Venue Description

Wharf Chambers is a bar and multi-use venue in the centre of Leeds run by a workers’ co-op in partnership with a members’ club. We aim to provide an inclusive and affordable space for music, art, film, politics and discussion that brings together people from communities across Leeds. You need to be a member or guest of a member to attend licensed events. Membership forms can be completed through our website, www.wharfchambers.org, and cost £1 a year. The events room is available for use by community groups, interest groups (craft, reading etc), wellbeing classes (yoga, meditation etc) and other uses as appropriate. As long-term residents of the city we are well aware of the lack of affordable city centre space for these kinds of activities. You also need to be a member to book the event space. See the Bookings page for further info. We are committed to providing as safe and accessible a space as possible and have a Safer Spaces agreement.

Accessibility

The space has 2 main entrances and comprises a bar room, events space, toilets, beer garden and car park. Entrances We have 2 entrances – the front door, which is up steps from the street, and a ramped, wheelchair accessible back door, accessed via the alleyway to the left of the front door. Front door There are 2 steps to reach the front door from the street. The first is 28cm high, the second is 18cm. There are no handrails. The front door is an inward opening double door. One half will be securely propped open during opening hours; the narrowest point is 60cm wide. Sometimes we have both doors open, in which case the narrowest point is 124cm. Both doors can be opened on request. This leads into the fire porch. Front fire porch The floor in the porch area is an even concrete mix which may be slippery when wet. There are no handrails. There is a 16cm step to reach the inner front door. Inner front door This is an outward opening double door. One side can be pushed to enter the bar room. Narrowest point: 59cm wide. Sometimes we have both doors open, in which case the narrowest point is 119cm. Both doors can be opened on request. This leads out of the fire porch, up a second 16cm step, into the bar room. Back door Alleyway, car park and beer garden The back door is accessed via the alleyway 129cm to the left of the front door. It is sloped and cobbled. The narrowest point is 104cm but it is mostly wider and slightly curved. At the top of the alleyway there is a car park. This is mostly uneven tarmac but there is a recently paved strip (118cm wide, on a slight upward incline) to the right that leads to the back door and beer garden. The strip sometimes has furniture on it but this can be moved. The back door itself opens outward and is pinned back; it is 94cm wide at its narrowest point. There is a fixed wooden ramp leading down to the rear fire porch. The ramp is 78cm long, 109cm wide, with a rise of 45cm. Rear fire porch Wooden floor in same material as ramp, with the inner door (84cm wide at narrowest point) to the bar immediately ahead, and the events space door to the left down another ramp. This ramp is 96cm long, 125cm wide and rise of 11cm. The bar room Floor Tiled floor, can be slippery when wet with some uneven areas. Layout and seating The furniture in the bar room is not fixed down and can be moved around and as such the spacing varies. There are 6 school-style tables at 87cm, with wooden stools ranging from 61-69cm high. There is also soft seating 46-48cm high around the front windows to the right of the front door, with three metal tables (57cm) and stools (51cm). There is a small wall 150cm high, extending 83cm from the right of the inner front door between the entrance way and the seating. The space between the bar, which is on the left after the toilets entrance, and the tables and stools area varies between around 180cm and 225cm, depending on furniture layout. There are three metal pillars running down the centre of the room, but furniture tends to be arranged around these so as to minimise impact. The height of the bar itself is 108cm. Lighting Lighting is primarily from LED bulbs spread throughout. These are mostly white with shades but 2 of the 3 over the bar have a transparent red shade. Some natural light from front and back windows during daylight. Walls Walls are light beige glazed brick, with the toilet area plasterboarded with a medium-deep turquoise paint. There is little uninterrupted wall space due to the shape of the room and posters (various colours/ sizes/ styles/ amounts of text). Noise It is a small street and there is low background noise from outside. There is noise leakage from the gig room but this is minimised as far as possible with soundproofing and keeping the doors shut. We normally play music but can turn it down or off if needed. Events space Events space door 80cm wide at narrowest point, opening inwards to porch/ outwards from events space. Generally kept shut while bands are playing but can be pinned open if needed. Events space raised area The floor is tiled for 168cm into the events space, after which the floor is the same concrete mix as in the front porch. This is mostly even but there are some cracks. The worst bits usually have tables on them. There is a step at the far wall of 13cm. Seating in events space There is seating immediately to the right of the events space door, 40cm high. There is also seating straight ahead built along the left hand wall and far wall – part of this is elevated at 53cm, part of it is on the 13cm step and is 40cm. There is also a pew running along the back of the dancefloor facing the stage, this is 48cm high. Dancefloor There is a 25cm step down from the raised area to the dancefloor, to the right of the front door. There is no handrail. There is a foldout plastic ramp 126cm long and 175cm wide available upon request. The dancefloor is tiled, and can be slippery when wet. Lighting Blackout material is pinned up to windows for most events but this can be removed for daytime. There are fluorescent strip lights which are normally only used for set up but can be used for events, and coloured spot lights for gigs. There are a couple of additional lamps available on request. Walls Light beige glazed brick on walls, dark purple drapes hanging down left hand side as you enter the events space, deep blue paint to back wall/ back of stage. Projection screen painted white taking up much of the wall opposite stage. There is little uninterrupted wall space due to the shape of the room and posters (various colours/ sizes/ styles/ amounts of text). Noise There can be sound leakage from the bar room, however this can be kept to a minimum by keeping the door shut. The music in the bar room can be turned down on request. There should be very little noise from outside due to soundproofing. Events space fire exit The inner fire exit door is 72cm at its narrowest point, this has a push bar. The outer fire exit door is 77cm at its narrowest point, this opens inwards and is pinned back during events. There are 2 steps down to the street from the outer fire exit door – the 1st is 20cm and the 2nd 16cm. Beer garden and car park The beer garden has recent, even paving and tables and chairs down one side, with a large metal staircase which acts as a fire escape for the upper floors occupying much of the other side. The

Toilets

Toilets The toilets are gender neutral. There is a urinal and 3 cubicles, one of which is wheelchair accessible. Walls are painted either medium blue gloss or pale grey. Light comes from unshaded LED bulbs, plus some natural light in the window toilet and urinal (the glass is frosted). The entrance to the toilets is 97cm wide and has no door. The accessible cubicle is immediately to the right. Accessible toilet The door to the accessible toilet is 87cm wide at its narrowest point and opens outward. The light switch is on the strip of wall on the right, 120cm from the floor to the middle point. The turn circle in this cubicle is 110x165cm. The toilet is 47cm high. There is a spatula lever flush 74cm from the floor, on the right of the cistern as you are sitting down. There is a horizontal handrail to the right of the toilet 74cm high, and a pull down handrail to the left of the toilet. Toilet rolls are kept on the shelf behind the toilet, which is 118cm high. Rolls in use are usually placed on one of the handrails. The basin is 75cm high with handrails either side. The tap is a left-right lever type, combined hot and cold. There is soap in a pump bottle on the basin, but there is no towel dispenser in the cubicle. Baby changing There is a baby changer in this cubicle on the right as you enter. This is 89cm at its lowest point. You are free to breastfeed anywhere in Wharf Chambers. Urinal The urinal is accessed to your left as you enter the toilets. The corridor leading to it is 97cm across. At the end turn right through a 66cm wide entrance way. There is an 8cm step up to the urinal itself. The urinal height is 60cm. The flush is a push button at 145cm height.

Staff

Information about the staff has not been added for this venue.