The 101-seat cinema features accessible seating for disabled visitors. Pic: Goldsmiths

Lewisham’s film fans will once again have a local cinema, thanks to a new partnership between Goldsmiths College, University of London and the art house chain, Curzon.

Curzon Goldsmiths will open at the university’s New Cross campus at the end of January, screening films every weekday after 6pm and on weekends. It will mark the end of a 15-year period without a full-time cinema in Lewisham, after the Cannon in Catford closed in 2001.

Goldsmiths’ warden, Patrick Loughrey said: “Cinema has always been a vital part of Goldsmiths. From Oscar winners to the use of film in research and teaching across the university, we have a rich screen heritage.”

While the new cinema means that Lewisham will no longer be the only London borough without a cinema, some people have expressed concerns on social media about ticket prices. An adult ticket at Curzon Goldsmiths will cost £12, with students paying £7 but the nearby Peckham Plex in Peckham Rye charges just £4.99.

The partnership between Curzon and Goldsmiths forms part of the Curzon Connect programme, an initiative that has seen the 82-year-old cinema chain open franchises in diverse locations such as London’s Mondrian Hotel, the world-famous Pinewood Studios, and a barn in Aberdeenshire.

Mel Alcock, COO of Curzon said: “Through the Curzon Connect programme, we pride ourselves in working with likeminded organisations and look forward to seeing this new screen work in tandem with upcoming educational strands and courses presented at the campus.”

The cinema will be used for teaching at Goldsmiths’ Screen School from Monday to Friday. The school’s famous alumni include Oscar winners Steve McQueen and Colin Welland, as well as director Sam Taylor-Johnson.

It will host a special screening of a student film next Friday, January 15, before opening its doors to the general public later this month.