Revisiting Your Cinema Business Model 2025 - Open Sessions

Steve was Chief Executive of Broadway Cinema, Nottingham from 2008 until retiring in June 2023. Joining in 1990, he was originally appointed to set up the Finance and Development departments for the then-newly established media centre, leading the development and implementation of successive Business Plans. He managed over £8m of phased capital developments to expand and improve facilities, raising investments from ERDF, National Lottery, regional agencies and sponsorships. Steve oversaw a merger with film training organisation Intermedia and the establishment of Broadway as the lead organisation for Film Hub Midlands in a partnership with Flatpack. He established Broadway as an ACE NPO to become a key regional centre that supports the training and development of creative talent who use new technologies in their practice. Steve led Broadway through 14 months of closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, securing Cultural Recovery Funding, introducing remote working and a restructuring of the organisation, leading to a successful reopening in May 2021.

Catharine started her career as a Film Exhibition Officer at the BFI and has worked with many venues over the last 30 years both as a funder, consultant and advisor as well as a period spent at Arts Council England in a similar role. She set up the ICO in 2003 and took it from a start-up with 3 members of staff and 10 months worth of funding to the present day, with a capital asset and a turnover of just under £2m. Over the years she has led on funding strategy and organisational development and has raised millions of pounds from organisations such as BFI, ACE, Esmee Fairbairn, Creative Europe, Screen Skills and numerous film institutes and other partners. She is an advisory board member for Be The Business (www.bethebusiness.com).

Across thirty years, David has worked as a Programmer, Distributor and Consultant, helping to set up, programme or advise numerous cinemas that have achieved record admissions and have proved sustainable over a long period. From 1998-2002, he was Director of Cinema at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) where he programmed an award-winning season of Japanese experimental film and increased admissions by 100%. He also made a success of the ICA’s cutting edge distribution company, releasing over 50 films including Ring, A One and a Two and Kandahar – all of which were profitable. Whilst Head of Content at the British Film Institute, he co-produced a screening of Borderline staged at the Tate Modern Turbine Hall; and A Throw of Dice with a live orchestra in Trafalgar Square.

As Programme Lead at Julie's Bicycle, Claire works with cultural organisations, policy and funding bodies on connecting climate and culture. She is currently leading JB's work with the British Film Institute to deliver its Sustainable Screen Programme. Over the last 12 years at JB, her work has included a strong focus on sustainable buildings, capital investment and funding: advising individual organisations on capital project development and evaluation; developing key JB resources and training on sustainable and energy efficient buildings, and; sharing insights and learnings with funding bodies as well as building sector bodies and initiatives such as the UK's Net Zero Carbon Building Standard. Prior to joining JB, Claire worked as an environmental management consultant in Belgium, Austria and Germany and as Environmental Manager at the Guardian. She is a member of the Institute of Environmental Management and has a European Masters in Environmental Management.

Sustainability Coordinator within the Creative Green Team, Danielle works with organisations and individuals across all disciplines of the creative sector supporting individual and collective climate action. As part of her work on the BFI Sustainable Screen Programme, she has supported many independent exhibitors across the UK to gain clarity on the direction of their environmental work and provides guidance on understanding environmental impacts through carbon reporting. Before joining Julie’s Bicycle, she worked in the social housing sector on energy efficiency and renovation projects. Danielle has an MSc in Sustainability Consultancy.