More Details of Secret Cinema Event Emerge
Close to 5,000 a people a day expected at 'hipster mini-village' in Gunnersbury Park
Layout of the structures taking over the park
Further details have been released of the planned Secret Cinema event in Gunnersbury Park this summer. It will be taking over a substantial section of the southern end of the park for over a month with close to 5,000 people expected on each day a screening is taking place.
There will be seven bars in the area taken over by the event in what one local resident has described as a ‘hipster mini-village’. Temporary structures up to 22 metres high will be erected in the park. The project is a time limited production providing a multipurpose event space for up to 25 events between Thursday 2 August and Sunday 2 September. A single show, will be repeated over four weekends. All infrastructure will then be removed completely at the end of the tenancy on Friday 7 September according to Secret Group.
The event venue will include a main event space (containing set pieces, temporary structures and a screen for film screenings) – as well as spaces for seven bars, food and merchandise concessions, production offices and welfare areas. The site has a total floor space of 42,265m2.
Secret Cinema is an immersive cinema experience with a film being shown along with a number of theatrical performances on the theme of the film as well as live music. In previous years at another location in London an event was held themed on Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge which ran for 86 nights in the first half of 2017 and saw over 75,000 people attending. A similar event was held in Jubilee Park in Leyton in summer 2016 where 30,000 people attended the site over six event days (an average of 5,000 per event).
Map of the facilities at the event
The venue site follows the previously defined shape of the open space parkland and Secret Group say no permanent alterations will be made to the physical features of layout of this space. The Secret Group say access will be maintained to all existing buildings, roads and pedestrianised routes which fall outside of the event perimeter, so as not to impact on the day-to-day use of the rest of the park .
The Gunnersbury Park site has been designed to allow for up to 4,750 audience members to attend events, supported by a cast and crew of up to 249 people who will perform a variety of roles –from actors and entertainers to bar staff, caterers and security. In addition there will be a venue management team who will be responsible for the safety and well being of our workers and guests.
Secret Group say that for setting up and dismantling the structures there will be a maximum of eighteen articulated lorry journeys on any one day with the average being less than four per day during the event. The dismantle period will incur the same amount of trucks but with a slightly greater frequency due to a shorter dismantle period.
Secret Group Ltd are currently applying for a licence to serve alcohol at the event. Licence would run from 2 August to 2 September The last date for representations is 2 April 2018.
Residents wishing to object to any licensing application should visit the Council’s relevant web page.
The application by Secret Group states there will be no ‘adult’ activities although the site will be open only to over 18s. There will be no nudity or dancing by which adult entertainment is defined by there may be some ‘suggestive’ content in the theatrical performances.
March 9, 2018