Having first opened its doors on 23rd August 1937, The Forum has served the population of Hexham for almost 85 years with only a few short breaks from 1974 to 1982 and in the early 1990s when the building was bought by JD Wetherspoon. Despite the change of ownership, the cinema has retained its original Art Deco styling that was designed to replace the old Gem Palace cinema that previously occupied the same site from 1910.
The local development trust, Hexham Community Partnership, bought the lease on the cinema in 2007 and established Forum Cinema Hexham Ltd as a community enterprise with all profits being used for the benefit of the town and surrounding areas.
Investment in the cinema in the subsequent years has seen improved access to the first-floor premises, a new digital projector, upgraded sound systems and a satellite receiver to allow screenings of live productions from around the world. The café/bar has also been refurbished creating a relaxed and friendly environment for people to meet and enjoy local produce as well as some familiar cinema favourites.
The cinema’s programme is curated to be as diverse and inclusive as possible with regular parent & baby, subtitled and dementia friendly screenings. It also hosts the Forum Film Club which highlights British independent and foreign language films with monthly screenings, discussions, and guest speakers. In 2019, The Forum launched the Tyne Valley Film Festival, a fully community programmed film festival held annually in March in multiple unique venues situated across the Tyne Valley.
Like most of the cinema community, The Forum Cinema had to close its doors in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the cinema used this time to engage with its audience in new and exciting ways including outdoor and online screenings.
