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The Usher Hall, Edinburgh *ARCHIVE*

From To Details
 09.00
10.30 
Registration, Robing and Photography are open:
Registration: Usher Hall, Entrance Foyer
Robing:  Usher Hall, Upper Circle Foyer
Photography: Lyceum Theatre, 15-17 Grindlay
Street (next door to the Usher Hall)
 
 10.00
 10.45
Auditorium doors are open:
Graduates and guests admitted to the auditorium
All graduates and guests to be seated in the
auditorium by 10:45
 10.30
 11.00
Musical performance
 11.00
 12.30
Ceremony takes place
 12.30
 17.30
Robes to be returned to the Upper Circle Foyer
 
This page was last updated 03.10.16.  This is the FINAL VERSION.

On the day

Arrival and registration

On the day of the ceremony, the doors to the Usher Hall will be opened at 09.00 (they will not open before 09.00).  You are advised to arrive no later than 10.00 to allow sufficient time to register, collect your robe (if you have ordered one) and to visit the photographers.  Please note that there are limited waiting areas in the Usher Hall.  The auditorium doors will open at 10.00 for all graduates and guests to be seated by 10.45.
 
Registration will take place in a foyer at the front entrance of the Usher Hall.  Please register on arrival to collect your seat ticket, presentation card, complimentary drink voucher and your guest tickets. The complimentary drink voucher (for tea, coffee, orange juice or water) is valid from 09.00 to 10.30.
 
Please note to avoid congestion, only graduates are allowed in the registration and robing areas, with an exception for graduates with additional requirements who need to be accompanied by a guest.
 

Robing

The official robe hire company is Ede and Ravenscroft Ltd. Mortar boards can be worn for your official photographs, but may not be worn during your presentation. 
 
If you have not yet ordered your academic dress and wish to do so, please visit  www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1223 861854 no later than 10 days before the ceremony.  Details of gowns can be found under Important information.

After registration, you will be directed to the cloakroom and then up to the robing area. Robes will be available from the Upper Circle Foyer from 09.00 until 10.30. Guests are not permitted in the robing area.

Between 15.30-17.00, while the afternoon ceremony is taking place, please keep noise to a minimum as you move around the venue, as sound can travel into the auditorium.
 
Please return your robes to this area no later than 17.30.  

The ceremony

The doors to the auditorium will be opened at 10.00.  We ask that everyone should be seated no later than 10.45.  A programme of ceremonial music will take place between 10.30 - 11.00.

Graduates are seated in a separate section of the hall from guests.  It is important that graduates sit in their own allocated seat as seat numbers are allocated in the order of the on-stage presentation.  Further information about the on-stage presentation is provided under About the ceremony.

Please note that prams and pushchairs are not permitted in the auditorium, as aisles need to be kept clear for fire safety. On the Stall (ground) level, they can be stored in Foyer 3, and on the Grand Circle (first floor) level, they can be stored at the far end of the corridor, next to the Cambridge Bar. Belongings are left at patrons' own risk.

Pronunciation

If your name has an unusual pronunciation that you would like to clarify for your on-stage presentation, please contact the Student Support Team on +44 (0) 131 226 3851 or Scotland-support@open.ac.uk as soon as possible, to ensure that the Graduate Presenter pronounces your name correctly.
 

Newspaper Listings


Your name will not be included in the newspaper lists if you do not contact us to be included.

If you wish for your name and qualification to be listed in The Scotsman and The Herald newspapers on the day of the ceremony, please inform the Strategy & External Affairs Team at The OU in Scotland, by emailing Scotland-External-Affairs@open.ac.uk by Friday 7 October 2016.
 
Please note:  The newspapers will list the qualification, but not the classification.  If you choose to be included in the newspaper list, your title and middle names will be included as standard and without exception, as this is the standard formatting required by the newspapers e.g. Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature - Mr Joseph John Bloggs.

Photography

The official photographers are Ede and Ravenscroft Photography Ltd. The photographers will be available from 09.00 until 17.30 at The Lyceum Theatre, 15-17 Grindlay Street, Edinburgh EH3 9XP.  This venue is next door to the Usher Hall.  University staff will be available to help guide you between venues.
 
It is unavoidable that during peak time of 12.30 to 15.30, photography queues may lengthen to outside of the Lyceum Theatre building.

There will be photography sales desks in the middle foyer of the Usher Hall and in the Lyceum Theatre.  Details of the service provided by Ede and Ravenscroft Photography Ltd can be found under Important information

As you will need to queue on the day to have your photograph taken, to avoid having to queue at one of the sales desks too, we advise pre-paying for photographs.  When ordering your gown online at http://www.edeandravenscroft.com/ you will be able to pre-pay for photos at the same time.  Pre-payments for photos can also be added to existing gown orders online, or you can pre-pay for photographs without a gown by calling Ede & Ravenscroft on +44(0)1223 861 854.

A photograph will be taken of you when you cross the stage during your presentation.  This photograph can be viewed and purchased online at www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk about 7-10 days after the ceremony.  Your password to access the images will be sent to you prior to the ceremony.  In the unlikely event that you do not want your photograph to be displayed please email awards@graduation-services.co.uk who will arrange to remove your image from the website.

There will be flash photography throughout the ceremony.  If you have any concerns, please contact the Student Support Team at the OU in Scotland office on +44 (0) 131 226 3851 or Scotland-support@open.ac.uk

The use of hand held video recording equipment is permitted, however, these must be operated from your seat, as aisles must be kept clear at all times.  Please be mindful of other guests and avoid causing unnecessary disturbances while operating such equipment.

The ceremony will be filmed.  If you do not wish to appear in the film, please advise a member of staff at the registration desk on the day of the ceremony.  It will be available on YouTube approximately five days after the ceremony.

Additional Photography Sessions

The University's official photographers, Ede and Ravenscroft, will be offering graduates the opportunity to have graduation photographs taken outside of your degree ceremony day.  You may want to choose this option if you wish to avoid queues on the day; to have more time for lunch on the day; if you or your guests are attending in wheelchairs or have other problems with mobility; or if you wish to bring together a larger group than would be possible on ceremony day.

Details of the session for this ceremony are available under Photography Sessions.  If you plan to attend the session, please inform the Student Support Team on +44(0)131 226 3851 or Scotland-support@open.ac.uk.

Facilities

Refreshments

The Usher Hall has four bars: on the Stalls (ground level), there is the Stalls Bar, Foyer 3 Bar and Box Office Cafe Bar; and on the Grand Circle (first floor) level there is the Cambridge Bar. They will all be open between 09.00-10.30.  The Box Office and Foyer 3 bars are wheelchair accessible.  The Box Office area will be very busy, so please visit one of the other bars if you are able to do so.

A complimentary drink will be provided on the day, so the envelopes graduates collect at registration will contain one voucher per graduate and guest seat ticket. The complementary drink voucher can be redeemed for a cup of tea or coffee, or a bottle of organge juice or water, in the Usher Hall bars between 09.00-10.30.

There are also many cafes and restaurants within easy reach of the Usher Hall.

Accessibility

The Usher Hall is accessible for anyone with mobility difficulties via the Box Office and first Foyer Areas and within the hall there is lift access to all levels.  As there will be around 3,000 graduates and guests attending on the day, to avoid congestion, we would encourage only those with mobility difficulties to use the lifts.

The platform has steps but is accessible to graduates with mobility difficulties via a back-stage lift to platform level, so all graduates will have an on-stage presentation.

If you or your guests are attending in wheelchairs, have problems with mobility or any other additional requirements, of which we are unaware, please contact the Student Support Team at the OU in Scotland office (+44 (0) 131 226 3851, Scotland-support@open.ac.uk) to discuss any special arrangements you might require.

The Main Auditorium is fitted with an induction loop for the benefit of those with hearing difficulties, with optimum use in certain parts of the hall.

Venue information

Contacts

Please note, all information about this ceremony will be sent via e-mail. If we do not hold an e-mail address on file for you this mailing will be posted. Should you have any general enquiries regarding the arrangements for the ceremony please contact the Ceremonies Team on +44 (0) 131 2263851; email: Scotland-Ceremonies@open.ac.uk

Address

The Usher Hall
Lothian Road
Edinburgh
EH1 2EA

Telephone number
+44 (0) 131 228 8616

Website

www.usherhall.co.uk

On the day contacts

Any urgent messages on the day may be passed on to the organisers via the Usher Hall on +44 (0) 131 228 8616.

The location

Edinburgh

Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh has a distinct character. From the iconic castle at the top of the Royal Mile in the Old Town to the beautiful Georgian avenues of the New Town, Edinburgh is a city of contrasts blending a wonderful variety of history, culture and adventure.

Listed as a World Heritage Site in 1995, Edinburgh is world-renowned for its rich architectural heritage, but also offers a diverse range of galleries, museums, shops, restaurants and theatres making it one of the world's most desirable destinations to work, study or simply enjoy a weekend visit.

The Usher Hall

The Usher Hall opened in 1914 and is owned by the City of Edinburgh Council. A major refurbishment was completed in February 2010 and facilities include a new wing and function suites suitable for corporate hospitality.

The Usher Hall is a main venue for the Edinburgh International Festival and is Edinburgh's home for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

The original 1914 organ is still in use today and will be used during our Degree Ceremony.

Overnight stay

The Edinburgh area makes an ideal place to stay for a few days as part of your ceremony celebrations. For tourist and other information about Edinburgh visit the tourist websites:

http://www.visitscotland.com and http://www.edinburgh.org/

Getting there:

By car

An NCP car park is located behind the Usher Hall at Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1 2EL, UK (http://www.ncp.co.uk/find-a-car-park#Castle Terrace). Disabled parking is available on Grindlay Street and Cambridge Street.

By train

Edinburgh has two railway stations, Waverley and Haymarket, both within a 15 minute walk of the Usher Hall. For timetables visit: www.trainline.co.uk or call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.

By bus/coach

Buses 1, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 24, 34 and 36 all stop outside the Usher Hall on Lothian Road. Many other bus routes are only a short walk away.

Facilities

Cloakroom

Cloakroom facilities are available. Graduates will be directed to their cloakroom at registration and guests can use the cloakroom in the Café Bar area and basement. Please note that the University is unable to accept responsibility for the loss of any articles left on the coat racks or in other public spaces.

Toilets

The Usher Hall has toilets (including disabled toilets) on all levels of the venue.

First Aid

The Usher Hall provides trained first aiders who will be in attendance throughout the event.

Children

Although it's natural for graduates to wish all their family to be in attendance at the celebration of their academic success, a degree ceremony is quite lengthy and can be rather boring for small children.  If you do decide to bring young children, we ask that out of consideration to other guests, you remove them from the hall should they become restless during the speeches.