The prices for going to the cinema are really hiking up and I think that it is because of the cost to make films nowadays and more people are downloading films to watch on their pc’s. The trouble is that cinema’s to make money have to have all the seats filled. I think that there should be more special events like cheaper days when the cinema’s know when they will not have many people turning up and offer the seats at half or a lower price. I have seen some films in 3d and I dont think that they are worth the extra money. Loyalty cards are also a good idea it could mean that you go five times and get the next one free or even pair up with Mac d’s or kentucky and get reduced food or even an offer to include bus fares food and the cinema!

I agree with you about the cinema prices. We hoped that the new Oval development would have a cinema – with 9 screens!, but that is still under discussion and may not be possible. There are films at the Arts Centre and the ticket prices are about £2.50 to £3.00. They are on every Monday evening at 8.oo p.m.
Corporation Road Primary School is brilliant. They have started an after school film clubl That might be a good idea for your school. Also, North Lodge Park is planning an open air screening soon. Watch out for details, as they say!

We’ve signed up to a DVD rental company online so we just wait a bit longer to watch the films. I think the option of finding a cheaper option for people in Darlington is a great suggestion – the only issue I can think of is new films probably have really high licence costs and lots of people do just go to Teesside Park.
It would be great if Darlington People supported our local cinema and Arts Centre more and then these discounts and offers would be more liekly to happen.

Thats a tricky question because yes I do agree that cinema prices are very high particularly for 3D, but it is a private industry and we cannot force them to lower their prices. We could try to obtain a discount for young people in the Borough but again this depends on cost to the council and as you probably already know spending is being cut and not increased. We could look at running a subsidised film club for the under 18’s at the Arts Centre but the problem with that is that by the time the film becomes available for the council to screen it, it would have been out for ages. So unfortunately I can’t make any promises on this one but the film club makes the most sense, it would just depend on take up for screening of films that were released in the cinema a couple of months previously.

However for a slightly different type of entertainment – people under 26 can get free tickets to some performances at the civic theatre and the arts centre thru the artspark scheme, have a look on the councils website and it tells you how you can sign up and what the benefits are.

I heard a suggestion today that there should be a students card that allows discounts to shops, I see no reason why that should not include some cinemas. I have already started making enquiries about gettin a discount card for students.