Film / News
Watershed to increase cinema capacity to 75%
For many people, walking into a full cinema still remains a step too far while the UK continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
The cinemas at Watershed are returning to 75 per cent of their full capacity from Friday.
But there will continue to be 25 per cent capacity screenings taking place for both the relaxed and socially distanced screenings of the latest films.
is needed now More than ever
“Just as we have taken a careful and cautious approach to building our business back up, we’ve seen you take a similar careful approach to returning to cultural venues like ours and we want to share what are next steps are,” Watershed head of communications, Louise Gardner, wrote on the Watershed website.
“This is your opportunity to tell us how you are feeling and for us to listen to your thoughts and feedback.”
Allocated seating in the three cinemas will mean there will be one seat between each booking party.
All visitors will also be asked to continue to wear a face covering while in the cinema and when moving around the building unless they are exempt.
Relaxed screenings at Watershed do not feature any adverts or trailers, with the lights up a little and the sound down a little throughout the screening, and people are welcome to move around the space, talk, make noise, and exit and enter the cinema.
At the reduced capacity socially distanced screenings, every other row of seats will be blocked off and audiences asked to seat themselves with two empty seats between parties.
Watershed have launched a new survey, with Gardner adding: “We want to hear from you, tell us how you are feeling, what has changed for you? What you tell us will help us to check all our continued plans for a safe and successful move towards recovery.”
Main photo: Encounters
Read more: Stephen Merchant thanks Bristol at ‘The Outlaws’ world premiere at Watershed
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