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At-Bristol’s proposal to focus on Explore from April 2007, closing Wildwalk and the IMAX Theatre

FAQs

General
Tickets and other income
Funding and fundraising
Wildwalk
IMAX Theatre
The future – what are our plans?
Membership
School Groups

General

1. What is the problem?
   At-Bristol is a registered charity; our mission is making science accessible to all. It costs approximately £6m per year to run our attractions and learning programmes, and we raise only £4.5m per year from our income sources (tickets, the cafés and shops, corporate event hire, membership etc). This leaves a deficit of £1.5m per annum to be filled by fundraising, which has been the case since opening in 2000.
   
   At-Bristol has been extremely successful in securing short-term funding and grants, which have enabled us to continue at our current level of operation. We have always been open about our requirement to secure £1.5m annually to fund our operating deficit. What has changed now is that most of the opportunities to secure short-term funding have either come to an end or significantly reduced in size. It now appears clear that central government is not going to support science centres in England in the way that the devolved governments do in Scotland and Wales.
   
   We believe that closing Wildwalk and the IMAX Theatre, and continuing to operate Explore and the Planetarium, is the most viable option for At-Bristol to become financially sustainable. The operating deficit will be reduced to a manageable level and achievable through fundraising. We will continue to seek support for education projects, exhibits and exhibitions. The only alternative to this plan would be to close the whole centre. This is a hard but necessary decision; it is not something that anyone wanted to do.
    

2. Why are you closing Wildwalk and IMAX rather than Explore?
   Explore is the more popular attraction with visitors, and Wildwalk and the IMAX are the most expensive to run.
    

3. If this is currently a proposal, when will the decision be made?
   We must first go through a period of consultation with our employees. The final decision will be made in mid March when this process is completed. If there are any suggestions for cost savings these will obviously be considered, but the level of savings to be made will have to meet the overall objective of making At-Bristol financially sustainable in the future.
    

4. Did the staff find out about the news from the radio?
   Definitely not! Staff were informed in a meeting on Monday morning, prior to the press announcement. We endeavoured to phone all employees not present at that meeting.
    

5. When will Wildwalk and the IMAX Theatre close?
   If the proposed plans go ahead then the last opening day will be Saturday 31 March 2007
   
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Tickets and other income

6. Why are tickets so expensive?
   We don’t believe the attractions are expensive but in fact offer great value for money and are in line with many other attractions in the region. The media often quote the All-star ticket price to all three venues, but Explore, Wildwalk and the IMAX are stand-alone attractions in their own right and you don’t need to buy a ticket to all three at once! A standard adult ticket to Explore costs £9.00, and Wildwalk £8.00. This compares with £10.00 for Bristol Zoo, £10.25 for the Roman Baths and £8.95 for Brunel’s ss Great Britain.
    

7. Why don't you lower the prices to increase visitor numbers?
   It has been shown that lowering entry prices to attractions doesn’t increase the visitor numbers in proportion. A few more people may come, but not enough to compensate for the reduced revenue from the lower price.
   In addition, an increase in visitors leads to increased exhibit maintenance costs.
    

8. Why didn't you do more local advertising?
   We do advertise across many regular media channels including regional TV, local radio and regional or specialist printed press - but as a charity we have relatively small advertising budgets and so have to look carefully at where we spend our money and when. (We cannot compete with the marketing spend of, for example, major international film distributors.) We also use leaflet distribution, PR, offers, competitions, media and third-party promotions, direct mail and e-news, web listings, specialist media ads, preview events and trade fairs where appropriate. Our key markets are families, schools, community groups and holiday-makers in the region, and local and national businesses for corporate events.
    

9. What about making money from hiring out the spaces?
   At-Bristol does have a successful corporate events business which brings in significant income. We hire out the public squares, exhibition areas and foyers, IMAX Theatre as well as the conference and banqueting rooms behind the scenes. However the bulk of the income comes from the Explore building so this proposal will not unduly affect our events revenue.

Funding and fundraising

10. Why didn't you make more effort to secure funding earlier?
    We did. At-Bristol has a successful fundraising team who have secured many millions in grants and corporate sponsorship before and since opening in 2000. Some of this money has been towards the funding deficit, and some has been for specific new education projects or exhibition refurbishment. The funding gap isn’t a new problem; see Question 1. At-Bristol, along with the UK science centre network, has fought hard for the last seven years to lobby the government for long-term financial support but this has proved unsuccessful. We have constantly been telling current and potential funders of our need for ongoing support. We are now unfortunately and very sadly at the stage where, as we have warned, we can no longer continue in our current format.
     

11. Why won’t the government fund UK science centres?
    That is a question that you will have to put directly to the government. The situation in England differs from that in Scotland and Wales where science centres do receive regular funding from their devolved parliaments.
     

12. Is there a fighting fund to which I can contribute?
    At-Bristol needs a commitment of long-term financial support to keep all three attractions open (see Question 1). We really appreciate everyone’s offers of help, but one-off donations would unfortunately not be able to secure a long-term stable future for Wildwalk and the IMAX. We do rely on public support to be able to continue all our educational, outreach and community projects, so the best thing you can do is to make a donation and sign up to Gift Aid when you buy your tickets, or take out Membership. At-Bristol is a charity and all our income goes towards projects, exhibits and events that encourage an interest in and understanding of science and natural history. Thank you!
    
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Wildwalk

13. Why close Wildwalk at a time when global environmental concerns are so prominent?
    Although many people love Wildwalk and of course we want its educational aims to continue, unfortunately the running costs associated with Wildwalk are much higher than its income from visitors and other sponsorship. At-Bristol cannot support this indefinitely without jeopardising the future of Explore too. However, we aim to continue the sustainability message by moving some elements of Wildwalk into Explore.
     

14. What will happen to all the plants and animals in Wildwalk?
    They will be re-housed to other venues; we will be working within strict procedures according to the Zoo Licensing Authority.
     

15. What will happen to Wildwalk’s exhibits?
    We are currently investigating options but the intention is to incorporate some elements of Wildwalk into Explore. The rest will be offered to other institutions and venues.
    
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IMAX Theatre

16. Can we put on 300 / the Rolling Stones / a special film season before the IMAX Theatre closes?
    We’d love to, but unfortunately due to the nature of IMAX contracts and the high costs of shipping the enormous film platters, quick runs are not feasible. It would also be expensive to bring in a short run of regular 35mm films.
     

17. Why can't the IMAX cinema remain open?
    There is not an IMAX in the UK that runs without public or corporate subsidy. The others are generally either situated within national museums, which receive government funding, in Scotland where science centres do receive funding from the devolved Scottish parliament, or within a large corporate group which can support this film format.
    IMAX films are expensive to make, distribute and run. They are more successful in the USA where there is more public awareness of the IMAX format, as it has been around there for about 30 years. However, even in the US, many of the IMAX cinemas are linked to funded science centres and museums.
     

18. Why didn't you do more local advertising?
    As a charity we have relatively small advertising budgets and so have to look carefully at where we spend our money. Regular weekly IMAX ads in the Bristol Evening Post and Bristol Observer for example would have taken up an overly large chunk of the budget, which is for promoting all three attractions throughout the year. We always send our film information to the free listings sections of local, regional and national media, and these have always been printed. We advertised the Hollywood DMR films in the BEP/BO when they were in for short screenings, did targeted mailings and ran promotions through relevant organisations and local media. See Question 8 for more info.
     

19. Why didn't you have more IMAX DMR (digitally remastered) films?
    There are not many IMAX DMR films available - in 2006 only seven were produced (The Ant Bully, Poseidon, Superman Returns, V for Vendetta, Open Season, Night at the Museum and Happy Feet). It is very costly firstly to convert the 35mm footage to DMR format, and then to produce the large format film and platters. If a film is converted, the film distributors do not produce prints for each venue due to these high production costs. Sometimes DMR prints are not offered to the UK market; usually one or two prints are brought in, and we can request these but they can be offered to any of the other six IMAX cinemas here. For example in July last year, only two Superman Returns prints were made for the UK and these were offered to London bfi IMAX and the Manchester Odeon IMAX for the nationwide release. We were offered the print later, in September. We were pleased to get Batman Begins, SpiderMan 2, V for Vendetta, Poseidon, The Ant Bully 3D and Open Season 3D over the past years.
     

20. What happened to Happy Feet 3D?
    This was to be released last December in IMAX 3D, and we had been confirmed a print. Disappointingly however the film was delayed in production and in the end, only a 2D version was produced. One print was brought in to the UK and this was offered to London bfi. This is why we showed The Polar Express and Santa vs the Snowman again.
     

21. Why didn't you show conventional films as well as IMAX films?
    We did run a couple of mini-series of 35mm films in the early days, for example classic sci-fi and Cary Grant. However these extra film prints are expensive to bring in and to publicise, and we pay royalties on tickets. Even the sell-out ones, eg Bladerunner, did not bring in any significant profit - and that was without taking ad and publicity costs into account.
    With regular Hollywood releases, we would be unable to compete with the large multiplexes in terms of generating an income from these films. Their multiple screens bring in significant numbers, and they have very large food and drink areas which is where a lot of the profit is made. We did make money on our concession areas, but don’t have the scale that the mainstream 35mm cinemas do. It has also been suggested that we bring in more arthouse films, but in addition to the costs, as outlined above, there are two such cinemas on our doorstep already, namely the Watershed and Arnolfini.
    One other point is that when we did show 35mm films we often had complaints from visitors who expected all our films to be large format and/or 3D – no matter how clearly we stated that they were not IMAX films, or that they’re 2D! It is confusing for customers when there are too many film formats going on at once, and this detracts from the IMAX brand. Even IMAX DMR films in 2D could cause misunderstandings in expectation.
    
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The future – what are our plans?

22. What will be in Explore?
    There are exciting plans for Explore. Let’s imagine… Fossils and Funny Bones will be opening in the Autumn, the third in our series of exhibitions especially for children under eight.
    Look out too for elements of Wildwalk moving into Explore, and some new exhibits on the ground floor; all to come over the next few months.
    
    At-Bristol is currently working with the Wellcome Trust to develop a major new exhibition called Inside DNA: A Genomic Revolution. This will open early next year and will provide a fascinating insight into how genes relate to various aspects of our life - including health, identity and human evolution. In addition we are planning to develop a new Animation exhibition and are currently working with partners, including Aardman, on these plans.
    
    Explore will continue to provide a wide-ranging series of Planetarium shows and other events, such as Meet the Expert, fun family shows, interactive workshops and special events. The Learning programme will provide a wealth of curriculum-linked workshops, special events and outreach activities, and At-Bristol will continue to seek support for new education projects, exhibits and exhibitions.
    To find out what’s going on, please sign up to our e-newsletter here.
     

23. Who owns the Wildwalk and IMAX buildings?
    The Council owns the land, and the buildings were funded by our founding partners.
     

24. What will happen to the buildings?
    It is still early days but the Regional Development Agency is working with Bristol City Council and other partners to try and find new uses for the building that will both complement the cultural facilities on Bristol's Harbourside and also help provide a sustainable future for Explore.
     

25. Bristol needs such attractions; it’s important for tourism.
    We really do appreciate this but without the realistic possibility of government funding for science centres in England, we need to make these changes to secure a long-term future for At-Bristol and its aim of making science accessible to all.
    
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Membership

26. What about the cost of Memberships?
    The new cost will be reduced in line with it applying to one attraction. We hope that people will remain keen take out memberships, as they allow for fun family days out at little cost throughout the year - and also help support our aim to make science accessible to all!
     

27. I still have 8 months left on my current membership.
    We’ll be offering extensions of one month per month left on their current membership from April. For example, if your current membership expires on 31 August, that’s five months from 1 April; so your membership will be extended by five months to 31 January 2008. You’ll still be able to visit Explore for free, and enjoy the 10% discount in the Explore shop and café.
     

28. Why did you write recently confirming my next payment? Surely you knew?
    The changes weren’t made public until Monday 5 February. That week, we wrote to all members with the news. Discussions about the proposal had taken place between the Senior Management Team, Bristol City Council and the Regional Development Agency; the At-Bristol staff were unaware of the changes.
    
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School Groups

29. Is At-Bristol closing?
    No. At-Bristol has announced a proposal to focus on Explore and the Planetarium, in order to strengthen its position as a leading educational destination and to give long-term financial sustainability to the organisation. Under this proposal, Wildwalk and the IMAX Theatre will close from April 2007. At-Bristol is committed to offering a range of educational exhibitions and programmes through Explore and the Planetarium. We aim to continue to build a strong and trusting relationship with schools all across the region.
     

30. What if I have already booked a visit to Wildwalk/the IMAX Theatre after April?
    Our bookings team have already written to all groups with affected bookings, in order to discuss amending their visit details. We aim to honour all existing workshop bookings, regardless of any change of venue. Bookings to Explore are unaffected.
     

31. What are the future plans for At-Bristol?
    At-Bristol will now concentrate primarily on providing interactive exhibitions and programmes in Explore and the Planetarium. It will also continue to provide a wealth of high quality science-based exhibition and education services to schools and colleges, as well as its programme of CPD for science teachers through the Science Learning Centre. Please see Question 22 for more information.
    To keep up to date on the latest new exhibitions and programmes, please sign up to our e-newsletter here.
     

32. Will you still be offering schools workshops?
    Our workshop programme continues and we aim to honour all current workshop bookings. We will build on our reputation as a leading educational destination by continuing to offer a programme of quality workshops and events for schools and colleges, as well as daily shows and activities in Explore’s Live Science zone. Posters detailing our summer term programme will be sent to schools during March, and our new 2007/8 brochure will be available in the summer term.
     

33. Will there now be enough to do to fill a whole day?
    Explore and the Planetarium are open and will continue to offer a changing programme of exhibitions, events and daily shows and activities in Explore’s Live Science zone. We will also continue to offer our classroom and lab-based workshop programme. At-Bristol is also developing plans for additional programmes and activities for schools, in order to ensure a full visit. If you would like to find out more then please sign up for our e-newsletter here.
     

34. What will you offer teachers?
    We will continue to provide free risk-assessment and planning visits for teachers to Explore, as well as teacher preview evenings throughout the year and online trails and resources. The Science Learning Centre South West will also continue to provide continuing professional development courses for science teachers and technicians.
     

35. What can you now offer pre-schools?
    We are aware of a lack of quality provision for pre-school groups in the educational sector and have always strived to meet this need. Our Let’s imagine series of exhibitions and supporting workshops and activities has been specially designed for the under eights, and the third of these exhibitions, Fossils and funny bones, will be hosted in Explore during 2007/8. We will also continue to offer our special pre-school group entry rate to Explore.
     

36. What facilities can you now offer special schools?
    At-Bristol prides itself on its excellent facilities for disabled visitors. We are fully wheelchair accessible, with lifts to all floors and adapted toilets. The Planetarium is an immersive experience with up to ten wheelchair spaces. We offer discounted rates to groups from special schools with free entry to carers where appropriate. Free risk assessment visits are also available to teachers.
     

37. What about lunch facilities?
    The Explore café provides sandwiches, snacks and drinks throughout the day, and limited lunch spaces are available within Explore for pre-booked school groups bringing packed lunches. Outside, Millennium and Anchor Squares are ideal for picnics.
     

38. Are you still offering bursary visits?
    Our 2006/7 bursary fund is now allocated, but we continue to seek funding to allow us to run the bursary scheme for the 2007/8 school year. Details will be published on our website and termly posters when available.
     

39. What about the Science Learning Centre?
    At-Bristol will continue to provide its programme of continuing professional development for science teachers through the Science Learning Centre South West.
    
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At-Bristol is registered charity no. 1049954.