Burnley Mechanics welcomes people with disabilities. Assistant Dogs can accompany their owners, and water will be provided. A Textphone service is available on 01282 664444. The Fire Authorities advise that all wheelchair patrons remain in their wheelchairs throughout any performance, and as such, transferring from a wheelchair to a regular seat is not permitted. Able bodied companions will be requested to assist should an emergency evacuation arise. If you use a wheelchair it is vitally important that you inform the Box Office at time of booking as our licensing regulations allow for two wheelchair users per event. Wheelchair spaces are situated on row ‘A’ of the front stalls. Burnley Mechanics operate a free ticket for essential carer’s policy. Please check with Box Office for details as conditions apply.
All theatre performances are not recommended for children under 2 years of age. Burnley Mechanics reserves the right to ask parents to leave the performance space if they are causing a disturbance.
For most Mechanics promotions discounts are available to Children under the age of 16, those in full-time education, over 60 or in full receipt of benefits. proof of status is required when booking.
Our front room, lounge bar, theatre bar, loft and basement studio are completely accessible for visitors with disabilities. A lift to the first and second floor can be accessed via the Lounge Bar. The Basement Studio has its own ramped access at the back of the building.
With the need to evacuate using the goods lift and/or an evacuation chair in an emergency, we can accommodate up to 2 wheelchair patrons in the main auditorium/theatre bar, and 1 wheelchair patron in the loft; this is directly informed by our risk assessment and agreed evacuation procedure with the fire authorities that details our duty of care to both our patrons and staff. We can be more flexible with numbers in the front room, lounge bar and basement studio due to the exit onto street level.
Any patron requiring an essential companion to attend the theatre to ensure their safe exit in an emergency evacuation needs to be incorporated into the fire risk assessment, therefore up to four spaces will be allocated (in addition to the wheelchair allocation) next to the wheelchair spaces both in the theatre and loft.
A passenger lift is available from the main foyer level to the auditorium and The Loft; the maximum capacity is 8 persons.
Please note, the lift can only accommodate one wheelchair patron and carer at any one time.
There is an induction loop system in the main theatre; this is accessed by putting a hearing aid to the ‘T’ switch. The most effective areas for operation are, in the raised tier using seats 20-23 on rows F-T, and in the flat stalls using seats 22-25 on rows C-E. Alternatively, the next best areas are seats 1-5 (tier and stalls) on the other side of the theatre. Seats in the centre section should not be used.
There is a ramp at the Manchester Road entrance, and two lifts; one from ground floor level to the rear of the building, and one from main foyer to the auditorium and the The Loft. Please call the box office to arrange assistance prior to your visit. There is a gradient from the car park to the theatre entrance on Yorke street; should you foresee needing assistance with this, please inform the box office.
Essential Companion Tickets
For selected performances there is a limited allocation of tickets available for essential companions accompanying wheelchair users and the registered blind. These are allocated on a first come first served basis and proof of eligibility will be required.
Eligibility requirements:
• We require wheelchair users to stay in their wheelchairs next to their able bodied companion throughout the event to ensure safe evacuation in an emergency.
• The able bodied companion will be requested to assist should an emergency evacuation arise, therefore must be over the age of 16.
Some events will be exempt such as events where the ticket price includes food and/or drink etc (i.e. theatre-dinners, private hires).
Burnley Mechanics has a volunteering scheme so may be able to provide an assistant for those wanting to attend a concert alone, advance booking is essential, and we cannot guarantee the availability of our volunteers.
Fire and Emergency
In the event of emergency, all essential carers are required to work with trained staff to facilitate a safe evacuation. Trained staff will inform and guide essential carers in terms of where to go.
Dementia Friendly
We want to make Burnley Mechanics accessible to as many people as possible; we have dementia friendly signage installed to support our customers visiting the Mechanics to get around the building. Our events can be very busy, bright, noisy or dark, so if a quiet space is needed, we will do our best to accommodate this and recommend shows that may be suitable to different customers’ needs.
There is always a Dementia friend on duty, please speak to a member of staff if support is required.
Pre-show visits
If you or any of your party has a condition that would benefit from a visit to Burnley Mechanics prior to a performance you are attending, we will do our best to accommodate such requests.
