LU Cinema is set to be given an up to date makeover, coinciding with the huge refurbishment of Bowland College.
The refurbishment will begin in the summer term and will be due to finish ready for the start of the academic year in October. During the summer term there will be no films or lectures scheduled to take place in Bowland Lecture Theatre.
With increased ratings in the league tables and an ever growing interest in Lancaster University, Bowland has been looked upon to get renovated. At the heart of the campus, Bowland’s main lecture theatre doubles as a cinema and is set to receive £100,000 towards cinema equipment in the hopes that it can rival cinemas across the nation. LUSU President Robbie Pickles said: “When you walk in there the feel should be like you are in a real cinema”.
Mark Harper, the president of LU Cinema, is pleased that the plans are going ahead. “We at LU Cinema are very excited about the refurbishment. We have been waiting a long time and are glad it’s finally happening. We are looking forward to bringing the cinema into the 21st Century.” The upgraded cinema has been on the table since 2005 and was originally planned to be updated last year along with Bowland bar, however both plans fell through.
The current fees to watch films such as the five film passes are set to stick. Rachel Morris, the vice president of LU Cinema, said that: “We want the cinema to be of a top quality of any of the top ones around the country but to still be low priced.”
LUSU had to fight hard with the University over the summer to acquire funding, however the University were happy to award finances for the plans to go ahead. The innovation of 3D film technology has been temporarily left out of the plans for the cinema as there is still the possibility that this trend could wear out. Nonetheless if 3D cinema is set to be a constant success then the option to upgrade the technology is there and can be done so at minimal costs to LU Cinema.
The cinema will still be used for lectures and will also receive funding towards such equipment. Bowland bar will be included in the refurbishment as well as the accommodation. By October the standard of all accommodation should be universal though there are plans to leave some cheaper rooms in Bowland for those who want the option.
Films scheduled in the last term before work starts include Due Date, Monsters and the first instalment of the final Harry Potter. Saturday Week Three boasts a huge Sci-Fi all-nighter showing: Moon, District 9, Aliens, Men in Black, Star Trek (2009) and The Empire Strikes Back.
