'Moving Pictures' explores how diaspora faith communities transform former cinemas into places of worship, examining these buildings not simply as architectural conversions but as sites of living cultural heritage. Led by artist-researcher Julie Marsh, this strand of the project focuses on the intangible practices, memories and forms of community life that emerge within these adapted spaces.

Through a series of artistic residencies at the Zoroastrian Centre for Europe in Harrow (former Grosvenor Cinema), Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple in Coventry (former Star Picture Palace), and Sri Swarna Dhurgai Amman Temple in Ramsgate (former Kings Theatre), congregation members collaborated in the production of site-specific film installations using the Site-Integrity methodology. Through workshops, discussions and collaborative filmmaking, participants actively contributed to documenting, reflecting upon and interpreting their own cultural heritage.

The resulting film installations were re-presented within the communities and shared with wider audiences, creating opportunities for collective reflection on belonging, memory, social-spatial agency and the evolving relationship between faith, heritage and place. Together, these works explore how former cinemas continue to acquire new meanings through the lived practices of the communities that inhabit them.

This artistic research formed one strand of the RIBA-funded project Moving Pictures: Reusing Cinemas as Places of Worship in the Diaspora, co-led by architectural historian Kate Jordan, who produced a national survey of former cinemas used by faith communities in England, mapping the scale and significance of this growing phenomenon.

Outputs:

The site-specific artworks were shown as part of:

London Migration Film Festival November 2024

Coventry Biennale of Contemporary Art January 2026

Chariot and Water Festival - Ramsgate June 2026 (in collaboration with Thanet District Council - first time this procession has taken place in the town and seafront)

The project led to the creation of the Moving Pictures Network (faith groups based in repurposed cinemas) to share best practices and support one another with funding applications and civic work. This directly led to an application to the UK Living Heritage Inventory (DCMS, March 2026) on behalf of faith communities occupying adapted cinema buildings, seeking formal recognition of their cultural practices and heritage significance.

Interfaith Screening/Roundtable with Historic England:
Held at the Zoroastrian Centre, this event brought together faith groups based in other repurposed cinemas, as well as representatives from Historic England. This ‘in-situ’ event catalysed conversations around governance, stewardship, and heritage recognition of minority faith sites. As a result of Historic England's participation in this research project, it helped secure recognition that former secular buildings adapted for worship are eligible for the £92 million Places of Worship Renewal Fund, creating new funding opportunities for participating communities. Historic England has also now published fact sheets on listed buildings in five languages, Malayalam, Punjabi, Romanian, Tamil, and Urdu, to help staff across the country communicate with diaspora groups that are looking for community spaces.

Findings from the project have also been published in the 'Protecting built heritage - Written evidence - UK Parliament website: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/136295/pdf/. By uncovering the role of faith communities in shaping and negotiating their own spaces, the project has demonstrated that adaptive reuse of heritage buildings by diaspora communities is a practice that is culturally enriching, environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive.