Phoenix Blog

Phoenix CEO John Rance has announced his plan to retire from his position in spring 2024, having joined the charity in 2010 following its relocation to Leicester's Cultural Quarter.

Phoenix's digital art manager Irina Tsokova gives us an overview of our current exhibition, Object Memory.

Our new extension is now open, giving us two additional cinema screens, a larger and more prominent gallery, and a superb Café Bar.

With flexible programming now operating across all four of our screens, we have returned to unallocated seating for our regular film screenings.

Film writers and critics Pamela Hutchinson and Christina Newland present some of Hollywood’s most risqué films (all new restorations care of Park Circus and Warner Bros) made before the 1930's Hays code was enforced.

Leicester’s Phoenix Cinema and Art Centre has been awarded £246k funding over the next 3 years by Arts Council England (ACE).

Our Cinema Programme Manager Jake walks us through the highlights of our reopening programme in November.

We're pleased to share our new digital arts podcast. In this first episode we discuss the the art programme at Phoenix, giving an overview of things we've done in the past and a preview of what to expect as we prepare to open our new gallery space.

Carol Leeming MBE delves into the importance of black women's stories in film, in specific relation to the release of dramedy Queen of Glory.

We welcome Irina Tsokova to Phoenix as our new Digital Arts Manager. She’s joined our team in the exciting run up to the launch of our expanded venue and new art gallery in January 2023.

Curator Anoushka Goodwin reflects on our online commissions exploring the theme of digital idleness: 'Downtime' by Sian Fan and 'Are / You / Actually' by Compiler

Our New British Cinema season kicked off with a trio of films directed by Ben Wheatley. We caught up with Ben (via a video call, of course) to see how he’s coping with life in lockdown.

A new art installation premieres at Phoenix from 10 Jan – 23 Feb, featuring Thanatos - a perfume that evokes the scent of a decomposing body discovered in a woodland.

Amit Gupta, BAFTA-nominated writer and director for film, theatre and television, becomes Phoenix's first honorary Patron. Photo credit: Mark Lord

Phoenix is encouraging its customers to put their names on its expanded cinema and art centre as part of a new charitable fundraising programme 2020 | BE PART OF IT.

£250,000 has been pledged by The Garfield Weston Foundation and £100,000 from The Foyle Foundation.

Phoenix is recruiting for a new chair and several trustees to join its board of 12 trustees.

We're delighted to have received confirmation that Arts Council England will invest £4 million of National Lottery money towards Phoenix 2020.

Phoenix Leicester's plans to become a four screen independent cinema by 2020 have been granted planning permission by the local planning authority.

Over half term, Phoenix is giving families the chance to put on virtual reality headsets, jump on a playground swing, and be transported into a thrilling virtual adventure.

We're giving away tickets to a charity screening of It’s a Wonderful Life on Fri 7th Dec in return for donations to Action Homeless’ Winter Appeal.

Phoenix is to become one of the first UK cinemas to screen Virtual Reality (VR) films as part of it regular cinema programme.

We reveal the architectural plans for our two storey 1,200 square metre extension - with green roof terrace + room for 2 new cinemas, an art gallery and more!

Phoenix delighted to receive news Leicester city council has committed £1 million towards Phoenix 2020 expansion project.

We talked to artist Beth Kettel whose experimental music video ‘A Bang, A Bomb, A Lie And A Band That Stands for Something Else' premieres at Phoenix.

Phoenix is delighted to congratulate its chairman Alan Tuckett who has been recognised with a Knighthood in the New Year Honours for his services to developing lifelong adult learning.

Help us raise the £2,000 we need to buy 26 new amplified headsets – to help more people with sight and hearing loss enjoy films at Phoenix.

Phoenix has announced ambitious plans to expand its current venue and become a four screen independent cinema by the year 2020.

Videoclub curator Moritz Cheung writes about how he chose the works in Ritual - a programme of artists' film and video from South East Asia showing at Phoenix in December

Will you make it through the night? ‘Frightarama‘ returns to Phoenix with a night of bloodcurdling horror.

Phoenix has been awarded £321,856 funding over four years from Arts Council, maintaining its position as one of their National Portfolio Organisations.

We talk to Leicester artist Danni Spooner whose work appears in our exhibition Playback - a nationally-touring exhibition showcasing award-winning short films from across the country.

Friday 25 November is national Carers' Rights Day - here's some details on what the Phoenix Access Cinema programme has to offer.

'Outside', screening on Thu 25 Aug as part of The Short Cinema, is one example of how the boundaries between filmmakers and artists are being blurred.

Artist Anoushka Goodwin previews our upcoming artists' film screening 'Outside', showing on Thu 25 Aug, 7pm, as part of The Short Cinema

We spoke to artist Luci Eldridge about her practice and research trip to NASA which forms the basis of her joint exhibition at Phoenix from 10 June - 31 July.

A Q&A with Teresa Dillon, artist behind Canary Songs in which a choir recreates the sounds of a WW1 munitions factory in the Phoenix cinema

Phoenix’s latest exhibition ‘The Canvas of Resonance’ by artist Kenny Wong Chi-Chuen, is a cinematic sound and visual installation that draws its influences from the Foley artists of the live radio age.