Strand Stories

‘Strand Stories’ aims to record, cherish and promote the social and architectural heritage of the Strand Cinema, located in East Belfast.

The Strand Cinema opened its doors on 7 December 1935, with one screen and 1170 seats. It has evolved over the years and taken on multiple guises including ‘picturehouse’, variety theatre, four screen multiplex, and arts centre incorporating a cinema.

Today, the Strand holds the label of the oldest surviving cinema in Northern Ireland. An east Belfast landmark, the building is significant due to its Art Deco design, prominent location and legacy as an inclusive entertainment venue. And it holds an important place in the collective memory of the residents of east Belfast.

‘Strand Stories’ is a 2 year project – funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund – that aims to record, cherish and promote the social and architectural heritage of the Strand.  The project will engage with older people, school children and their families, creating opportunities for new stories to be created and heard.

Outputs of the project will include a comprehensive education pack for local schoolchildren, public exhibitions, and a new oral history archive. A public programme of events will create further opportunities for people to come together during the lifespan of the project.

Find out more here.

For further information, please contact: