Credit: Garden Cinema

It was a ‘pig-ture’ perfect day at the Garden Cinema in Covent Garden as children had a chance to get hands-on experience with two hairy hogs, as part of a weekly ‘Pay What You Can’ screening for young families.

Every Saturday morning, the small picturehouse hosts a family fun day for parents and children, featuring a film showing and an activity afterwards. This weekend, the movie was ‘Charlotte’s Web’, an adaptation of the novel wherein a rambunctious pig is saved from slaughter by his friends.

Audience members could then have their own encounter with the character’s real life counterparts – Smudge and Pippa, a pair of micropigs brought down to London from a Buckinghamshire farm specifically for the occasion. The pigs then stole the limelight as they posed for photo opportunities with their new fans.

The venue is independently owned and funded by Michael Chambers, who sold his legal publishing company and converted their former offices into a cinema. The Pay What You Can model, which exclusively applies to the special Saturday morning films and activities, enables customers to give as much as they can afford to attend, with the option to come free of charge available to those struggling to afford basic needs. It’s had “really good reactions” so far, according to screenings organiser Molly.

Image of Garden Cinema entrance
Credit: City News

The cost of living crisis has hit many families hard, with disposable income in short supply. The recent news that the UK is entering another recession means that existing issues may well worsen. One mother at the screening said occasions like this gives families on a “small, tight budget” an opportunity for “a day out with their family”.

Garden Cinema is planning to continue running the scheme for as long as they can afford to do so – and that they plan on bringing the pigs back for another screening after this weekend’s resounding success.