Charity: Hackney Empire theatre
Location: Hackney Central, East London
Service: Advice from Access and Sustainability Advice Service (ASAS), access audit
Status: Client has made immediate access improvements and is now seeking funding to carry out more substantial recommendations from the CAE access audit.
The client
Hackney Empire is a renowned, modern variety theatre in Hackney, East London housed in a Grade II* listed (which means it’s a building of special interest that warrants protection), Edwardian music hall, with an auditorium with almost 1,300 seats. The Empire’s varied programme that includes theatre, opera, comedy and its famous annual Christmas pantomime attracts 200,000 audience members each year.
Hackney Empire also welcomes 4,000 young people throughout the year to take part in its free Creative Futures programme of events.
The theatre has:
- over 3,500 active customers signed up to their Access Membership
- welcomed over 150 wheelchair users in the past year
- an annual pantomime that’s extremely popular with customers who find their stairs challenging.
- A performing arts project, named Limitless, which is open to younger disabled and neurodiverse participants (aged 14 to 25) every year.
Hackney Empire: a group of past participants of its Creative Futures project.
The building
Hackney Empire is one of Britain’s finest surviving variety theatres. It was built in 1901 and has an ornate terracotta façade. It was created by theatre manager Sir Oswald Stoll from a design by Frank Matcham who was a popular theatre architect of the day.
The building started life as a music hall where the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Houdini, Julie Andrews and Louis Armstrong graced its stage.
Hackney Empire wanted to improve accessibility to its workshop and theatre spaces for its audience members, which includes a growing number of people with access requirements.
The theatre’s ongoing dialogue with visitors and participants highlighted opportunities for improvements including assistive listening device options and special educational and needs and disability (SEND) resources.
The brief
Hackney Empire sought access advice from the Centre for Accessible Environment’s (CAE’s) Access and Sustainability Advice Service (ASAS). This free service for voluntary and community groups in London is funded by the City Bridge Foundation charity. Following this, Hackney Empire sought an access audit through CAE, which was carried out by CAE’s Access Auditor, Brenda Puech.
CAE’s audit:
- Identified upgrades to physical infrastructure to support customers’ mobility
- Pinpointed how to create better messaging about wayfinding.
- Provided information on how to source funding for new lifts as the existing lifts are coming to the end of their lifespan.
Kathy Everett, Head of Development at Hackney Empire, said: “If our grant funding application is successful, the beneficiaries would include older people, people facing barriers to mobility and people who use wheelchairs.
“Our lifts are vital for our younger disabled participants who attend our regular Limitless project.”
The outcome
Hackney Empire carried out some of CAE’s recommendations using their maintenance budgets, including installing new signage.
The theatre now has:
- Improved signage from outside of the building, directing people to the accessible entrance, and internal signage for the toilets.
- Made grant funding applications to improve accessibility in the theatre.
Kathy said: “CAE’s access audit has helped us with grant applications for a new lift, which will require planning permission. It’s also helped us to keep accessibility high on our agenda and added to our long-term plans for the building and audiences.”
“We’re now devising consultation sessions with service users, throughout 2025, to plan suitable physical and programme changes as part of ongoing consultation with customers.
For more information on ASAS and how we can help you, email our Access Advisor, Asa Hems, at asas@cae.org.uk or telephone +44 (0)754 6690 040.