinema Of The Month: Rich Mix, more than just a cinema!
To refer to Rich Mix simply as cinema would be the same as to refer to skiing as merely a way of getting down from a mountain: it is much more than that. It’s a cinema, live performance venue, workspace, gallery, and bar. We wouldn’t be surprised if there was a top-secret research facility there as well. Or a paintballing range. (Author takes ten minutes to think about how amazing that would be.)
Offering all of this – with the exception of the last two - means having one heck of a space and the Rich Mix building is definitely that. It’s spread over five floors, so if you were to turn your living room into a cultural centre: probably best not to.
The cinema rooms range from a large kaleidoscopic 181-seater to a more intimate 59-seater. The main space that can be used for live performance venue can host 400 people. There are even venue rooms that can host parties, exhibitions.
But, as I have been told numerous times, it’s not all about size. The building is also eye-catching - it looks like multi-coloured Venetian blinds. That is no superfluous construction but actually a wonderful function: the shutters can be turned down to become a huge outdoor screen. A paintballing range doesn’t sound so outlandish anymore does it?
Inside the building ‘spacious’ is the adjective that springs to mind. The floors have been built so as not to cover the main space on the ground floor, giving the building a very open feel. A bonus side effect is that no part of the building is isolated from the hubbub: every area feels vibrant even if there is nothing going on there.
However, what makes Rich Mix truly a great place to visit, apart from inventive architecture and interior design, is geniality. The events and performances put on are creative, exciting and educational. In 2013/14 year Rich Mix provided 4,170 hours of free rehearsal space and provided a platform for over 100 up-and-coming artists. They put on family and school orientated events and keep everything affordable by keeping cinema ticket prices comparatively low.
If there is ever a cinema to support, it should be definitely one that is so much more than simply that!
by @benjyrabs
