Changing Places at Millennium Forum
We are glad to introduce you to the new Changing Places at Millennium Forum in Derry/Londonderry. The facility was officially opened on 26th November by the Mayor, Councillor John Boyle. The Changing Places at Millennium Forum is now available to grant full accessibility to everyone who wishes to enjoy the cultural offer of the forum.
About the Millennium Forum
The Millennium Forum was officially opened in 2001 marking a new stage in the cultural life of Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland’s second largest city. The decision to build the Millennium Forum derived from the needs and aspirations of the local community to create a cultural hub for its citizens.
The Millennium Forum is currently one of the largest purpose-built theatres ever realised in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The premises are located in Newmarket Street, at the very heart of the city.
The Millennium Forum has been renowned for its inclusive policies and has been leading the way in terms of accessibility in the Irish cultural scene. The following services are granted to ensure that all visitors can enjoy a pleasant and accessible experience at the forum.
Accessible premises:
- Wheelchair-friendly access
- Courtesy wheelchairs for visitors upon request and availability
- Two lifts give access to all the floors of the forum
- Induction loops are available at the box office
- Guide dogs are accepted
- Touch tours can be arranged in advance
- Large print brochures for the latest season are available for consultation
- Accessible in-house restaurant available on Level 3
- Eight wheelchair-user seats available at the venue
Accessible shows:
- Signed performances
- Captioned performances
- Audio description performances
- Dementia-friendly performances
- Relaxed performances
The Changing Places at Millennium Forum is the icing on the cake of the set of inclusive policies operated by the cultural venue. The opening of the new Changing Places at Millennium Forum follows the recognition of the centre as an excellent accessibility provider. In fact, it was awarded the Change A Little Change A Lot and the Arts & Disability Equality Charter prizes.
About the Changing Places at Millennium Forum
The Changing Places at Millennium Forum has been built in partnership with the DCSDC Access and Inclusion Project and the Autism Impact Award.
As Lisa Heaney, Box Office & Access Manager at the Millennium Forum, highlights, the main intention behind this project is to provide the community with a facility that will greatly benefit the many disabled individuals and their carers who currently do not have access to public toilets that meet their specific needs. Considering these premises, the Changing Places at Millennium Forum is open not only to customers who are registered to the forum’s Access Membership Scheme but also to whoever requires access to it. As such, both radar keys and the facility’s own fob can be used to enter the facility.
Lisa Heaney further comments on the Changing Places at Millennium Forum:
As a public building situated in the busiest footfall area of the city, we attract 320,000 customers each year. Recent statistics indicate that 1 in 9 people in Northern Ireland is registered as disabled. It is, therefore, hugely important to us as the main arts venue in the North West region to provide facilities such as this so that everyone can enjoy our theatre without any barriers.
The installation of the Changing Places at Millennium Forum has been possible thanks to the Accessible grant aid supplied by Derry City and Strabane District Council as part of their Access and Inclusion project. The Access and Inclusion project aims at reducing the economic, social, physical, attitudinal and communicational barriers that prevent the DCSDC disabled community from taking part in artistic and cultural activities.
Louise Boyce, Access and Inclusion Coordinator, Derry City & Strabane Council, commented:
This achievement is a credit to all involved and their continued understanding of the importance of an accessible and inclusive venue which also embeds Equality Commission NI’s ‘Every Customers Counts’ framework.
Fiona Teague, Head of Health Improvement (West), Public Health Agency, added:
The Millennium Forum is leading the way forward through the opening of the first changing places facility in the locality. This will make a significant difference to the lives of people with disabilities who will now have the space and equipment required to meet all personal hygiene needs in safety and comfort.
The PHA works alongside the DCSC to make sure that all the accessibility and inclusion standards are met and put into practice in the arts and cultural venues of the council district. As such, they were also responsible for monitoring the site construction and the installation of the Changing Places at Millennium Forum.
About the Changing Places at Millennium Forum and the contribution of Sync Living
Andrew Smyth, Changing Places Specialist at Sync Living, is delighted to have worked with Millennium Forum from the inception of this project until its completion. He offered advice and guidance on the use of space, on the layout, and on the selection of the key equipment in line with the Building Standards BS8300:2018.
Andrew commented on the Changing Places at Millennium Forum that:
They are to be commended on providing these excellent facilities right in the heart of the city where individuals with disabilities and their carers can access a suitable changing space and take advantage of the quality and high spec of the products installed.
Furthermore, he added:
It is fantastic to see that an increasing number of public venues understands the importance of ensuring accessibility to everyone. Millennium Forum is a forerunner in terms of inclusion in the Arts field. I am confident that having a Changing Places facility installed in the venue will have a greater and positive impact on the city and the DCSC council district, considering its strategic position.
If you want to know more about how to make your building accessible for people with profound disabilities and their carers, get in touch with Andrew at andrew@syncliving.co.uk. You can also download our Changing Places guide for a better insight into the equipment required. Just click here.
