An audio version of this article can be listened to above

As a small grassroots organisation, really imbedded in place, but without a building to call our own, we're determined to do what we can to ensure everyone is welcome to our events, especially disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent people. We believe that music belongs to everybody.

We are actively seeking funding to ensure that our events can be as accessible as possible, and if funding can’t be found we’ll be using DIY methods and yelling that funding SHOULD be available.

We are working with bands and venues to try to make our events as easy to access as possible, and the process to find this out as simple and transparent as possible.

We will always offer a free ticket to any disabled, chronically ill or neurodivergent person who needs to bring someone along to support them.

We will ask the bands we work with for their access riders, making this a natural part of the booking process.

We will continue to seek out best practice, learn and apply.

We don’t have our own venue, but we will try to book venues whenever we can that are accessible and ensure all the access details are easily available.

We will undergo regular disability equality training and ensure that this training translates into the way we work.

We use the social model of disability to inform our thinking and language
More information can be found here: www.shapearts.org.uk/news/social-model-of-disability

Tickets

1 free Personal Assistant ticket is available with the purchase of a full price ticket for all events. If you require this to ensure you can attend our gigs, please contact us at info@tracksdarlington.co.uk

Venues

We use many different venues for our events, however there are a core few we use most often, and thought it good to include an access guide for each here.
In cases where we use any others, we'll try to state any access details we can on the relevant event pages themselves.

Venue: The Forum Music Centre, Entrance on Brunswick Street, DL1 1TB

Step free access. Ramp with handrail to access building.
All rooms used as venues and the toilets are step free and wheelchair accessible.
No dropped level bar.
No seating in main hall – pre-book if required.
Wheelchair users will take priority to be near to stage for viewing ease.
Cabaret style seating in Room 1 for comedy event. Chairs will be removed as required to allow wheelchair users to sit where they desire.
Accessible toilet – 91cm wide door. Transfer space and rail. Red emergency cord. 

Forum Music Centre access statement can be found here: https://theforumonline.co.uk/accessibility/

Venue: St John the Evangelist Church, Neasham Road, DL1 4AD

3 steep large steps to access building. Security present on door will lay out ramp to enable wheelchair access. Curved and steep camber towards door.
Fixed pew seating in rows.
Wheelchair users will be seated near to stage for viewing ease.
There are no accessible toilets at this venue.
Toilets are accessed via one steep step – 18cm high.

Venue: Darlington Train Station, DL1 4AA

Musicians will play on concourse.
Step free access throughout station and both exits.
Accessible toilets require radar key.
Exit via B6280 (Banktop) for all other venues/town centre

Postcodes supplied to enable distance between venues to be calculated via google maps: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/

We don’t own these venues, we’ve done our best to check each one out, but
things may change outside of our control. Please get in touch with the venues
themselves if there is any further information you require.

Parking

For these venues:
The Forum Music Centre, The Hullabaloo Theatre, St. John's Church, Darlington Train Station

No parking is available at any of the venues. Nearest parking at:

St Cuthbert’s Way Carpark
Brunswick Street
Darlington
DL1 1TB

£3 all day. Surface for bays – half carpark concrete – half carpark gravel. Private carpark.

Or you can find up to date information about most other car parks in Darlington here:
www.darlington.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/car-parking/car-parks-and-charges

-

Our access provision is something we're continually working on, so please get in touch if you have any queries, problems, or ideas for how we can improve and make our activities as clear and welcoming as possible.