Much attention has been paid to the Dominion Cinema as a place of importance for political, social and cultural organising for the Indian Workers Association (Southall), with records detailing their purchase of the cinema in 1965 and its subsequent use for film screening and the hosting of political, social and cultural events until its demise in the 1982. However, this archive of material allows us to document the involvement of the IWA (GB) with the Dominion Cinema prior to its purchase by the IWA (Southall) and explore the role of the cinema in the separation of IWA (Southall) and IWA (GB). The story of the IWA(GB)’s involvement with the Dominion Cinema prior to its sale to IWA (Southall) in 1965 is however less well known. From 1957 the Dominion cinema was hired on Sundays to the IWA to show Indian films. A letter dated January 1964 details the involvement of the IWA in showing films in various locations around the country through the Associated Cinemas Ltd corporation. There are also a number of posters in the archive advertising film showings by IWAGB.
Letter to Mr. Roelich regarding permission to screen Indian films at the Woolwich cinema (c.1964, IWA 1.2.2).
Letter to Mr. Roelich regarding the screening of Indian films in Britain, and potentially exploitative practices around this (1964, IWA, 1.2.12).
Appeal by the IWA regarding use of the Dominion to show films. This is in the context of the independence of the IWA Southall (undated c.1964/65 1.2.23)
Newspaper article reporting on unrest between IWA Southall and IWAGB over rights to use the Dominion (1966 IWA 1.2.40).
A poster from a wider selection of posters advertising films to be shown by IWAGB at the Dominion Cinema (undated, IWA).
A poster from a wider selection of posters advertising films to be shown by IWAGB at the Dominion Cinema (undated, IWA).
