STEVE MAPP

Steve Mapp worked at the Broadway Cinema for the last thirty-three years, starting in finance in May 1990, when it first began. The space had been a cinema from the 1960s, mainly showcasing foreign language films or films that were not available in the mainstream cinemas in the UK. In the early stages, there was no funding and became the first cultural recipient of the European Regional Development Funding (ERDF). There were several organisations that were a part of the the birth of the space including; Nottingham Film Theatre, New Cinema Workshop, Midland Group, CODA and the Nottingham Video Project, together with several members of the city’s film community.

Steve recalls the introduction of Broadband to the city coinciding with the Broadway’s opening, with the ‘groundswell’ of technological change acting as a backdrop for the new media theatre. Subsequently, Adrian Wootton, had initiated an opening of a second screen in the building. At a film festival, he had met an up and coming film director Quentin Tarantino, who was showing his new film ‘Reservoir Dogs’. Steve recalls how Quentin came to Nottingham twice during the early years, in 1992 and 1994 and it was the UK premier of Pulp Fiction on the latter. It was initially scheduled to be London, but the event was quickly overrode by Quentin who insisted that it should be in Nottingham.

‘Pulp Fiction’, straight from the Cannes Film Festival and subtitled in French, was marketed as a secret midnight screening as a “mystery film”, however, everyone in attendance knew what the film was going to be. Quentin introduced the film, and as the music started, everyone bristled with excitement. Whilst telling this story, Steve smiled and said ‘If you were there, you would never forget it.’.

In the 1990s, Steve recalls how Hockley was quite run down due to the recession. Despite this, there were still some famous spots that would attract people, the ‘Half Moon Cafe’ where arty and cultural people went for lunch immersing themselves with the ‘greasy spoons; vibe,

The Broadway had became an important magnet in the area, and a catalyst for urban regeneration. Steve states that whilst they cannot claim to be solely responsible, there were attracting approximately 200,000 visits a year. They also ran a series of schemes and projects for students and artists, who had a particular focus on technology as an active ingredient in their art. Steve Mapp is retiring this year.