Screen in the Barn was started in the autumn of 1993 by a small committee of film lovers. Pete Tolhurst (now in Norwich) was an important part of this. The current committee is Loraine Burr, John Farley, Brian and Sarah Guthrie, Bettina and Paul Spencer. The committee chooses the films for each season (bearing in mind suggestions from patrons and what is available on 16mm) and handles the finances and other arrangements. John Farley does the design work for programmes, posters and this website.

We started with two second-hand Bell & Howell projectors bought from Lowestoft Art College (thanks to the mediation of SiB's honorary life president, Bob Hosea). One has since had to be replaced, and from time to time repairs and new bulbs etc are necessary. The screen in the barn is fixed and projection is from a gallery. The barn holds a maximum of 45 on stacking chairs of various vintages. Warmth is provided by a wood stove and gas fires.

Although SiB is self-supporting (and certainly not profit-making) we have had some small financial help from Mid-Suffolk, and this website is courtesy of Avocet Consulting of Mellis.

Over the years we have had the occasional children's matinee, late-night screening, double bill. The barn has been used on a couple of occasions to screen films to raise funds for Amnesty. SiB organised its own fund-raiser for Afghanistan in February 2002 when we screened Kubrick's Dr Strangelove, introduced by Pat Holtom who worked on the film.

We are always happy to consider new ideas along these lines.

SCREEN IN THE VAN

SiB's projectors and a mobile screen have been used to show a few films around and about - in Hoxne village hall, The Park Hotel in Diss, Framlingham, Diss jubilee fair. There was also a showing of fifties short films in Mellis village hall as part of jubilee celebrations.

If you want to know more about this, or are interested in having films screened, contact Brian Guthrie on 01379 783678.