The venue — which opened in 2016 — is far more than a cinema. It has operated as a fully licensed café bar, art gallery, live music venue and community hub throughout its ten years, carving out a distinctive identity as one of the most characterful independent spaces in the city centre.
In a statement posted to social media, Redfern was candid about the reasons for the closure. “The reality of trying to run a principled, independent space in the current climate has become unsustainable — not just financially, but personally, creatively and emotionally too,” she said. “Rather than compromise what this place stands for, we are choosing to end it on our own terms. This is not a failure. This is a co.nclusion.”
In a longer personal post, she described the toll that running the space has taken over the years. “Running an independent space today means wearing every hat, holding everything together, and constantly fighting to keep something special alive,” she wrote. “And over time, that takes its toll. Not just on the business — but on the person behind it.”
Redfern acknowledged that the closure of Cinema & Co. was part of a much wider pattern affecting independent venues across the country. “You’re seeing it everywhere,” she wrote. “Independent spaces are disappearing — not because people don’t care, but because the conditions to sustain them are becoming impossible.”
The venue has never shied away from controversy. In 2021, Cinema & Co. refused to enforce the Welsh Government’s Covid pass scheme, with Redfern describing the measures as “discriminatory and unlawful.” The decision made national headlines and turned the Castle Street venue into a focal point for debate about Covid restrictions.
Swansea Council bolted the shutters after the venue defied closure orders and repeatedly reopened — including after a court order. The cinema opened on December 1, 2, 3 and 5 following a court order for it to close, and Redfern sent a letter to the council stating she would not comply with the closure notice.
Redfern was subsequently given a 28-day suspended sentence at Swansea Magistrates Court, fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £9,000 in council costs after pleading guilty to contempt of court, criminal damage and failing to comply with enforcement officers. District Judge Neale Thomas said: “Ms Redfern makes choices and she ignores the law and expects the law to treat her with special dispensation.”
The Covid controversy also drew the venue into a wider political row over its associations. Stand Up To Racism wrote an open letter — signed by more than 180 people including Lord Peter Hain, Geraint Davies MP, poet Patrick Jones and musician Helen Love — calling on Redfern to publicly distance herself from Voice of Wales, a group the letter accused of antisemitism, homophobia and links to figures including Tommy Robinson and the Proud Boys.
Voice of Wales had been a vocal supporter of Cinema & Co.’s anti-Covid pass stance, and members of the Stand Up To Racism group reported regular sightings of its members at the venue. Voice of Wales strongly denied the allegations, describing Stand Up To Racism as a far-left organisation spreading lies about them.
Redfern also rejected any connection to far-right groups. “I absolutely reject any claims that I am in any way connected to far-right groups, far-left groups or any form of racism,” she said. A crowdfunder set up by former Brexit Party and Abolish the Welsh Assembly candidate Richard Taylor raised more than £60,000 in support of the venue during the period.
The closure will leave Swansea city centre without an independent cinema. The venue’s ten years have encompassed film screenings, late-night events, community gatherings, art exhibitions, live music and the kind of relaxed café culture that larger commercial chains have rarely managed to replicate in the city.
Cinema & Co. built up a loyal following over the course of its decade on Castle Street, with its programming and atmosphere drawing a creative and community-minded crowd. Its loss will be keenly felt by many in the city who saw it as one of the few genuinely independent cultural spaces in Swansea’s city centre.
No specific closing date has been confirmed beyond “this summer.” Redfern urged those with fond memories of the venue to visit while they still can. “We have a few months left,” she said. “If Cinema & Co. has ever meant something to you — come and be part of it while you still can.”
The three images posted by Cinema & Co. to mark the announcement capture the venue’s characteristic flair — a “That’s all Folks!” graphic styled as a vintage film ending card, dated 2016–2026, alongside a message inviting regulars to be part of its final chapter before “the end credits roll.”
