Our Aim - The New Victoria

One of the finest architectural examples of its type, the New Victoria Cinema (the Old Odeon, Clerk Street, Edinburgh) was opened in 1930. Like so many cinemas of this era it has suffered neglect and been threatened with demolition. Thankfully, it hasn't been lost yet - and we intend to save this amazing building for the people of Edinburgh.

The New Victoria will be a space for everybody; open to the community and committed to the development of the arts. Space will be allocated for the use of community education groups, meetings, societies and club, alongside the specialist music, cinema and cabaret auditoriums.

The exquisite foyer, bar and crush hall spaces will be restored, embracing a modern take upon Art Deco and reinstating many of the period features. A cafe-bar will operate in the box office/foyer space whilst drinking and dining will be available in the sweeping crush hall and balconied Top bar.

The auditoriums will offer an unparalleled entertainment venue. Auditoriums will be retained as cinema, theatre and live music space, offering tabled seating, a stage and bar. Similar projects in England, adopting a flexible approach to management of space and function in the venue, have been fantastically successful. Revenue will be generated through ticket and licensed sales, and also through the hiring out of rooms for conference and corporate events.

We are an independent organisation dedicated to securing investment to purchase, restore and run the cinema as a multi-functional space, open to everyone as a major venue in Edinburgh.

The New Victoria project is dedicated not only to preserving and restoring this incredible and important building to the highest standard, but also ensuring its availability and accessibility to the wider community.

© the new victoria