We are happy to show you around prior to your visit and give you a tour of our wonderful spaces at a quieter time in the venue to ensure you have all the information you need.

Age Ratings

We are standardising our approach to age guidance by adapting the framework provided by the British Board of Film Classification into the following 5 categories: 

• Universal | Suitable for all ages 
• Parental Guidance | General viewing, though some elements may not be suitable for younger children. 
• 12+ | Contains material not generally suitable for children under the age of 12. Adults planning to take a child under 12 to this type of event should consider whether this is suitable for the child in question by referring to the content guidance.
• 15+ | Suitable only for children over the age of 15 
• 18+ | Suitable only for adults 

Our aim is to provide transparency for staff members, artists and audiences alike, while ensuring the safety of all who use our spaces. 

For the criteria event organisers are asked to consider when providing age ratings, please click here to be taken to the BBFC website.

Content Warnings (also referred to as ‘trigger warnings’)

The following guidance has been adapted from that issued by the University of Reading, concerning course content.

To access the original document, please click here.

What are trigger warnings and why are they important? 

Certain content may cause audience members to relive past experienced trauma. Individuals who have experienced trauma may have a physical/physiological response when reliving this, causing them undue psychological distress.  

Providing trigger warnings helps to prepare audiences for potentially distressing content and enables them to make informed decisions about how they choose to access this content. Removing any element of surprise in coming across the traumatic content allows audiences to prepare adequately, empowering them to engage with the work in a manner appropriate for them.  

Trigger warnings also help the venue to consider in advance how we frame the work to prospective audiences in our communications, while empowering the Front of House team to offer effective guidance and support to our customers. Finally, trigger warnings help artists to have wider oversight of the nature of their work and consider the impact of the presentation of this on audience members who have experienced trauma. 

Trigger warnings are not intended to censor artists or the work they produce, but to help audiences engage with the issues covered safely.  

Formulations of trigger warnings 

Event organisers are required to fill in an Event Criteria Form to get their event on sale through the Box Office and on our website. As part of this form, they are asked to provide a list of potentially triggering content as well as disclose the context, extent and delivery of this content. How these warnings are formulated to prospective audiences will then vary depending on the medium of the content and the extent to which the warning applies to the overall event. 

The venue might signpost trigger warnings on the website and in marketing materials using a formulation such as ‘This performance/exhibition includes reference to/consideration of themes of x, y, z/ or images of x, y, z, which might trigger unwelcome and distressing memories or thoughts for some audience members.’  

If a longer content description is available, this will be available upon request from the Box Office. The more detail provided by the event organisers on the nature of the content in question, the more effectively the Front of House team will be able to advise and support audience members who have experienced trauma. 

Possible themes that require trigger warnings:  

• Sexual Assault
• Abuse
• Child abuse/paedophilia/incest
• Animal cruelty or animal death
• Dissection
• Self-harm and suicide
• Eating disorders and body hatred
• Violence
• Pornographic content
• Kidnapping and abduction
• Death or dying
• Pregnancy/Childbirth
• Miscarriages/Abortion
• Blood
• Mental illness and ableism
• Racism and racial slurs
• Sexism and misogyny
• Classism
• Hateful language directed at religious groups (e.g., Islamophobia, antisemitism)
• Transphobia and trans misogyny
• Homophobia and heterosexism

This is not an exhaustive list. As such, we remain responsive to the needs of our audiences, colleagues and associate artists.