Wow, we've been overwhelmed by the response to our petition - thanks for all your support for our wonderful cinema! New people are signing every day - please re-share if you can.
Here's another way you can stand up for the UPP. Voting for Cinema of The Year is open until 21st September 2026, and we'd love the UPP to get your vote! Winning would strengthen our case that this is a cinema we just can’t afford to lose. The platform doesn’t allow me to post a live link, but just paste this into your browser: www.bifa.film/coty-vote/
Here's a quick campaign update.
In early summer we thought we were finally making some progress with our landlord, Oriel College. But we've reached another impasse.
The fact is, to remain commercially viable, the UPP needs to modernise. Funders want to support the cinema, but because it has such a short lease they’re unable to do so. It’s in the gift of Oriel to extend our lease but they’re not open to that at the moment, because of their own - perfectly legitimate - commercial interests in the building.
We’ve put forward detailed proposals for a long term partnership, which would allow the cinema to continue to operate in the place which was built for it, while also providing a unique new space for College activities.
There’s been no substantive engagement with any of these proposals. Sadly, College Management say they see the cinema business as just another commercial tenant, like a shop on the High Street.
We have now written to all 46 members of Oriel's Governing Body asking them to intervene, and are also approaching alumni. If you have any staff or alumni contacts at Oriel, please let them know what’s going on and ask if they’d like a meeting with the UPP team. We’ve written a template letter, which you can find on the SavetheUPP.com website. Though we’re in a very difficult situation, please help us by continuing to be respectful and constructive in tone. If you get any responses, please let me know at campaign@uppcinema.com
Thank you all, so very much!
Alison - Campaign Manager, Save the UPP