Welcome Hub
Information and ticket support
- Level or ramped public entrance
- Lowered service position and hearing enhancement
- Accessible toilet and mixed seating with arms and backs
- Large-print schedule and access information point
Access belongs at the centre
Accessibility at Afterlight
We want disabled, Deaf, neurodivergent and chronically ill audience members, artists and staff to participate with dignity, choice and confidence. We plan access from the start, publish what we know and work with you when a standard provision is not enough.
Our access commitment
Access needs are individual. You do not need to explain a diagnosis to ask a question, request an adjustment or use an advertised provision. We will ask only for the practical information needed to support you.
Our commitments are to:
- publish clear venue, route, format and content information as early as possible;
- offer a free essential companion ticket when a person would otherwise be unable to attend;
- provide reasonable adjustments across booking, arrival, participation and departure;
- train front-of-house teams in respectful, non-assumptive assistance and disability awareness;
- welcome assistance dogs and provide water and a rest space where the building allows;
- protect access information as confidential and share it only with staff who need it to deliver support; and
- listen when something does not work, respond without defensiveness and use feedback to improve.
Some Afterlight venues are existing or temporary buildings with physical constraints. Where full independent access is not possible, we will describe the barrier plainly and discuss the safest practical alternative. We will not present assisted access as step-free access.
Venue access overview
The cards below are provisional accessible shells for later normalization against the confirmed venue dataset. Final access guides will include named entrances, distances, gradients, door widths, lift dimensions, toilet layouts, seating and emergency procedures. Check the event listing and ticket for the confirmed building.
Performance Hub
Seated and standing events
- Step-free route to designated audience areas
- Wheelchair spaces bookable with adjacent companion seating
- Lift or level route to the principal auditorium
- Accessible toilet on the audience route
Gallery Hub
Exhibitions and installations
- Step-free visitor route through principal displays
- Portable seating available on request
- Large-print and digital interpretation where supplied
- Lower-attendance times identified in the schedule
After-dark Hub
Late events and music
- Step-free entrance and accessible viewing position
- Accessible toilet and staffed welfare point
- High-volume sound and dynamic lighting expected
- Re-entry and quiet-space arrangements vary by event
Mobility and seating
Tell the ticket team if you need a wheelchair space, transfer seat, seat with arms, aisle position, minimal stairs, extra legroom or a place to keep a mobility aid. We will never move a mobility aid without your agreement.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs are welcome. We can arrange an aisle seat, space beside you, water and a nearby relief route. If an event has effects that may distress a dog, the access team can discuss an alternative, including a staffed dog-sitting option where available.
Evacuation: venue staff will explain any personal emergency evacuation arrangement on arrival. If you cannot use stairs, tell us when booking or at the welcome desk so the venue can agree a suitable plan with you.
Performance provisions
Individual listings identify the provisions available for that specific performance. Provision symbols are a quick guide, not a substitute for the full event notes.
- British Sign Language interpretation
- A BSL interpreter communicates spoken and relevant audio content. Sightlines to the interpreter are protected in a designated seating area.
- Captioning
- Spoken dialogue and meaningful sound are displayed as text. Captions may be integrated, projected, open to everyone or delivered on a device.
- Audio description
- Visual information is described through a headset or integrated narration. A touch tour may be offered before selected works and must usually be reserved.
- Relaxed performance
- Audience movement and noise are accepted, house lighting may remain partly on, sound and lighting may be adjusted, and leaving and returning is permitted where safe.
- Hearing enhancement
- A hearing loop, infrared system or headset supports amplified sound. Availability and compatibility vary, so ask which system the event uses.
- Content and effects information
- Listings flag known intense sound, darkness, haze, strobe or flashing light, sudden effects and potentially distressing themes without unnecessarily revealing the work.
Reserve devices, touch tours, interpreter sightline seats or other limited-capacity provisions through the access team. If a listed provision is essential to your visit, contact us before booking travel so we can confirm it.
Sensory information
Arts events can involve unfamiliar spaces, crowds and changing sensory conditions. We publish event-specific notes as details are confirmed. You can ask for a more detailed description without having to justify why you need it.
Sound
Music and nightlife events may exceed comfortable listening levels. Free earplugs are available at staffed hubs. Ear defenders can be borrowed in limited numbers. Sound levels may vary suddenly even when an event is not described as loud.
Light and visual effects
Listings flag strobe-like effects, flashing imagery, lasers, total darkness and rapid transitions when known. Haze can make light beams more visible and may affect breathing even when it is water-based.
Crowds and queues
Peak arrival times can be busy. If standing in a queue is a barrier, speak to a steward for a seat or an alternative waiting arrangement. Entry order is not affected by requesting this adjustment.
Quiet and recovery space
Principal hubs aim to provide a clearly signed lower-stimulation area with seating. These are shared recovery spaces, not silent clinical rooms. Staff can identify a quieter alternative if the designated area is busy.
Sensory kits: a limited number containing ear defenders, earplugs, tinted glasses, a communication card and simple fidget items can be borrowed from the Welcome Hub. Items are cleaned between loans.
Familiarisation: where operations allow, we can provide photographs, a written step-by-step arrival guide or a short pre-opening orientation visit. Request this as early as possible.
Essential companion tickets
If you need another person’s support in order to attend, you can request one free essential companion ticket alongside your own ticket. The companion must be able to provide the support you need, including during an emergency, and remains responsible for their own travel and expenses.
- Choose your event and your own ticket. Before paying, look for the essential companion option. For allocated seating, select an accessible place that meets your needs.
- Add the free companion ticket. If it is not shown, complete the contact form or contact the access team. Include the event, date, preferred seating and a booking reference if you have one.
- Tell us the practical adjustment. You do not need to provide a diagnosis. We may ask what support or seating arrangement is required so that we can allocate the right space.
- Receive confirmation. Your booking is complete when both tickets appear in the confirmation. Contact us if the companion ticket is missing.
We generally use a trust-based process and do not routinely request evidence. If demand or ticketing restrictions mean further information is necessary, we will explain why and accept a range of evidence. No one will be asked to join a paid access scheme.
For sold-out events, contact the access team. We cannot guarantee a space, but we will check held access inventory and returns rather than asking you to attend without essential support.
Plan an accessible journey
These independent services can help plan or arrange part of your route. Links open in the same tab so browser back controls remain available.
- National Rail Passenger Assist for station assistance and supported rail journeys.
- AccessAble for detailed access guides to public places across the UK.
- Changing Places toilet map for toilets with an adult-sized changing bench and hoist.
- Euan’s Guide for disabled access reviews written by disabled people and their families.
- Traveline for public transport journey planning across Great Britain.
- UK Blue Badge information for eligibility and use of the parking scheme.
Third-party information can change. Confirm the final part of your journey with the transport operator or venue, particularly lift status, assistance hours, platform changes and accessible taxi availability.
Ask for access assistance
Contact the access team for adjustments, venue details in another format, a familiarisation request, companion tickets or help choosing a suitable event. Tell us your preferred response format and any deadline created by travel or ticket availability.
Response target: three working days, or one working day during the festival. These are provisional contact routes and will be normalized when confirmed canonical contact data is available. For immediate danger or a medical emergency, contact the emergency services rather than the festival inbox.