A historic Grade II listed building, a former cinema of the early 20th century, and presently the only one of its era left in Sheffield.
Managed by CADS - a Sheffield Arts Charity, keen to re-energise this glorious building! Official page for The Abbeydale Picture House, managed by CADS South Yorkshire. A multi-functional community arts venue with studios and events spaces available for hire. www.theabbeydalepicturehouse.com
25/04/2024
Despite recent challenges, including an unexpected eviction notice, our resolve remains strong. Last week’s discussions about purchasing the Abbeydale Picture House were positive so we were surprised and shocked to find the locks changed and an eviction notice posted without warning this week. We have taken immediate steps to challenge this action and launched a legal dispute.
We are encouraged, however, by the recent good news that the charity has been awarded funding from the Community Ownership Fund and even more recently, official recognition of the Abbeydale Picture House as an Asset of Community Value affirms our belief in the importance of this building for the community.
We remain optimistic about the future and are committed to reviving the Abbeydale Picture House. We believe a resolution is possible and are working tirelessly to reopen the building to the public. We want to extend our thanks to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUC) and Sheffield City Council for their support through this complex process.
Our journey continues, and we are confident that with persistence, our project will come to fruition. Thank you for standing with us.
05/04/2024
We're thrilled to share that CADS has secured a £300,000 grant from the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund to help save The Abbeydale Picture House, a cherished historical landmark in our city. This grant, provided by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is vital step towards the restoration and reinvigoration of this iconic heritage building. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Theatres Trust, Music Venue Trust and National Trust for their ongoing support.
16/02/2024
Coming Soon... our next screening at The Abbeydale Picture House, in 35mm.
Full announcement with tickets on-sale next Wednesday February 21st.
30/01/2024
Today we can announce that The Abbeydale Picture House has been added to the Theatres Trust's Theatres at Risk Register. This register aims to spotlight and support theatre buildings across the UK facing significant threats. The Abbeydale Picture House, like others on the list, is now recognised for its vulnerability. We appreciate your ongoing support as we navigate this situation and work towards preserving the venue. We would like to thank Theatres Trust, who have given us lots of support and expert advice since we took on the lease for the building in 2017.
In addition, we're excited to share that CADS Head of Operations, Dan Butlin, will be appearing on Channel 5 news today at 5pm. Tune in to gain further insights into our efforts and the significance of this recognition for the future of the venue.
SN35: Sly & The Family Drone // Pohl // F*x Interior // Yakkida
Legendary neo-jazz menagerie Sly & The Family Drone return to Sheffield to lead a super-strident night in SpeakEasy Bar at Abbeydale Picture House
Sly & The Family Drone
Heavy, skronking noise-art for the soul.
It’s been a long old road for Sly & his dronesome family. They've been at this for absolutely ages and have the legendary festival sets to show for it.
Bringing them back to Sheffield for their first show since 2016 we’ve had to find somewhere with a bit more space than HATCH so it’s another Strident away-day at The Abbeydale Picture House. This time in the Speakeasy Bar: a low-lit moody space and an ideal spot for some middle of the crowd, floor sets! Which is luckily Sly’s favourite position!
Pohl
Sheffield's finest two-piece. How do they make such fat slabs? Goodness only knows. Badness too.
F*x Interior
Something new in Sheffield brews. Is s*x on legs or in a big heap on the floor. Challenging and provocative.
Yakkida
New noise from one of Leeds' most prolific DIY-space-botherers. Hillary from COWTOWN takes you to the moon and back.
Sunday Techno? Why not!
Speakeasy Bar at Abbeydale Picture House presents Irish techno don Doug Cooney along with And.D/Jamie Williamson for a Sunday evening block of kick drum chunk.
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The Abbeydale Picture House first opened in 1920 and features a unique blend of Art Deco and Arts & Crafts architecture, now recognised as of national interest, and protected by its Grade II Listed status. It began life at the advent of the “talkies”, when hundreds of local families would make the short walk from the surrounding streets at 2pm on a Saturday to pay homage to star-studded movies from the golden age of Hollywood. Unfortunately, by the 1970s, the Cinema trade had shifted forever into purpose-built, city centre multiplexes and the Abbeydale Picture House fell out of favour. Following a few incongruous decades in use as a furniture showroom and a snooker hall, the 1990’s and 2000’s saw the building sat mostly empty and underused, falling ever further into disrepair, home only to the local pigeon population.
We, CADS South Yorkshire, are a grassroots Sheffield-based registered charity who are well used to operating on a shoe-string budget. For 10 years, CADS South Yorkshire has worked tirelessly taking on derelict buildings and against all the odds, bringing them back into use again – as studios for artists, bands and all manner of creative businesses, all the while bringing employment, activity, and cultural vibrancy into places that were devastated by post-industrial decline. A locally based registered charity, we have a track record of breathing new life into buildings in disrepair.
To date we have successfully managed 23 buildings, mostly on temporary leases, and currently manage 5 other sites in Sheffield which house studio spaces, music venues, exhibition spaces and more. We have the contacts, experience and relationships with relevant arts, culture and heritage funders. We have the right community-oriented structures and mindsets to be able to balance social, cultural, and commercial priorities.
The Abbeydale Picture House’s landlord Phil contacted us after hearing our track record with other difficult buildings around the city when he was looking for someone who could successfully manage the Abbeydale Picture House. He began negotiating with us in 2016, and by 2017 we had signed a 25 Year Lease on the building, with a clear and commonly agreed mission:
“To, through the renovation of the Abbeydale Picture House, create a nationally recognised venue for culture and the arts, which also reflects, supports and enriches the cultural diversity of the local community.”
Over the last 2 years, we have gradually brought the Abbeydale Picture House to the centre of our operations; channelling revenue from studio hire generated in our other buildings towards the renovations and improvement of Abbeydale Picture House. Whilst this arrangement has been successful so far, we feel it is time to get the building to a stage where it can stand on its own two feet financially and flourish as a community-led arts venue Sheffield can be proud of.
Since taking on the building we have managed to host more events and activities than have taken place in the previous 20 years, with a more diverse range of artistic media than has ever been seen in the building.
With help from our recent Crowdfunding campaign (you can still donate here), we are currently working on necessary remedial and improvement works to be granted a premise licence. With the addition of a premises license we can continue to develop our work in the building as an arts venue all whilst making further improvements to the building itself. In 2020, this beautiful building will celebrate its 100th birthday, and we want to ensure that the building can continue to function for the next 100 years.
