The Trust runs a wide range of educational activities around film, both at the Sir John Hurt Centre at Cinema City, and across the county.

As well as ensuring quality cinema is screened at Cinema City, the Sir John Hurt Film Trust will promote screenings throughout the county, at permanent venues such as theatres and arts centres; via pop-up screenings; in community venues such as village halls; through the promotion of and support for film festivals; and via a future online platform. For details of recent and upcoming screenings, please click on the links adjacent.

Promoting screenings of great cinema across the region.

As well as ensuring quality cinema is screened at Cinema City, the Sir John Hurt Film Trust will promote screenings throughout the county, at permanent venues such as theatres and arts centres; via pop-up screenings; in community venues such as village halls; through the promotion of and support for film festivals; and via a future online platform.

Call back for details of future screens or for details of recent and upcoming shows, please click on the events below.

The Trust aims to nurture and promote the development of filmmakers, both those who wish to make their career in professional cinema, and those who wish to make films as a leisure or educational activity.

The Trust aims to nurture and promote the development of filmmakers, both those who wish to make their career in professional cinema, and those who wish to make films as a leisure or educational activity.

The Trust is planning a Young Film-makers Club, and will develop the current relationship with the University of the Third Age (U3A). It will offer film-making workshops, and direct support for aspiring film-makers.

The longer-term intention is to establish a Screen Commission to promote Norfolk as a location for professional film-making.

Pictured: Richard Bracewell directing Bill on location at Shakespeare’s Globe in March 2014. CC4 license

Moving memories

This project was devised by us in conjunction with the Norwich Archive Centre, the Norfolk library service and a range of health care professionals, including Age UK and the Norfolk and Suffolk Dementia Alliance.

Using the resource of a specialist working in reminiscence facilitator we were able to bring Moving Memories to individuals living in care homes and other community settings focusing predominantly on those living with dementia and similar conditions.

Reviving memories of ‘Going to the Pictures’ is brought to life by using physical items such as clothing of the time, posters, pictures of film stars and music. In an age before television dominated our lives the weekly visit to the local cinema was a major form of entertainment for children attending Saturday morning shows and adults who often used film shows as a means of dating their future life partners.

Some vivid memories were recalled which has helped individuals to regain some confidence in communicating with each other about a common experience in their earlier lives. Inevitably sessions often lead to a singsong when the topic of popular musicals is brought up.

We are grateful to North Norfolk District Council and the Norwich Rotary Club for sponsoring these activities and we are seeking further support to bring this valued service to a wider audience throughout the county. If you can help us, or want to nominate a venue for a Moving Memories session please get in touch via our contact page.

The Sir John Hurt Film Trust acts as custodians of Suckling House and Stuart Hall, the medieval buildings which house Cinema City.

The charity acts on behalf of Norwich City Council, which owns the buildings, managing the service level agreement with Picturehouse Cinemas, which operates the cinema, restaurant and bar as well as managing and running the Sir John Hurt Centre at the cinema.

Norfolk at the Pictures was a Heritage Lottery Funded project collecting and preserving memories of film and cinema-going in Norfolk.

The Norfolk at the Pictures project, coordinated by Cinema City Education, has already delivered an extensive and highly successful range of events and activities across the county as part of the Norfolk at the Pictures project. during 2015 and 2016, thousands of people across Norfolk took part in events and contributed their own memories, documents and stories. Cinema heritage trail booklets have been produced for Norwich and Great Yarmouth and a commemorative Norfolk at the Pictures magazine, in collaboration with Archant, is on sale.

In December 2015 the project was given the go-ahead from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to begin work on the new facility The Sir John Hurt Centre. The centre opened in September 2016 housing a new accessible education and exhibition space with state of the art facilities and equipment. Located on the first floor at Cinema City, it is reached by stairs or lift from the central courtyard and has accessible toilets and level flooring throughout. Please get in touch here.