Cube Microplex

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Front entrance to the Cube

The Cube logo in neon

The Cube Microplex is a microplex cinema and venue in central Bristol, which has been in operation since 1998. It was once a theatre, avant garde 1970s art centre and second-run family cinema. It now occupies a place of it own making.

The Cube forms part of a radical alternative movement in the city which attempts to provide the community with a wider choice of entertainment and information. It is a non-profit volunteer-run cooperative showing cult films, experimental and unusual music and providing its audience with original ideas on culture. It is also host to Orchestra Cube, an ever-changing group of musicians committed to constant invention and free improvisation. For the past 8 years it has played host to an astounding set of entertaining activities and is run by a crack group of voluntary artists-workers-enthusiasts.

The Cube Cinema, founded in 1998, at 4 Kings Square, Kingsdown, Bristol, England, was originally a hand built theatre and DIY amateur dramatics are its life blood still. It's run by a proper left field oddball crew, against the odds (and the bland), with a near continuous stream of films, events, activities and music pouring out of every nook and cranny. The Cube works hard at presenting cinema (35, 16, Super 8, Video and Digital), music (acoustic, electric and half amped), Burlesque in full 3D, discussions, secret and overt community groups and the full on ARTS.

Live Social Cinema (that's cocktails served in front of flickering 35mm, ushers that tear tickets and smile, ice-creams, live scores to new movies, music n visuals, talks on how to build your own house, BYO films, lots of event - plenty of character) is the Cube's unofficial style. Its dressing room was a bar and is now an office, digital nerve centre - full of incident. It's prop room a deep storage unit, gallery, changing room, photo booth and studio. The new entrance and garden may have once been an old thoroughfare or lay line. The Cube once shared it's old entrance with The Chinese Overseas Association and Chinese Restaurant (proper underground style!). The tiny foyer is now a rigged up brute-disco bar with hanging rails and has been extended for micro-dancing. The projection room does not belong to the theatre space but hangs on over a car workshop. The once filthy backyard is now an urban garden oasis. The Cube is still in the same location, but changed to an unknown address (Dove Street South) in 2002 after a fire closed in down for over a year.

The Am-Dram group in the 1950's built the wooden theatre (which survived the harrowing fire), the 70's Art Centre used to put on all kinds of Bo-Ho music, film and workshops and the Second Run Cinema supposedly held one off gambling soirees and one-off hushhush gigs. All these ghosts hang on in there. This unkept history seeps into nearly everything the Cube does. It builds it own computers, pays visiting artists when it can, screens local films before the main features (NO adverts please!) and holds an astounding diverse set of gigs. Performers warm, rise or die on the big theatre stage backed by films or dirty light. Old classics, punk vids, nature films and new Hollywood all prop up the programme of disparate dramas. Red curtains sprawl close to the wooden seats. Trap doors open. People dress up. The Cube don't sell Latte it's got feral coffee.

The Cube monthly programme is a big old pig-bag of nearly everything you can cram into a small cinema. 5000 of these colourful and coded leaflets spread around the world. You might not know of the Cube as it is a little venue. On the other-hand you might be aware of its bad reputation (!?!) or rumours of its open creative struggles. You might want to know how the Cube defines 'cult cinema' or how to get involved or if The Cube might book your band. What does go on in the microplex? Well everything kind of lies together, snugly or disarmingly nonsensically.