Looking for Offline Soulmates: Alternative Theatrical Exhibition In Small European Countries

When the traditional windows model is being challenged, the theatre’s value proposition is undergoing transformation, if not yet disruption. Theatre venues are no longer the gatekeepers of premieres for new releases, and new challenges, such as discoverability, emerge across the value chain (Lotz et al., 2022; Lobato & Scarlata, 2022). Revisiting the unique selling proposition of theatrical spaces is a work in progress approached from different angles for both new policies and creative arrangements. For “alternative” arthouse theatre venues, the problem of identity and sustainability has become critical amidst competition for “platform-first” strategies by SVOD-providers. On the other side, as smaller organisations, they are, theoretically, more flexible and may compete with mainstream players with unique missions and values, potentially expanding the tactical toolkit of audience engagement and providing valuable lessons for niche-driven SVOD platforms. 

The proposal builds upon work conducted under the EU Horizon project CRESCINE (ID: 101094988), designed to enhance the international competitiveness and cultural diversity of the small European markets’ film industry. Our methodology is grounded in empirical findings resulting from a sample of qualitative semi-structured interviews with representatives of arthouse cinema venues located in a small European country (Portugal) and confronts attitudes (Silva & Lameiras, 2022) of decision-makers in the industry with more general findings of the project on audiences’ reasons for cinema-going instead of resorting to SVOD. Selected venues’ establish a value proposal as a counter-offer to mainstream competitors in three ways: 1) city space that unites mind-alikes and embraces “offline” in building “social experiences”; 2) inclusivity of programming and space to prevent “elitism”; 3) mission-driven activism in programming and events encouraging wider social problems’ reflection beyond a film. The discussion highlights how their tactics can, paradoxically, reveal future trends in the segmentation of an increasingly complex streaming platform ecosystem.