Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts is an interdisciplinary arts hub connecting University of Sussex with Brighton & Hove and the wider national and international arts communities. The centre presents a programme of contemporary arts – including music, theatre
The programme and the work at the centre will be guided by the values championed by Richard Attenborough (former chancellor of University of Sussex) in his life and work: human rights, social justice, creative education and access to the arts for all. Michael Attenborough is the patron of Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.
Venue Description
The venue was previously known as the Gardner Arts Centre, which opened in 1969 and closed in 2007. The venue was then refurbished and re-opened as the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) in the spring of 2016, with significant improvements to its accessibility for both performers and audiences. ACCA is a Grade II* listed building, so not all spaces are accessible. However, all key areas are accessible on level access, including the:
· Main entrance (level access from outside)
· Box office (with induction loop and lowered counter)
· Row H in the auditorium (via passenger lift – seats H3-4, H7-8, H15-16 and H19-20 can be reserved for wheelchair users)
· Bar/cafe (via passenger lift)
· Jane Attenborough Studio
· Gardner Tower
· Seminar Room (via passenger lift)
· Workshop Studio
· Toilets
Areas of the Building without Level Access
· In a raked seating format, only Row H of the auditorium is on level access once accessed via the passenger lift. All other auditorium seating positions are accessed by either 18 steps from the front entrance or 16 steps from the bar/cafe entrance.
· In a standing gig format, all of the auditorium floor is on level access and can be accessed via the passenger lift.
· Side balconies (10 steps from auditorium level)
· Rear balconies (16 steps from auditorium level)
· Gardner Tower Mezzanine (18 steps from entrance level)
· 1st floor Green Room (18 steps from entrance level)
a) Free Tickets for Personal Assistants
Personal assistance tickets for customers who would otherwise be unable to attend the venue are available free of charge. Please contact the box office on 01273 678822 or email info@attenboroughcentre.com for further information.
b) Accessible Viewing Area
The auditorium is normally in a raked seating format, but sometimes there will be other layouts including a flat floor. Where a flat floor is used (for example, for live music gigs), we ask guests who feel that they cannot stand for the duration of the gig to call the box office in advance in order to arrange a seat on the rear or side balconies. Access to the side balconies is via 10 steps from auditorium level, and access to the rear balconies is via 18 steps from auditorium level.
For guests who cannot use stairs, we can create a flat accessible viewing area at the front of stage, normally house-right, and guests are advised to call the box office in advance to notify us of their requirements. In the accessible viewing area, we can provide space for wheelchair users and loose auditorium seats for people with mobility impairments and (subject to available space) at least one of their companions.
The accessible viewing area is accessed via the passenger lift from the ground floor. The nearest toilet is a 17 metre travel to the passenger lift and then a further 5 meters from the passenger lift destination on the ground floor. Venue stewards will assist guests and oversee access to the viewing area as required.
