Petition gains momentum in desperate bid to reopen Wolverhampton's Light House Cinema

The Light House – which has been in the city for more than 30 years – shut on November 3 due to financial issues exacerbated because of Covid-19.

The much-loved venue, which has been based in the Chubb Buildings since 1991, is understood to be the Black Country's only independent cinema.

It has struggled in recent years and was on the brink of closure back in 2018, but a large outpouring of support from the public kept the site running.

Now a petition has been set up by the much-loved venue's marketing manager Darryl Griffiths in a bid to "resuscitate the creative heartbeat of our city".

A statement by Mr Griffiths on the petition page said: "For little over 30 years, registered charity Light House Wolverhampton – located in the historic Chubb Buildings – has been the creative heartbeat of the city.

"On November 3, due to financial issues exacerbated by a 16-month Covid shutdown beyond our control, alongside great difficulty in securing large-scale funding to ease such pressures and build capacity for a brighter future, our wonderful venue was forced to shut its doors – devastating members of staff like myself and the ever-loyal customer base that supports us.

"The arts demonstrated at the peak of Covid how versatile and cathartic they can be. In our darkest days mentally, they could be the single bit of escapism that helped us cling on. But this feeling isn't just confined to a pandemic.

"We've seen and heard consistently how vital Light House Wolverhampton is to so many people. For that person, we could genuinely be the only people they properly engage with them on a weekly basis.

"Now look at the timing of this. We're talking about a warm space agenda in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, which is maddening in modern Britain to merely type. Think of the older generation especially. To not be that space for them. To not make them feel part of a community. It's heart-breaking."

The marketing manager added the Light House was not the only independent venue going through a difficult time, adding the industry cannot keep taking "these significant cultural hits".

"For now, it's time to demonstrate proper people power," he said. "Let's get the lights back on. Let's resuscitate the creative heartbeat of our city. Let's save Light House Wolverhampton!"

To sign the petition, visit change.org/p/save-light-house-wolverhampton