The Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre

When the New Picture House cinema, a St Andrews cultural institution, closed its doors in September 2024, it seemed cinema was over for the St Andrews student. We would be forced to sit in cultural darkness until the Christmas holidays, entirely unaware of any possible new blockbuster that would’ve graced the NPH’s screens. A new era governed by Netflix beckoned. 

Yet, I have a possible solution for an escape from this cultural desert: the Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre. Whilst not quite as geographically alluring as the North Street-located NPH, the DCA has much to offer. I was once sceptical of a trip over the Tay, preferring to pay out to Amazon Prime for my new releases so I could watch them from the comfort of my own bed. However, in April, desperate to watch the newly-released Challengers, I took the plunge. Armed with a Young Scot card and low expectations, I was very pleasantly surprised. 

The DCA is housed in a cool contemporary building with huge glass windows shouting ‘artsy’ before you’ve even walked in the door. When you’ve entered the building, the cultural delights continue. 

A modern cocktail bar awaits you, serving a wide range of affordably priced cocktails. Averaging £9, they are a portion of some of the St Andrean cocktail prices. The ability to bring a Toblerone Martini into my screening felt like quite a luxury, too. 

The foodies amongst you would also be pleased to hear of the presence of a restaurant within the DCA. It serves food all day, so whatever time your showing is, you’re sure to be well nourished. The Jute Café bar boasts a hearty breakfast menu, for the fan of the full English, as well as small plates to be shared with friends at lunch and some dinner classics such as burgers and fish and chips. Despite my love for the recently departed NPH, the DCA is one up for the extensive food and drink provisions, in contrast to the former’s humble popcorn machine. 

The cinema itself is no less appealing. You can nestle into a comfy armchair in one of the DCA’s two screening rooms, which are small and often not entirely full, great for avoiding the popcorn rustlers amongst us. The DCA also offers a student discount on all screenings, so that tickets come in at only £7. This and the free travel offered by the Young Scot card actually makes this trip more economically viable than giving into Amazon Prime in order to watch a new film, save the three Toblerone Martinis, of course. 

The cinema is not the DCA’s only cultural offering, it also houses a modern art gallery with regular artist exhibitions. The exhibition currently running involves the work of Claudia Martínez Garay, a Peruvian artist whose work draws from Peruvian sociopolitics and Quechuan culture. Including sculpture and ceramics, vibrant murals, and politically significant video animation, I’m sure it is one the burgeoning artist would not want to miss.

For the artist who wishes to truly get stuck in, the DCA also runs screenprinting classes, both for beginners and the advanced. A festive letterpressing workshop is running in November, a possible opportunity to wow your family and friends with some personalised Christmas cards. Artistic delights await you on all fronts.

So, next time an enticing new blockbuster is released, the St Andrews student body need not lament their exclusion from film. Instead, hop on the 99 bus, grab yourself a cocktail, and relax into the DCA’s warm embrace. 

However, the DCA has recently announced their own threat of closure, due to an uncertainty of whether Creative Scotland will be able to provide them with funding. Our cultural institutions are clearly under attack. It seems a better time than ever to visit the DCA and show our appreciation and support for the arts.

Illustration by Elizabeth Lang