Mini Noddy Holder to star in year of celebrations at Wolverhampton cinema
The Light House in Wolverhampton is planning a special celebration for its silver screen year – including a mini Noddy Holder and a world famous sculptor.
The media centre, which shows a variety of films and plays, turns 30 this year and is also celebrating 25 years of being in the Chubb Buildings.
To mark the milestone, the centre is hosting a major exhibition from world famous sculptor and Wolverhampton local Willard Wigan. Mr Wigan MBE, from Ashmore Park Estate in Wednesfield, makes microscopic art, with his sculptures usually placed in the eye of a needle or on the head of a pin.
His exhibition will feature a micro-sculpture of Noddy Holder as the centre piece, running from March 13 until May 2, with the Slade frontman in attendance to unveil his sculpture.
The Light House is also hosting a VIP and corporate day, a series of 25 year anniversary film screenings and a host of events set to be announced later this year.
Kelly Jeffs, who has been the chief executive at Light House for three years having been with the company for 16 in various different roles, said she was excited about the silver screen year.
She said: "I am really excited about the silver screen year. We have lots going on including a series of screenings of films from 1991 that we have yet to announce. There will also be events related to these films.
"But 2016 will be a critical year for us and the key message is to please keep supporting us, especially as we're losing our public subsidiary from April."
Also for 2016, the centre's jazz and comedy nights are returning with the newly refurbished jazz club.
The comedy night, aptly named Laugh House, is returning on January 26 with no entry fee, while jazz club is back on January 17 with entrance at £5 per person.
Its cinema will be running as usual through the year showing blockbusters including Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, Leonardo Di Caprio's The Revenant and Chris Hemsworth's In The Heart Of The Sea.
One of Wolverhampton's now most famous attractions was created in 1986 as it started as a joint Wolverhampton council and polytechnic initiative. It was named and formally opened in 1987, with films, exhibitions and educational events established at Wolverhampton art gallery.
The media centre moved in 1989 to the Arena Theatre, before finally settling into the then newly-refurbished and extended Chubb Buildings in 1991. In 1994, Light House was established as a separate company but had continued support from University of Wolverhampton and council. The cinema received a refurbishment in 2001.
It became a registered charity in 2012 and in a large shake up due to funding, reduced to a small core staff, concentrating on cinema and event activities, with the galleries gradually being opened up for rental to local artists as Arts Council funding diminished.
