Cinema Felix

Cinema Felix was a began as a taught Year 2 Design live project in February 2023 written by Quin with Studioilse, and charity Refettorio Felix at St Cuthbert’s Centre (a community kitchen in West london). It asked how design can be a catalyst to activate spaces through making, communication and engaging local people. The charity is one site of the Food for Soul network set up by Chef Massimo Bottura to promote social awareness about food wastage and hunger.

From this brief Quin won KTP catalyst funding from Innovate UK to develop a community cinema. Designs were guided by staff and developed by students over the summer, including chair cushion prototypes, a set of bespoke black-out blinds with graphic perforations, ticketing, popcorn cones, posters and lightbox signage. A partnership with Cinema for All was established with a £300 bursary and mentorship to offer technical support. The Cinema had its first screening on 28th September 2023, showing the Jackie Chan action comedy Police Story (1985).

The project was a case study to demonstrate the viability of Cinema Felix, and it's potential to matinee free cinema for lunchtime guests, and host ticketed evening screenings for the local community (creating an additional revenue stream for the charity).

A forthcoming publication (September 2024) “Refettorio Felix: Food, Community & Connection” positions this project as an impact case study, creating an example for how art & design schools can partner with Food for Soul Refettorio’s, and extend the offer (beyond food, through design) to other sites internationally. The publication will contain written contributions from Refettorio Felix, Goldsmiths design staff and students, and will be shared publicly via Food for Souls Learning Network.