Booking the Concert Hall

Under normal circumstances, a Concert Hall booking will include the following, in addition to use of the main auditorium:

• use of one small dressing room and one lecture room for the concert performance;
• potentially shared use of the main foyer;
• use of our standard lighting rig;
• use of one Steinway model D grand piano, although tuning, if required, is to be paid for separately;
• standard Performing Rights Society charges;
• use of orchestra seating and music stands;
• a fully licensed and staffed bar during the interval of your concert.

The Concert Hall is usually hired on an eight and a half hour basis, to include all aspects of the event from get-in to get-out. If your booking will include use of facilities over an above the normal rental terms (for example, extra time, additional rooms or staging) it is important that these are brought to our attention at the earliest possible time, in order that we can ensure we will be able to accommodate them.

If you would like to book West Road Concert Hall for an event, we recommend you call or email us to discuss the suitability of the Concert Hall for your planned event, its availability, and any special requirements you may have.

Personnel

A custodian will be available at all times during the period of your booking, whose responsibility is to look after the building as a whole, and to give advice on standard procedures relating to efficient supervision and safety. However, each promoter is responsible for providing sufficient front of house and back stage staff to set up and run your event. You must provide four competent stewards over the age of 18 to supervise the entrance and exit of the public through each of the Concert Hall’s four doors in public use. Their major responsibilities include checking tickets, assisting patrons in finding their seats and taking control of their designated area in the event of any evacuation or other emergency. You will also be responsible for providing staff to sell programmes or other merchandise.

Auditorium Seating

The Concert Hall seats are numbered according to a seating plan. Please note that we strongly recommend the use of reserved seating as it facilitates audience seating and improves the chance of disabled patrons securing a seat that is appropriate to their needs. This will also save your stewards having to prevent latecomers from standing in the gangways when the audience is full, which violates the conditions of our Public Entertainment Licence.

Disabled access

Three wheelchair spaces are available in the Concert Hall with easy access at ground floor level throughout. A Hearing Loop is installed in the Concert Hall for patrons who are hard of hearing, and toilets adapted for disabled patrons are available in the Foyer. Guide dogs are welcome in the building.

Box Office

We do not operate our own box office at West Road, but arrangements can be made with the Cambridge Arts Theatre or the Cambridge Corn Exchange to sell tickets on your behalf. We have a box office point in the Foyer for sales on the night of the concert, but you will be responsible for making your own float and cash security. For further information, please contact the Arts Theatre on 01223 578950 or the Corn Exchange on 01223 457562.

Publicity

A5 flyers relating to events being held at West Road Concert Hall may be placed in the appropriate leaflet racks in the Foyer. If you supply us with 2 A3 portrait sized posters we will endeavour to put these in the A frames which sit outside the faculty during the week prior to your eventAs soon as your event is contracted and details of the programme are given to us, we will enter the details into the Events Calendar section of our website, if you wish. The content of this page is sent regularly to our email mailing list. Please note that the venue should be referred to in all publicity as follows: West Road Concert Hall or West Road Recital Room.

Public Liability Insurance

The University has public liability insurance to cover injury, loss or damage resulting from its own negligence. You are also required to hold public liability insurance to cover injury, loss or damage resulting from your and/or your agent’s own negligence with a limit of indemnity of £2m. For further information, please see our Standard Conditions of Hire.

Parking

• you are entitled to use two parking spaces outside the Faculty of Music during the hours of your booking only;
• approximately 50 Pay & Display spaces are available on West Road immediately opposite the Hall;
• all car parking spaces on the Sidgwick Site (currently 200) are free outside normal office hours (Mon-Fri 9am – 5pm);
• the nearest unregulated streets are Herschel, Adams and Cranmer Roads;
• parking spaces for the disabled are available on Sidgwick Site.

Standard Conditions of Hire

View our Terms and Conditions of hire (PDF file, 132Kb).