Adventures in Cinema: HippFest & Selkirk Community Cinema

Our Adventures in Cinema fund supports screening projects aimed at young audiences and families.

Under Screen Culture 2033, the BFI Film Audience Network recognises how important early cinema visits are for the health of the exhibition sector, broadening its focus to include both children and young people. By engaging with children, families and young people, you can introduce new audiences to your work and foster future generations of cinemagoers.

In 2025, both Hippodrome Silent Film Festival (HippFest) and Selkirk Community Cinema used support from Adventures in Cinema to launch exciting new projects. We spoke to Nell Cardozo, Development Officer at HippFest, and Harriet Warman, Selkirk Community Cinema, to discover how their ideas came to life – and what they learned in the process.

Got an idea for a project for young audiences? Get in touch!

HippFest: Taste of Silents Programme

Tell us about your programme, and why you decided to work with young programmers?
Nell: Taste of Silents is our regular autumn series which screens silent film with live music at the Hippodrome to encourage new audiences to try the experience. The decision to involve the Young Programmers this past year was all about opening doors. We wanted to make the film industry feel more accessible and give young people a chance to shape what happens at HippFest. Silent film with live music is such a unique experience, and there’s nowhere else in the UK where young programmers can get hands-on with this kind of heritage cinema.

“There’s nowhere else in the UK where young programmers can get hands-on with this kind of heritage cinema”

So, the idea was simple: let them lead. By putting youth voices at the heart of programming, we hoped to bring fresh perspectives, attract new audiences, and help young people build skills and confidence for future careers.

How did you recruit and work with the young programmers?
We brought together a brilliant group of 22–26-year-olds for year-long placements, and their big moment was curating the Taste of Silents season. The open call went out via our social media channels and our partnership with Young Scot, as well as through a targeted list of youth organisations based in the Falkirk District. Incidentally, two of the YPs, Alanna and Eve, were our Young Scot prizewinners last year, winning a free pass to HippFest 2024. It was great to see their enthusiasm extend to getting involved behind the scenes.

As well as selecting the films to screen, the YPs learned a little bit of everything from licensing and event delivery to fundraising and partnership building. A highlight was that they brokered a sponsorship deal with Mackies for free ice cream, for Buster Keaton’s Go West! Guided by the relationships we built during the project, we were able to design unique experiences, like sitting in on S!nk’s rehearsal for their Battleship Potemkin score, which offered a behind-the-scenes look at scoring silent cinema. Regular planning meetings in person (rather than online) and lots of creative freedom meant they really owned the project, and made the social element of the project really meaningful for the YPs.

What did you learn – and what would you do differently next time?

• Family marketing can be tough: Despite fun activities and a family-friendly screening (Go West), we could have had a higher uptake in under-16s in the audience. Next time, we plan to connect with schools and youth groups earlier, use council channels, and maybe invest in a dedicated print campaign that the YPs can try out their design skills for.
• Accessibility was crucial: The free shuttle bus for under-26s was a game-changer, and live captioning made the event more inclusive.
• Partnerships made a big impact: Our collaboration with DCA Dundee for Phantom of the Opera was a huge success. Next time, we’ll plan partnerships earlier to maximise reach.

What feedback did you get from young people and audiences?
Lots of positives! The Young Programmers loved the event. Helen shared, “I thought the event was brilliant… everything went pretty smoothly.” Artists were equally enthusiastic. Matt Wright from S!nk told us, “Thank you so much for inviting us… it was great to meet you all and return to your wonderful cinema.” Audiences were very positive about the shuttle bus, with many saying it was the deciding factor in attending.

“It’s great to see from the feedback that the accessibility measures and collaborative approach really paid off.”

One Letterboxd review even called the DCA partnership screening “Absolutely extraordinary… electrifying new live synth score.” It’s great to see from the feedback that the accessibility measures and collaborative approach really paid off.

Do you have any tips for FHS members starting similar projects?

• Give young people real power: Let them make decisions and feel ownership.
• Think about access early: Transport solutions and free tickets for under-26s can make a huge difference.
• Collaborate: Partnerships with other venues or organisations expand your reach and share resources.
• Start marketing early: Especially if you want families – tap into schools and community networks.
• Make it fun: Wraparound activities like games (matchmaking audiences with their favourite silent movie), podcasts, and social elements turn screenings into experiences, and encourage audiences to return to the Hippodrome for the core Festival dates.

Learn more about HippFest via: hippodromecinema.co.uk/hippfest.

Selkirk Community Cinema

Tell us how Selkirk Community Cinema came to be – what was the motivation behind it? 
Harriet: Selkirk Community Cinema came about because, as a parent in a small town, I had the desire for welcoming, accessible places to take children to, and the other parents I know felt the same – especially to have more options for family activities that are indoors!

“I had the desire for welcoming, accessible places to take children to, and the other parents I know felt the same”

We all wanted the cinema to be more affordable and to be right on our doorstep. We formed a group that was parent-led and supported by Selkirk Regeneration, who have supported lots of cultural initiatives in the town.

Why did you decide to focus on children/ family audiences?
Because that’s the stage of life that a lot of my community are at, and families were finding it hard to afford the cinema and wanted the big screen experience to be more accessible and welcoming to children, so that films could be enjoyed without needing a babysitter!

What did you learn throughout this project?
We programmed a range of different films – classic films didn’t find much of an audience, but highly anticipated titles like Inside Out 2 were well attended. I think this was because we were offering another chance to see the film, but with an audience in an affordable way.

“We were offering another chance to see the film, but with an audience in an affordable way.”

The star of the programme though was Toddler Cinema. We ran two screenings in community spaces of the Discovery Shorts for Wee Ones programme and they did so well with the kids. Plus, the parents had a chance to connect with each other as well over a cuppa. We then went on to develop a partnership with the new owners of the Pavilion Cinema in Galashiels – Merlin Cinemas – who took over in June 2025. They really embraced the Toddler Cinema format and attendance has far surpassed expectations. We’ve had over 450 admissions over three screenings between September – December!

What was the response to the screenings?
One comment about Toddler Cinema at Pavilion was that it was ‘a perfect morning’ which is very gratifying, and we’ve seen parents bringing their toddlers for the first time. The format has a drawing activity before the film, with activity sheets provided by distributor Magic Light. and that settles very young ones into the space before the film starts.

Do you have any tips for community cinemas who are starting similar projects?
Ideally have a few people who are all enthusiastic and willing to spend the time on the project, and giving time to developing partners is so important. I think if we’d picked one type of screening – such as Toddler Cinema – and stuck with it from the start we would have built our audience quicker, but I am grateful to FHS for enabling us to try different genres for family screenings with less risk. Our venues, volunteers and supporters were all so helpful and we’re delighted the project has a legacy with another local cinema that are able to create space in their programme for accessible family screenings.

Learn more about Selkirk Community Cinema via: facebook.com/selkirkcommunitycinema

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