13/2/2009

A 90-year-old cinema re-opens tonight after a long-running community campaign. The Scala in Prestatyn was forced to close in December 2000 under the weight of repair bills.

But its screens will light up again tonight, after £3.5m was spent turning it into an arts centre.

The original Scala first opened in 1913, after taking over the town hall in Prestatyn and could hold 400 people in its 1940s heydays. The new arts complex boasts two digital film screen theatres, each seating 150 people, an IT media centre, a cafe and bar.

The success of the project is also a tribute to dedicated members of the Prestatyn community who refused to accept that the Scala would stay shut.

Sandra Pitt, chairperson of Friends of Scala said: "We decided to set up a small group to get the cinema back, which is what we have done. We thought they would just do up the old cinema and we would have it safe again.

"But now we've got the 'wow' factor. It's not just a cinema and theatre, there's the IT media room, the cafe bar - it's a fantastic facility for such a small town."

The project has been funded by the assembly government, the Arts Council for Wales, the Foundation for Sports and the Arts, the UK Film Council, and both the town and county council.

At tonight's opening, the cinema will be presenting the Oscar-nominated Disney animation Bolt, and it will also be showing the award-winning Slumdog Millionaire in its first week.