Tyneside Cinema is easily the most famous and without a doubt the most beautiful. It’s housed in the most gorgeous 1930s art deco building (grade 2 listed!!) right in the city centre and was built by Ridley Scott’s great uncle Dixon Scott. It is the last full-time independent cinema in the North East, as well as the final Newsreel theatre to be in full-time operation in the UK. A good cinema enhances the experience of a film tenfold – and by this measure, it’s impossible to have a bad time at Tyneside Cinema. The bar and café attached is equally as beautiful, and the perfect place to grab a coffee or pint before a screening.
On the other side of town, there is a cinema of a very different type, equally as cool and incredibly important to the community - the Star and Shadow Cinema. Nestled in Shieldfield, this community cinema is run by a team of dedicated volunteers, each of whom work hard to put on a fantastic variety of films and documentaries. As an arts hub, it hosts a number of groups and workshops, everything from knitting to creative writing. Anyone can get involved, and once you become a volunteer you can even programme films and put on your own gigs. So, if this is your kind of thing, check out their website!