Arts centre moored on the Isle Of Dogs is only venue in London to be longlisted in the Best Cinema category at forthcoming awards
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Theatreship has become the only venue in London to be longlisted in the Best Cinema category at the forthcoming British Independent Film Awards.
Selected alongside 14 other venues, following a contest that saw nearly 50,000 votes cast, the floating arts centre moored on the Isle Of Dogs has won recognition for its innovative approach to celebrating the moving image.
“Our audiences sit in cinema seats that have had people in them watching films for 50 years,” said Inigo Lapwood, founding director of Theatreship.
“On the boat, they’ve been doing that for three years now.
“We’re not the only arts centre on the long list and that presents an interesting idea about what cinema is becoming and what makes it special.
“For us, it’s watching movies with other people and making that an event.
vYou get to see films through others’ eyes.
vIt’s one of the reasons we have an interval at every showing, so there’s an opportunity for audience members to talk to one another.”
welcoming and often free…
Theatreship’s screenings, curated by project director and head of film programming, Natalie Hill, are very much about bringing people together.
The venue offers regular free mystery shows on Wednesdays with those attending completely unaware of what they’ll be seeing until the lights dim and the projection begins.
“It’s a really powerful way of experiencing film, because people don’t have to take a financial risk and it makes it maximally accessible.
“Making it a mystery means we can screen films people might not have heard about and may not have chosen, if they had known about them.
“The way we experience media at the moment is through algorithms, which only provide viewers with more of what they like.
“At our mystery nights, we hope audiences enjoy something completely new that’s a surprise.
“It takes away choice paralysis and you get our promise that it will be something good.
“Natalie really believes in the magic of cinema and has a real skill for demystifying film.
“She introduces every film live on stage and her passion is infectious.
“I think sometimes people can feel a kind of pressure in arts spaces, like you could somehow ‘get it wrong’.
“Natalie is really good at communicating that there’s no right or wrong way to experience a film – you just need to see it.
“I think that’s part of why people keep coming back.
“We’ve screened century-old films to a packed-out cinema, none of whom had never seen a black and white film before.
“We’ve shown pieces with no spoken dialogue.
“We’ve even shown a film shot entirely from the perspective of a chicken.
“Every week, Natalie finds the things she loves about these films and shares that with the people on board, who end up loving it too.”
more than showing films
Theatreship’s screenings in partnership with the British Film Institute and other shows hosted at the venue often feature additional performances by artists that respond to the centrepiece of the evening.
Inigo said: “Being long listed is massive for us. We’re one of the smallest venues on the list and possibly the newest.
“There’s a lot of hard work involved in carving out a space like Theatreship.
“Nat and I have volunteered full time for several years now to help make it happen.
“It’s a real labour of love, so it means so much to hear so many people have responded in kind by voting for us.
“We’re the only London cinema to have made the list.
“Compared to some of the other London cinemas that were up for the award – amazing institutions like BFI Southbank, Genesis, or the Prince Charles – we’re an absolutely tiny space.
“To know that enough people come aboard and care about what we do that we can be in the top 15 nationwide feels like a real vindication of some of the risks we’ve taken – providing half our programming completely for free, pairing films with live performances by new artists, and trusting audiences to give a chance to beautiful films they might never have seen before.
“We do it because we really believe it’s important for people to get that window into different worlds.
“Film is such a playful, imaginative medium, and this past three years it’s been such a joy to find a playful imaginative community growing around us.”
Canal And River Trust regional director for London and the South East, Ros Daniels said: “Our 2,000 mile network includes dozens of locations which have graced the silver screen.
“From James Bond to Bridget Jones, and from Paddington to Peaky Blinders, our charity’s canals, river navigations and docks have played a starring role – so it’s fitting that a cinema floating on our waterways has been recognised in this way.
“We’re delighted to hear Theatreship, the first vessel to join our Docklands Arts and Heritage Berth initiative, has been recognised in this year’s British Independent Film Awards for providing free cinema and arts events on the water to the communities of east London.”
The winner of the British Independent Film Awards Best Cinema will be announced on December 6, 2026.
get those diaries out…
- Film events to look out for at Theatreship include the regular free screenings on Wednesdays and a new partnership with the National Theatre with productions shown live on the boat on a monthly basis for £5.
At 6.30pm on December 3, 2026, the venue will once again team up with Stiff Records for an evening of stories about the label behind Madness, Ian Dury, The Pogues and many more.
The evening will include an audience with label co-founder Dave Robinson, who also managed Jimi Hendrix and lived with Van Morrisson.
key details: Theatreship
Theatreship is moored in the Millwall Cutting on the edge of West India South Dock and is easily accessible on foot from South Quay DLR station or Canary Wharf’s various stops.
You can find full listings and book tickets for all events at the arts centre via its website here.
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