Accessibility

We want to ensure that your visit and experience at the Festival is as enjoyable and as accessible as possible. Below is information regarding access at the Festival, which may be useful to your visit. We are committed to making the Festival more accessible and inclusive, and always welcome visitor feedback or comments about how we can improve your experience.

Our visitor survey at the end of each Festival period collects important information from our visitors about their experience of the Festival, including whether they felt that their access needs were met and how we can improve for the future. This information is fed back to the Festival team and informs how we plan and programme the Festival in future years.

We welcome any feedback or comments year round - to share your thoughts or experiences with the team, please contact:

Access at The Forum

Norwich Science Festival is presented by The Forum, an iconic building set in the heart of Norwich's city centre. The Forum is here for everyone, and has been designed and operates with accessibility in mind for all. The majority of Festival events, and The Explorium, take place at The Forum.

The building offers the following facilities:

• Accessible toilets and Changing Places

• Step-free access to all areas of the building, including The Auditorium and the Library Rooms

• Accessible parking in The Forum's car park

For more details regarding access at The Forum, please visit this page.

Essential Companions

Norwich Science Festival offers free Essential Companion tickets to all events that are booked directly with us, using our booking platform, Ticketsolve. For events that are booked directly with an external venue, the venue's policy applies.

An Essential Companion ticket is for those visitors who have access requirements and need a carer or companion to accompany them to support or facilitate their visit. Visitors must book one paid-for ticket, and then have the option to also book one free Essential Companion ticket. We do not ask for proof of eligibility.

If you are booking tickets directly with Norwich Science Festival, our booking platform Ticketsolve will also prompt you to enter any accessibility requirements during the checkout process if you wish.

You can also contact a member of the team to discuss access requirements at [email protected].

Accessible Events

Our programme of events include Relaxed Performances, which may be suitable for those who prefer a relaxed or quieter environment. Capacity for Relaxed Performances are smaller.

We also offer a range of SEND-friendly shows in the Explorer Dome, and events designed for SEND audiences in mind.

Check out our What's On to view SEND-friendly events at NSF26.

Lessons from the Edge with Aldo Kane (Sun 15 Feb), Food Noise with Dr Jack Mosley (Sat 21 Feb), and STEMM Careers: Opportunities in Science (Sat 21 Feb) will be live captioned.

Quiet Space - the Sunflower Snug

We understand that the Festival can be busy and overwhelming for some of our visitors. Open daily from 10am throughout the Festival (10.30am on Sundays), the Sunflower Snug is our accessible, quieter space on the top floor of the Millennium Library at The Forum. It's an ideal place for transitioning between activities, taking a calm break, or spending your visit in a more relaxed setting.

Staffed by trained team members, the Snug offers sensory and calming activities for all ages. You can also borrow ear defenders and fidget toys to use around the Festival.

Festival Team

Our staff and volunteers are always on hand to help and to support your visit. If you require assistance at any time during Norwich Science Festival, you can speak to the team at the Information Desk in The Explorium at The Forum, or speak to The Forum's Customer Services team at the Customer Services Desk on the ground floor.

We provide access training for our staff - including the Events Team and our Explainer Team - to enable them to better support our visitors to the Festival.