Phoenix Leicester secures major 3-year BFI National Lottery funding

Phoenix, Leicester's independent cinema and art centre, is delighted to announce that we have been awarded £555,000 from the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund 2026-29 to engage new and diverse audiences, expand our Access Cinema programme, and launch our new Green Screen programme focused on environmental sustainability.

This funding will support a major audience development project to engage underrepresented communities across Leicester, working in partnership with co-curators and local organisations to diversify programming and build community relationships to grow and retain new audiences for independent cinema and film culture.

The three-year award will also support Phoenix as we move forward with key initiatives that will raise our national profile as a sector leader in accessible cinema, community engagement and environmental stewardship.

Phoenix CEO Sarah Vallance says:

“Phoenix is grateful to BFI for their continued support for our work to make cinema accessible to everyone through a range of initiatives to reach underrepresented communities, some of whom may face specific barriers to their engagement. Support from BFI is instrumental in ensuring that Phoenix can continue play an important role in the UK’s independent cinema sector, and we are pleased have received this funding alongside other major independent cinemas across the UK – including our East Midlands neighbours at Broadway (Nottingham) and QUAD (Derby)."

Sarah-Jane Meredith, Senior Manager – National Lottery Audiences Projects Fund says:

“We are delighted to support Phoenix via a three-year award. After a period of change, including completing a major capital project, Phoenix is now poised to raise its profile within the UK exhibition sector as a committed champion of accessible screenings, as well as developing new audiences via its Green Screen film programme."