Birnam Arts | Touring Venue

BIRNAM ARTS

Sept 2023 Mick Andrew

General Information

Address: Birnam Arts Centre & Institute, Station Road, Birnam by Dunkeld, Perthshire PH8 0DS. Tel: 01350 727674. This venue is staffed.

Venue is on corner of Station Road & Perth Road in middle of Birnam village. Car parking on street.
Built as Institute & Library in 1883 and extended to become Arts Centre in 2001.
Capacity 205 including 36 fixed seats on balcony if stage used, up to 80 if performing on floor. Stacking, padded, interlocking chairs. Downstairs seating can be tiered on Stage Systems Topdeck rostra 50 x 0.75M sq tops @ 0.25M & 0.5M heights.
Mobile reception reasonable.
Birnam has a General Store, hotel, café at venue, and petrol. Bank (open 2 days a week), cashpoint and other services in Dunkeld (1 mile).

Hall Details

Hall Dimensions: 10.75M (35’3”) wide at narrowest point x 11.05M (36’3”) long. Height to lighting gantries 5.85M (19’2”); balcony overhang on hall left/stage right @ 2.9M (9’6”).
Stage: 7.5M (24’7”) wide at proscenium (tabs open); 4.5M (14’9”) deep to back blacks; wings 1.8M (5’11”) max both sides. Stage is semi-circular so wings reduce upstage. Height to LX grid 5.12M (16’9”); height of stage 1M (3’3”). Crossover behind back blacks. Access treads both sides of stage (5 steps). Stage has full set of blacks and black floor. White gauze at back of stage and projection facilities available.
Décor: floor light wood, no markings; walls birch-clad sides, light green back with large window hall right – dark green curtain; roof light green. FOH tabs dark green.
Get-in: long – access adjacent to main entrance of building, up slope along side of building, flat, right angle turn into hall via window fire exit – wide single door. Approx 30M from van loading area to stage. 1.07M (3’6”) wide x 2.29M (7’6”) high.
Acoustics good, though fan noise from LED lights on gantry is audible.
Blackout good, window has lined motorised curtain.
Heating by radiators.
Upright piano available. Smoke detectors in hall and above stage possible to isolate.
11 step 3-part Zarges ladder and scaffold tower available.

Technical

Power: 125amp 3-phase incomer in backstage crossover, 63amp 3-phase cee-form socket in same location.
Full stage lighting rig – Chamsys QuickQ 20 desk, LED rig mix of Chauvet profile spots (FOH), moving heads & wash lights. 2 FOH gantries & 2 stage LX bars.
Full concert PA – Soundcraft MFX 20-2-1 mixer, MC450 digital amps, Tannoy and Martin Audio speakers, CD/cassette player, range of mics and stands, 2 DI boxes.
Comms link from stage to control room.
Film projection facilities available, Projector in control room, screen on stage
Houselights are dimmable roof spots, controlled from back of hall or control room on balcony.

Backstage