Cinema Usher

Salary: £10.55 per hour

Regent Street Cinema is seeking a Cinema Usher to join their team and provide excellent customer service to all patrons of the cinema.

Regent Street Cinema

The Regent Street Cinema is an iconic space in the heart of London and at the centre of the interconnecting histories of the University of Westminster and of photography and the moving image in this country. The cinema at 307 Regent Street opened to the public in 1848 as an extension of the Royal Polytechnic Institution. It is deemed to be the birthplace of British cinema and operated as a screening theatre until the 1980s.

The early Polytechnic’s popular science programmes had a particular emphasis on optical illusion, photography and film and the Polytechnic was the home of the first photographic studio in Europe, built on the roof in 1841.

In 1848, a theatre was added to the Regent Street building, purpose-built for ‘optical exhibitions’ and lectures that explained science and scientific inventions to the general public. It also provided a venue for visual entertainment such as the pioneering Magic Lantern Shows and in 1862, the Christmas production of Charles Dickens’ ghost story ‘The Haunted Man’ gave rise to the popular stage illusion ‘Pepper’s Ghost’.

One of the most significant events to take place in the theatre was the presentation of the Lumière brothers’ new Cinématographe on 21 February 1896, the first ever public moving picture show in the UK. For the next 84 years, the space continued to be used as a cinema, with programmes ranging from wartime newsreels, to foreign language and avant-garde films.

The relationship between photography and early cinematography is also a feature of the Polytechnic’s history and a number of the early Hollywood cinematographers trained at Regent Street, including Charles Rosher, who became one of the first cameramen and was the winner of the cinematography Oscar at the first ever Academy Awards in 1929.

Film and photography continue to be important to the University today with teaching and research in Film Studies enjoying a particularly strong national and international reputation.

Context

The Cinema is, at its core, a University Cinema, benefiting from Westminster’s acknowledged leadership in Media, Arts and Design. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the University, UoW Regent Street Cinema Ltd is supported by the University in the achievement of its academic and outreach goals.

The Regent Street Cinema will be host venue for festivals and commercial live events, as well as outreach activities to the community and schools.

Dimensions

There will be a team of ushers who will be employed on an hourly basis for flexible shift patterns, to provide excellent customer service to patrons during screenings and other activities, as required. Shifts may be offered over a seven day working week, including evenings and at weekends.

Job purpose

To provide excellent customer service to all patrons of the cinema so that they have a positive and enjoyable experience throughout their time at the Regent Street Cinema.

Key tasks

• Selling tickets and validating for admission
• Selling drinks and food
• Greeting customers, answering queries and giving assistance
• Cleaning and maintaining cleanliness of all areas the cinema, including auditoriums, retail/bar, toilets, foyer and front of the building.

Principal accountabilities

The postholder will be responsible for:

1. Greeting patrons and providing assistance where necessary throughout their time at the cinema.
2. Selling tickets from the sales kiosks at the bar.
3. Selling drinks and food.
4. Provide knowledgeable information to patrons on films and programmes.
5. Validate admission tickets and passes, including eligibility to discount and refuse admittance to undesirable persons or persons without tickets.
6. Provide assistance with patrons’ specific needs, such as helping those with wheelchairs.
7. Help resolve customer concerns and complaints.
8. Maintain communication (radio) with the team to ensure the smooth running of events.
9. When requested, change advertising displays and ensure that all collateral is in place e.g. brochures.
10. Maintain order and ensure adherence to safety rules in all areas of the cinema, notifying management of any action that needs to be taken with regard to Health & Safety, cleanliness or presentation of the building.
11. Take responsibility for evacuation procedures in case of emergency, ensuring patrons’ safety.
12. Undertake any other duties as appropriate within their competence, as required by senior management from time to time, to ensure the successful operation of the Regent Street Cinema.

To apply

Please email your application to: recruitment@regentstreetcinema.com

The closing date for this position is 25/06/2021 at 23:59