Spielman Theatre
The Spielman Theatre is situated on the first floor of the Tobacco Factory Building, where Tobacco Factory Theatres is based.
You’ll find further information below and on the other tabs on this page.
Our Spielman Theatre is currently available for use as a black-box studio space and is perfect for rehearsals, workshops and potentially lectures.
We are currently taking bookings in the Spielman Theatre for a minimum of a half-day hire (four hours).
Dimensions and capacities:
- The Spielman Theatre’s dimensions are 5.5m(w) x 5.9m(d) if used with the seating out and 5.5m(w) x 10.4m(d) if used with the seating retracted.
- For workshops and rehearsals, we believe this will generally allow for suitable distancing of 12 to 15 participants.
- For lectures that use the seating bank, we believe between 14 and 17 people could be seated at an appropriate distance.
These numbers should be used as a guide – we are confident in the flexibility of our spaces and the creativity of our hirees so please do think carefully about your project and whether this number should be fewer or could be increased, and talk to us about how you see this working. For more detailed technical specifications please visit this page.
Covid-19 measures:
There is a sanitising station upon entry to the space, and one within the space. Handwashing facilities are available in the Spielman Theatre dressing room and in the Tobacco Factory’s public toilets.
Entry and exit into and out of our Spielman Theatre is currently working on a one-way system, with entry through the main audience door, and exit into our lift lobby.
We can currently offer hot and cold water and private fridge use for all spaces, but we are unable to offer tea or coffee or any of our usual refreshments. We can offer catering from external contacts at an additional cost.
The space features:
- Tiered seating that can be retracted
- Large clear area for rehearsals/workshops
- Stage area
- Dressing room
- Shower and toilet
Other:
- The space is suitable for dancing
What the space has been used for previously:
- Theatrical performances
- Rehearsals
- Workshops
- Comedy
- Dance performances
- Conferences
- Launches
- Talks
- Music events
For availability and rates, to discuss your individual requirements or to arrange a visit of the space, please email theatre@tobaccofactorytheatres.com or call 0117 902 0345.
How are you ensuring that your spaces at Tobacco Factory Theatres still offer a great platform for any hiree?
We are proud to offer four unique spaces here at Tobacco Factory Theatres and have thought carefully about our Covid-19 safety measures in order that they do not detract from the individuality of each space. We will, of course, be following government guidelines, but we will try to be as flexible as always to provide the facilities that your hire requires.
Our recommended capacities, building routes and sanitising procedures have been designed to allow hirers peace of mind and the headspace to focus on the creative purpose of their hire.
Will I feel safe hiring your space?
Each one of our hire spaces will be thoroughly cleaned before and after any hire. Every space also has its own sanitising station, with hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes available upon both entry and exit into and out of the spaces. Both theatre spaces have their own toilets and handwashing facilities, and the public toilets on the theatre floor are easily accessible from two routes around the building. Whoever is responsible for your hire will be collecting contact tracing data, which will also be securely stored by Tobacco Factory Theatres for the requisite 21 days. We will be asking staff and visitors to wear face coverings whilst moving around the building, ensuring that they follow one-way systems and practicing social distancing of 2m.
If you have any worries, or would like further information, including our Covid-19 Hires Policy and Covid-specific Risk Assessment, please contact our Theatre Administrator (see below).
What protection measures will I be personally responsible for?
Once you have booked a hire, we will send you our Covid-19 Hires Policy, which explains which Covid-19 safety measures you will be responsible for once you are in the Tobacco Factory Theatres building. We will be following strict protection measures ourselves as Tobacco Factory Theatres staff, most of which we expect hirees to follow too, but we know that the nature of some hires means that certain measures are less practical. If you have particular concerns, please do get in touch with our Theatre Administrator (see below) for further information.
Will I have to wear a face covering if I hire a space with you?
The government has stated that as of Sat 08 August 2020 it is mandatory to wear a face covering in theatres. We will therefore be asking staff and visitors to wear a face covering whilst moving around the theatre building. We understand, however, that the nature of some hires means that wearing a face covering may not be conducive to creative working whilst in the hired spaces. We need to ensure that everybody in our spaces is as safe as possible, but we are keen to be understanding and flexible where sensible, which we have taken into account in our Covid-19 Hires Policy. Please get in touch with our Theatre Administrator (see below) for further information.
What if one of my hire participants thinks they have symptoms of Covid-19?
We have a procedure in place if anybody in one of our hires feels unwell which is detailed in our Covid-19 Hires Policy. Please get in touch with our Theatre Administrator (see below) for further information.
Have your hire prices changed because of Covid-19?
It has been necessary to adapt a few things as a result of Covid-19, one of which is our hire prices. Due to cleaning costs and the capacity of our small team, we have decided to establish a minimum hire length of half a day (four hours) for each of our spaces. We will also be adding a cleaning fee to every booking, which will cover the cost of a thorough clean before and after the length of a hire. We have made these adaptations to ensure that we still remain an attractive and competitive venue, whilst allowing our hirees to be safe in the knowledge that their space will be as clean and safe as possible.
Prices will continue to vary depending on the nature and detail of each hire. Please get in touch with our Theatre Administrator (see below) for further information.
Has your refund policy changed to adapt to the circumstances?
We understand that the current circumstances are challenging and unpredictable for everyone. Should Covid-19 affect your hire booking, we will endeavour to be as flexible as possible, and we would be grateful if our hirees would do the same in return. As always, we would prefer to reschedule events wherever possible and will do our best to offer alternative dates.
Please get in touch with our Theatre Administrator at theatre@tobaccofactorytheatres.com with any enquiries.