Heritage Open Days at Hyde Park Picture House: News, Views, Stories: Leeds Heritage Theatres

Architectural detail on the top of Hyde Park Picture House's façade.

Wednesday 7 Aug 2024

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We’re one month away from our favourite cinema opening its doors a little wider, giving you the opportunity to see behind the scenes and marvel at its history.

Written by Sarah Jewers

What are Heritage Open Days?

Every September, organisations and volunteers come together to facilitate free celebrations of the history and heritage places around our country. Doors that are usually private are opened to the public and secrets that are held behind lock and key are revealed.

Heritage Open Days were established in 1994 in contribution to European Heritage Days, a 50-country-wide celebration of Europe’s cultural heritage. In England, over 5,000 events take place, showcasing the diversity of our heritage, a goal at the core of the scheme. This year, Heritage Open Days return from Fri 6 – Sun 15 September 2024.

We’re throwing open the doors of our beloved cinema Hyde Park Picture House to join in the fun. So, join us to learn more about the history of our cinema and cinema in Leeds, or come along to one of our screenings of some cinematic classics.

Our events

Children in the projection room at Hyde Park Picture House being show a demonstration by Deputy Projections & Facilities Manager Owen Trattles who is wearing a black jumper.

Self-Guided Cinema Tours

A great opportunity to explore our cinema for free, a year on from our recent renovation. Get to see our heritage features without interruption alongside the new aspects of our building such as our new Screen Two and Café Bar. Our cinema building will be open to visitors from 1pm – 3pm for audiences to come and explore the cinema, with self-guided tour information available and staff on hand to answer any questions.

Find out more

School children stood at the bottom of the staircase being given a tour of the building by Hyde Park Picture House's Young Audiences Officer Sylvia Barber.

Guided Cinema Tour

Open to those with no prior knowledge of The Picture House and its history, this guided tour will take visitors around every nook and cranny of the building, exploring old and new alike. Led by our Young Audience Officer, Sylvia Barber, the talk will explore the history of The Picture House whilst also highlighting the work undertaken in our recent refurbishment to secure the future of this much-beloved building.

Find out more

Black and white image of the Hyde Park Picture House Screen One auditorium looking back towards the exits with both the stalls and the front of the balcony in frame.

Do You Remember The Old Cinemas Of Leeds?

Join us for an intimate talk with Jane Ellis looking back to the era before corporate multiplexes, when Leeds had around 100 independent picture houses and cinemas. As these fine buildings began gradually to disappear, Jane began making a photographic record from the 1980s of what remained, and collected the memories of local people who remembered the heyday of ‘going to the pictures’.

Find out more

Our screenings

Enjoy a classic film in a classic venue, following our recent renovation last year, our grade II listed cinema is the perfect place to revisit this important and innovative film with the whole family – all ages welcome.

Black and white image of Charlie Chaplin in his classic rugged tuxedo sat in a doorway with arms crossed next to a young child in overalls and a big floppy hat.

The Kid

After a young mother abandons her newborn baby, Charlie Chaplin’s The Tramp inadvertently finds the child and takes him under his wing. The Tramp and the Kid, partners in crime, develop an irreplaceable bond. Five years pass and the Kid’s mother reappears on the scene, putting the pair’s relationship in jeopardy.

At Hyde Park Picture House Sat 7 – Sun 8 September 2024.

Mary Poppins

When the children of the wealthy and uptight Banks family, are faced with the prospect of a new nanny, they are pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the magical Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews). Embarking on a series of fantastical adventures, the siblings try to pass on some sunny attitude to their preoccupied parents.

At Hyde Park Picture House on Sat 14 – Sun 15 September 2024.

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Discover other Leeds treasures

We share a place in the Leeds heritage landscape with some other incredible buildings and spaces. Get to know our city with four other events we think you may enjoy.

Overhead view of the central desk area in Leeds Central Library from the balcony. Book cases can be seen throw arches at the sides and people are sat at the tables in the middle.

Leeds Central Library Tour

Take a guided tour of this Grade II* listed Victorian masterpiece in the historic heart of Leeds. From antique Potts clocks to grinning stone guard dogs, explore the secrets behind the scenes of one of the city’s most amazing public buildings, taking in four floors of this building that opened in 1884.

Find out more

Exterior shot of the road entrance to Sunny Bank Mills, a beige brick building on a hill.

Sunny Bank Mills Heritage Tour

Explore 195-year-old Sunny Bank Mills, an important woollen and worsted mill, which produced some of the finest cloth in the world, on a free heritage tour. Visit the new Gallery exhibition, our artists’ Open Studios, Sculpture Trail & Family Trail before enjoying refreshments in the tearoom.

Find out more

Ginnel with stone walls, trees overhead and a lampost in shot.

The Great Ginnel in Headingley

The Great Ginnel is united by two footpaths, which are both long and ancient. Join Richard Tyler (who edits the HeadingleyLeeds.com website) for a journey through space and time, exploring the longest and oldest ginnel in Headingley starting at Hyde Park Corner and ending up in Weetwood.

Find out more

Exterior shot of Left Bank's façade. The building is an old developed red brick church-like structure and has a very tall, wide triangular wall in the front and centre. There is a well-mowed lawn in front of the building.

Hyde Park Our Story at Left Bank

Hyde Park has a rich cultural heritage, a unique suburb of the city with many stories to tell. Hosted by creative and community space Left Bank, this event will launch an exhibition of works and memorabilia about Hyde Park, featuring speakers sharing the history and stories of life then and now.

Find out more

Leeds Heritage Theatres

Leeds Heritage Theatres is Leeds Grand Theatre, City Varieties Music Hall and Hyde Park Picture House. A registered charity, together we make a significant contribution to the Leeds arts and cultural landscape; providing heritage spaces for people to share experiences of live performances, screenings and events. To help us achieve our vision of advancing the arts in Leeds and inspiring the next generation to keep telling our stories, we rely on your generosity and thank you for your kind donation (which is fully invested in our buildings and projects).

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