Our History
Brynamman Public Hall and cinema traces it's origins to the 1920s where it was funded by the "check-off" system, whereby weekly contributions were deducted from the miners' wages, initially to build the hall, and subsequently to run it.
Building work on the new Brynamman Cinema started in 1924 with seating for around 1,100 people. It was furnished throughout with tip up seats upholstered in old gold corduroy.
The stage was built 20ft by 60 ft and had 4 dressing rooms below. The lounge was situated below the library. It contained 12 armchairs and 3 settees where the miners could relax or play cards around the several oak game and card tables therein. There was also a billiard room above the library.
The opening ceremony was held on 15th May 1926. The cinema started with silent films until the 1930's, when the "talkies" came along.
We are proud of our Cinema which is a landmark in the Amman Valley and has served generations of local residents since 1926.
Established over 90 years ago, the Hall is an emblem of a bygone era when coal mining flourished in the area and local miners contributed a penny from their wages to fund community facilities.
Sadly, with the decline of coal mining and heavy industry in the region, many of the once numerous local miners halls and institutes have closed and now been lost forever.
Brynamman’s Public Hall and Cinema is, however, a notable exception remaining open to this day. The hall houses an almost perfectly preserved art deco auditorium complete with many of the original fittings. The original wooden paybox has also been preserved and is still in full use today.
Today, Brynamman Public Hall continues to grow and has kept up with all the changes the film industry has made over the years, most recently being the transformation to digital projection. As of May 2013, the cinema has the ability to show two films simultaneously for the first time in its 89 year history thanks to the opening of Screen 2, a 44 seat auditorium situated in the old lounge space.