Phoenix secures major 3-year BFI National Lottery funding
Phoenix is delighted to announce that we have been awarded £555,000 from the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund 2026-29 to engage new and diverse audiences, expand our Access Cinema programme, and launch our new Green Screen programme focused on environmental sustainability.
This funding will support a major audience development project to engage underrepresented communities across Leicester, working in partnership with co-curators and local organisations to diversify programming and build community relationships to grow and retain new audiences for independent cinema and film culture.
The 3-year award will also support Phoenix as we move forward with key initiatives that will raise our national profile as a sector leader in accessible cinema, community engagement and environmental stewardship.
Phoenix CEO Sarah Vallance says:
“Phoenix is grateful to BFI for their continued support for our work to make cinema accessible to everyone through a range of initiatives to reach underrepresented communities, some of whom may face specific barriers to their engagement. Support from BFI is instrumental in ensuring that Phoenix can continue to play an important role in the UK’s independent cinema sector, and we are pleased to have received this funding alongside other major independent cinemas across the UK – including our East Midlands neighbours at Broadway (Nottingham) and QUAD (Derby).
Sarah-Jane Meredith, Senior Manager – National Lottery Audiences Projects Fund says:
“We are delighted to support Phoenix via a three-year award. After a period of change, including completing a major capital project, Phoenix is now poised to raise its profile within the UK exhibition sector as a committed champion of accessible screenings, as well as developing new audiences via its Green Screen film programme.”
About Phoenix
Phoenix is an independent cinema and art centre located in Leicester, one of the UK’s most diverse and dynamic cities. A registered charity for over 35 years, Phoenix is the city’s home for film, moving image, and digital storytelling. Our aim is to bring inspirational film and art to all, and we are supported by public funding from British Film Institute (BFI) and Arts Council England.
We curate unique cultural and creative experiences across film and art that are relevant to our communities, bringing local, national and international work to our cinema screens and gallery. Through our diverse programme we provide opportunities for communities to come together, share stories and ideas; improve our understanding of the world and re-imagine the future; and inspire and nurture creativity.
About the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund
The BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund will award £19.7m of National Lottery funding over three years (April 2026-March 2029) to support the exhibition and distribution of ambitious, audience-facing, film and immersive projects. It is an open fund supporting distributors, exhibitors and festivals to bring independent films and immersive activity to audiences across the UK in a dynamic and original way. The activity supported by the fund will demonstrate cultural ambition and encourage audiences to take risks in the viewing choices they make. The £19.7 million for BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund is part of a total £33.5 million allocated for Audiences as part of the National Lottery Funding Plan 2026-2029.
All activity funded under the Funding Plan will deliver against the objectives set out in the 10-year BFI National Lottery Strategy (2023-2033), which details what the BFI aims to achieve in using National Lottery funding for the public and industry over the decade. The Audience Projects Fund addresses one of the strategy’s core objectives, seeking to ensure everyone across the UK can experience a great range of film and moving image.
About the BFI
The BFI is a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for
film and the moving image.
BFI’s mission is:
- To support creativity and actively seek out the next generation of UK storytellers.
- To grow and care for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive.
- To offer the widest range of UK and international moving image culture through our programmes and festivals – delivered online and in venue.
- To use our knowledge to educate and deepen public appreciation and understanding.
- To work with Government and industry to ensure the continued growth of the UK’s screen industries.
Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Jay Hunt OBE.