Guide Notes for getting to and around the Howard Assembly Room

You can download these guide notes as a Word Doc or PDF.
You can also listen to an audio version, which is in the process of being updated.

Ground Floor

To enter the venue, there is a revolving door and a pull door to the right of it, which you can pull towards you using the handle.  If the Box Office is closed, neither door will open. Straight ahead of you is the Box Office counter with a lowered counter on the right.  Our friendly Box Office staff can book you tickets, print them out, and give you any information you need regarding Opera North and Howard Assembly Room performances.

Once you reach the Box Office, carry on round to your left to a small lobby with some chairs. There is also a water cooler straight ahead, set within the wall.  On the right, there is a small flight of eight steps with rails either side, which curves slightly up to the right.  To the right of the steps is a small open lift, which is big enough for one manual or electric wheelchair.  You call the lift by pressing the button on the wall to the right.  Then enter it by pulling open the door and closing it behind you.  On a panel on your right at waist height, there are two large square buttons with 0 and 1, also written in braille.  Further right along the panel is the alarm button.   Press and hold the 1 to go up to the atrium level.  Keep pressing the button or the lift will stop.  At the top, you will hear a ding, and then you can push open the door opposite to the one you entered, to exit the lift.

Carry on straight ahead and through a door, which may be already open on a performance night, and you are in the main atrium. This is a large, tall, bright, open space, with a skylight at the top. There is a platform lift to get into the atrium and a front of house lift which goes to all floors including the toilet and cloakroom area (level 1), the Howard Assembly Room itself (level 2), and the gallery (level 3) for top floor seating. All lifts are big enough for a manual or electric wheelchair.

To use the lift, follow the wall on the left straight ahead for around five metres.  You can call the lift by pressing the up or down arrows on the right.  It holds up to 14 people.  There are buttons on the right in two columns.  The top button (3) takes you to the balcony.  Directly under it is 1, which takes you to the toilet level, and below that is minus 1 (-1), which is a private floor.  At the top of the right column, you have 2, which takes you to the stalls level. Below that is 0, which is a raised button and marks the ground floor. Below that, you have a button for keeping the doors open and then a button for the alarm.

Level One – toilets

As you exit the lift, go round to your right for the toilets.  There are two gender-neutral, wheelchair accessible toilets on your right. There is the option for right-side transfer and left-side transfer, and these toilets are mirror images of each other. If you carry straight on, at the end there are several women’s toilets to your left and some men’s and gender-neutral toilets to your right.

Each toilet has a lock by the handle which you turn up and to the left to lock. There is a toilet straight ahead of you, with a small flush button set in the back wall to the right of the toilet at around waist height. There is a sink to your right with a lift-up tap and an automatic hand-dryer to the right of the sink.

Level Two – stalls

As you exit the lift, turn left and follow the wall on the left to get into the stalls.  On your right is a small bar where you can buy coffee, beer, wine, and soft drinks. You can bring these into the auditorium.

You then arrive at the back of the auditorium.  In front of you is a raised sound desk and usually a bank of tiered seating, which has railings on either side of it.  There will be ushers who can show you to your seat. This will either be on the flat floor in front of the tiered seating, or up on the tiers, which you access via a central walkway of low steps.  The chairs are metal, with leather seats and back support, and are usually linked together.

Level Three – balcony

As you exit the lift, turn left and follow the wall on the left again to get into the balcony.  Once again there is a small bar, serving drinks that you can bring into the auditorium.

You arrive at the back of the auditorium.  Ushers will be able to show you to your seat.  You take a few steps down to reach the bench seating along the sides of the balcony, or there are three rows of permanent, cushioned seating in the central section – rows A, B, and C.

Stairs

If you prefer to take the stairs, as you arrive in the atrium, walk diagonally across the space to the far corner and you’ll find the first staircase.

1. Go up a short flight to level one and go round to your left to find the toilet area.
2. Carry on around to your left and you’ll reach another flight which takes you to level two.
3. Carry straight on and you will have the bar on your right, where you can order drinks, or carry straight on and around to your left and you will reach the stalls.
4. If you are heading to the balcony on level three, carry on up one more flight of stairs, and you will again have the bar on the right. Carry on ahead and round to the left and you will arrive at the balcony.

There are safe evacuation chairs placed around the venue, and refuge points positioned between the central staircase and the main lift.