Cinemac: Macclesfield's independent picture house with a historic home

Climb to the second floor of Macclesfield's Old Sunday School on Roe Street and you will find one of Cheshire's most characterful places to watch a film. Cinemac, the town's local independent cinema, has been entertaining audiences inside the historic Heritage Centre since 2003.

The building itself is a story worth telling. The Sunday School movement in Macclesfield began in 1796 as a non-denominational school for 40 children, founded by John Whitaker, and the imposing building that houses Cinemac today dates from 1814. After the school closed in 1973, the Grade II* listed building was rescued and given new life as the Macclesfield Heritage Centre.

Cinemac was established after Macclesfield lost its last traditional commercial cinema, making sure townsfolk could still enjoy a genuine big-screen experience close to home. The auditorium seats 280 on a single raked tier, and the programme ranges from the latest blockbusters to independent releases, live broadcasts and special events.

Comfort has been a recurring theme in recent years. The cinema's seats have been refurbished with new upholstery and padding, thanks to funding from the Silkscreen Film Society, Cinemac itself and the Friends of Macclesfield Silk Heritage, and there is a luxury sofa seating area too. New for 2025, the auditorium is fully air conditioned, so summer screenings are as pleasant as winter ones.

The partnership with the Silkscreen Film Society is part of Cinemac's charm. The volunteer-run, not-for-profit society is dedicated to bringing the best of world cinema to Macclesfield and uses the venue for its screenings, giving local film lovers a regular diet of foreign-language and arthouse titles alongside the mainstream programme.

Since 2020 the venue has also broadened out into live entertainment, hosting tribute acts, live music and comedy. Its Cinemac Live nights give Macclesfield musicians the chance to take to the stage, and a bar opens before selected performances serving tea, coffee, prosecco, wine, beer and spirits.

It all adds up to the kind of venue that makes a town feel lively after dark: independent, friendly and rooted in local history.

Cinemac is at the Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield SK11 6UT, with parking behind the building off Churchill Way. Listings and tickets at cinemac.org.uk.