The Regent Street Cinema

Historic Regent Street Cinema to be restored

Location: 309 Regent Street, W1B 2UW

Description: A London cinema which hosted the UK's first proper public screening is being restored, with the help of a 1.5 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

The Regent Street Cinema, within the University of Westminster's flagship building, first screened the Lumiere brothers' moving picture show in 1896.

Considered the birthplace of British cinema, it is currently used as a lecture theatre.

Following the restoration it will open to the public, filmmakers and students.

The University of Westminster announced plans to return the historic 19th Century cinema to a state-of-the-art auditorium earlier this year.

The project is backed by some of the biggest names in the British film industry and has now secured two-thirds of the 6.1 million necessary funding.

Housed within the University's Grade II listed building, it is hoped the Regent Street Cinema will reopen in 2014.

The Lumiere brothers chose the Regent Street Polytechnic, as it was then called, for the screening because of the institution's reputation as a leader in scientific experimentation and entertainment.

It was the UK's first public cinema performance to a paying audience.