Ludlow Assembly Rooms

The vision of LAR is to be a leading rural arts, entertainment and community centre, renowned for its diverse and stimulating programme, friendly atmosphere and accessibility to all.

The buildings which opened on 31st May 1993 were the upper floors of the former Assembly Rooms and Museum building, now linked by a multi-storey infill block to accommodate a ticker office, resteraunts, main staircase and lift.

The main auditorium (the former ballroom) has seating for 291 people, and is used for cinema, theatre, music and talks. The balcony has been retained at one end and a stage at the other. A lottery grant in 1996 allowed the conversion of the upper storey of the former museum building into two floors. The lower floor was called OSCARS (after the 1980's action group) and has room for 200 people. It is used for dinners, lectures, discos, parties etc. The upper floor known as 'The Studio' is a similar space and is used for workshops, dance and exhibitions.

In the years that have passed since the Assemby Rooms opened its doors in 1993, the vnue has played host to an extraordinary diverse programme of creative events. As the only arts and entertainment centre in a large rural area, the key challenge is to offer a programme that has something for everyone.

Whether it be live music, dance, film, theatre, comedy, club nights, exhibitions, talks or workshops the programme ethos is underpinned by a desire for high quality and cultural diversity, striving for the right balance of challenging and contemporary arts events mixed with crowd pulling old favourites. At the Assembly Rooms, an evening of live experimental hip-hop is valued as highly as a performance by an orchestra.

With the invaluable help of our volunteers, support from the Friends and local businesses, audience numbers has grown steadily throughout the years pulling in annual visitor numbers in excess of 140,000 in 2002. Box office figures show that approxmately 60% of audiences come from Shropshire, 15% from Hereford,and the rest from Worcester, Wales and further afield.

Since Ludlow was designated as a Heritage Centre and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty people come from all over the world for walks, food and sightseeing whilst also being able to take advantage of events at the Assembly Rooms.

www.ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk