Wheelchair Accessibility

At our main theatre, The Miller, London Bridge

Venue address:

Hoopla at The Miller, 1st Floor
96 Snowsfields
London
SE1 3SS

This is our main theatre where most of our shows take place. It is wheelchair accessible to the 1st floor theatre by use of a stair climber machine (pictured below).

How does the stair climber work?

The wheelchair is secured to the machine as shown above, we also have a spare wheelchair at the venue. On the base of the stair climber are soft caterpillar tracks powered by electric motor that then move you upstairs while seated in the wheelchair. A trained operator (our front of house manager) controls the stair climber and steers it around the corner of the stairs. The machine takes all the weight, the operator doesn’t have to do any lifting, just steering.

How do I use it?

  • Ideally please contact in advance, [email protected] or 020 7459 4395.
  • Alternatively if you’ve booked at short notice please ask at the bar for our Front of House Manager who will help you, or call 020 7459 4395 and we will contact them.

Why did you use a stair climber as wheelchair accessibility solution for The Miller?

We first looked into a full lift, but it wasn’t structurally possible to build one. We then looked at a stair lift (rails attached to the side of the wall) but the stair corner was too tight and it didn’t fit. So the stair climber became the best solution as they are used in smaller venues that can’t have full lifts.

Access around the rest of the Miller

Ramp access from street into pub.

Front door width from street to ground floor (136cm)
Door width into 1st floor theatre (130cm)
Door width from ground floor into bar (74cm)
Door width entrance to toilet area (70cm)
Door width toilet cubicle entrance (64cm)

There are also wider wheelchair toilets available across the road at Guy’s Hospital, Great Maze Pond, which we also have access to.

The Bell

We use The Bell for additional shows about once per week. We’ve just started there and unfortunately The Bell is not currently wheelchair accessible. We are also looking for other venues to use as a second theatre, and aren’t sure how long we are at The Bell. If we are at The Bell longer term we will also be getting a stair climber or other solution to make it wheelchair accessible, but this isn’t currently available.

Workshop Venues

The following workshop venues are now fully wheelchair accessible, with ground floor or lift access and wheelchair accessible toilets:

  • Theatre Deli.
  • Kobi Nazrul.
  • Charles Dickens School.
  • St. Hugh’s Church Hall.
  • Lift Islington.
  • Holborn House Community Centre.
  • The Umbrella Rooms (if you let us know in advance, to make sure we have ground floor booked).
  • Old Diorama Arts Centre.
  • Sylvia Young Theatre School.

The following workshop venues aren’t fully wheelchair accessible and we are gradually phasing out booking them:

  • St. Bride Foundation.
  • St. George’s Church Hall.
  • KCBC (room accessible but toilets not accessible).
  • Cromer Studios.

We are able to move your course from one venue to another, please contact us if not sure.

 

 

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