FINDHORN UNIVERSAL HALL
Sept 2023 Mick Andrew
General Information
Address: Universal Hall, The Park, Findhorn Foundation, Forres. Morayshire IV36 3TZ Tel: 01309 691170. https://universalhall.co.uk/
– Venue is in grounds of the Findhorn Foundation on east side of B9011 Forres to
Findhorn road before Findhorn village and is signposted. Venue is staffed. Car
parking near venue.
- Built between 1974 and 1984.
- Capacity 300 seated in auditorium, with up to 400 if floor used for seating. Padded, interlocking, stacking chairs.
- Mobile reception good, payphone by shop near Foundation entrance.
- Findhorn Foundation has café, pizza takeaway, general wholefood shop. Findhorn village has hotels, café, general store. Petrol at Kinloss (2 miles), banks, cashpoints and other services in Forres (4 miles).
Hall Details
- Stage: stage is pentagon shaped on floor with tiered seating and tree sculpture at rear. Stage front 5M (16’5”), 2 sides @ 10M (32’10) each, 2 rear sides @ 7M (23’). Height to grid approx 4.88M (16’). No wings or crossover. Q- build staging rostra available (approx 54 units @ 0.9M sq) can make stage approx 8M wide x 5.5M @ 0.5M height.
- Décor: floor light beechwood, no markings; walls maroon; roof wooden triangular trusses with black cover and pentagon skylight.
- Get-in: at rear of hall through fire exit. From van loading area up ramp, right angled turn through double doors and right angle turn through 2nd set double doors into backstage 1.43M (4’8’) wide x 2.47M (8’1”) high. Approx 30M from van loading area to stage.
- Acoustics good.
- Blackout good, skylight has electric blind.
- Heating by wall-mounted convector heaters.
- Grand piano available. Smoke detectors throughout auditorium.
- Powered platform Skywinder access lift or long extending ladders available.
Technical
- Power: 125amp 3-phase incomer in control room with 63amp 3-phase socket (on 32amp trip) and 63amp single phase socket (on 40amp trip) in same location.
- Full stage lighting rig – Strand 200 48 channel desk, Stage CL 24 ch desk, ETC Element 2 desk, 96 Green-Ginger hard wired dimmers, 2 x 1kw profile spots, 16 x 650w/500w profiles spots, 30 x 650w/500w fresnels/PC lanterns, 14 x Prolight StudioCob FC LED wash lights operated rom control room at rear of auditorium. 2 x 5-sided LX bars and extra FOH LX bar, also 1 rear upstage to downstage LX bar (all overhead).
- Concert PA system – Allen & Heath QU24 24ch desk, HK speakers (flown and sub bass bins), 10 monitor wedges, FX rack, CD player, hand-held radio microphones, selection of microphones and DI boxes. Operated from rear of auditorium outside control room.
- AV – projector and 5M wide screen available.
- Houselights are dimmable roof Par 36 lamps operated from control room or FOH.
Backstage
- Can use dance studio and workshop as dressing rooms (50M away under stage), separate toilets and showers.
- Kitchen available.
- Bar and refreshments available on performance nights.
