1984 - 1987 | Towards Broadway
- 1984: Nottingham Media Centre Consortium forms.
- 1985: “Nottingham as a Media Centre” proposal.
- 1986–1987: CODA and other groups join; City Lights cinema launches.
By the mid-1980s, Nottingham’s creative community was ready to dream bigger. In 1984, informal meetings began at the Midland Group to respond to the BFI’s media centre proposals. Artists, academics, councils, and film societies came together, forming the Nottingham Media Centre Consortium.
In 1985, the Consortium published “Nottingham as a Media Centre,” a visionary proposal advocating for a community-led, pan-media hub. It emphasized production and exhibition across all media - not just cinema - and called for grassroots development.
In 1986 the BFI was won over by the Nottingham Media Consortium's approach to developing a Media Centre in Nottingham. It agreed to fund a consultant to develop the project - working with NMC. Malcolm Allen was appointed in May that year
CODA, a pioneering organisation offering digital arts training to unemployed people, joined the Consortium in 1986. Their “NewLine” project taught digital art and MIDI music, operating from 7b Broad Street a space that became a hive of activity.
In 1987, the Midland Group closed, but its legacy lived on. The New Cinema and Nottingham Film Theatre merged to form City Lights, a full-time cinema programme. The Consortium gained momentum, launching working groups to explore media exhibition and production. The vision of Broadway was crystallising.
Adapted from an original by Fred Brookes. Edited and expanded by Laurie Moran in 2025, with valuable contributions from Malcolm Allen. © Broadway 2025
