Keeping our courses and events covid-secure

What are we doing?

Dartington Trust and its two learning faculties (Schumacher College and Dartington Arts School) always endeavour to provide a safe and supportive environment for all of our course participants and visitors. We continually respond to changes in government guidance relating to the pandemic and constantly review the support offered to all of our students, staff, and visitors to maintain a safe environment by using social distancing, robust cleaning, and encouraging hand washing and sanitising across the Estate.

our commitments to you

• Our Health & Safety Manager has conducted Trust-wide risk assessments.
• The Silver Covid Task Group meets weekly to review the maintenance of our learning environment and apply risk mitigations to ensure student safety.
• We will ensure we listen to any concerns that you may have.
• We will increase the frequency of our cleaning in student work spaces and communal areas.
• There are non-contact infrared thermometers, hand sanitiser, disinfectant spray and paper towels available in communal areas across the Estate.
• We regularly review Government guidance and other areas of best practice and update our risk assessments on a regular basis.

YOUR JOURNEY

Please follow UK guidance regarding travel and transportation.

TRAVEL & PARKING

For guidance on travelling to Dartington please see our Visitor Information page.

UPON ARRIVAL

Unless otherwise directed, please report the Welcome Centre upon arrival to the Estate. The Welcome Centre is located at Dartington Hall, under the archway, where the Guest Services team can help you. 

COVID-19 ASYMPTOMATIC ‘LFD’ TESTING

Test before you travel to the Dartington Trust Estate.  Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests are available free of charge via the NHS

You are asked to test again immediately upon arrival on the Estate and then again 3-4 days later. You should the test yourself twice weekly while you are with us.

Whatever your result, report it right away at gov.uk.

REPORTING A POSITIVE TEST RESULT

If you have a positive test result please tell us by calling the Covid reporting hotline 01803 847019 (8am-8pm) or by emailing us covid@dartington.org

Please follow NHS guidance and self-isolate immediately, and order and perform a PCR test within 48 hours – you can order yours online or by calling NHS 111.

WHY LFD TESTING IS IMPORTANT

This LFD testing programme is for the benefit and wellbeing of yourself, our learning community and the wider community.

About 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 do not have any symptoms.

Using lateral flow tests will enable us to identify infectious people who are asymptomatic, ensuring that they can isolate and prevent onwards infection. The test involves taking a swab of the inside of your nose, and for some test on the tonsils area. There will be instructions to show you what to do. Remember: no test is perfect. Sometimes they can give an incorrect result.

By identifying more people with the virus early, we can better mitigate the transmission of Covid-19 and help protect your friends and lecturers, allowing your learning to continue uninterrupted.

QUARANTINING IF TRAVELLING FROM OR TRANSITING THROUGH ANOTHER COUNTRY

Please refer directly to Government guidance on Test to Release for International Travel and How to Self-Isolate upon arrival to the UK as you may need to self-isolate for full 10 days before the start of your programme.

If you are traveling from or transiting through another country, countries are featured on either red, amber, green lists: check the rules for travel to England from abroad.

COVID-SAFE BEHAVIOUR

To help stop the spread of infections of Covid-19 in our community Dartington Trust will continue to maintain vigilance in the observance of the following rules:

• If you have Covid-19 symptoms or a positive test result, do not come to the estate.
• Wear a mask at all times in all indoor areas where 2m+ social distancing is not possible (medical, age and dining exemptions apply)
• Observe social distancing (1m+ with a mask, >2m ideally).
• Maintain hygiene measures such as handwashing and surface sanitisation.
• Continue to use the NHS Test & Trace app.
• Take a LFD test before arriving on the estate and twice weekly thereafter.
• Regularly check your temperature using the non-contact infrared thermometers located around the Estate.

SHOULD I WEAR A MASK?

We request that you bring your own masks to wear in public areas and indoor teaching spaces. Some elements of your course might involve being 1m plus rather than 2meters, for short periods, and if so or if you are travelling on a field trip in a minibus, taxi etc. you will be required to wear a mask.

FOOD & DRINK

• We will always use the current government hospitality guidelines and regulations at the time of your course.
• If numbers are such that we can’t maintain physical distancing in the dining area, participants will be split into groups with staggered meal times. Participants can eat outside weather permitting.
• Self-service of meals may not possible.
• If you wish to visit the Green Table café, The White Hart bar or other outlets during your time with us, please check our websitefor opening times and safety information.

TRAVEL & PARKING

For guidance on travelling to Dartington please see our Visitor Information page.

WHAT happens if i cannot attend because of covid

If you need to cancel you’ll be able to transfer to another course or be given credit.

my short course is cancelled or postponed?

If we need to cancel or postpone a short course, you’ll be able to transfer to another course or be given credit.

WHAT IF THE SITUATION CHANGES?

If you have any further questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to drop us a line at boxoffice@dartington.org.

latest guidance on covid restrictions

The safety of our staff and audiences are our priority. Therefore, when restrictions lift on 19 July we will still be working on a limited audience capacity for our concerts and using a socially distanced seating plan in the Barn Cinema.

Out of courtesy for others we do still ask our audiences to wear masks while getting to their seats and during performances/screenings.

Wearing a masks is about protecting others, and we want to look after our community, our audiences, our staff and our performers. Please help us by continuing to act responsibly, wear a mask, use hand sanitiser, and minimise close contact.

current measures in place

Welcoming you back to watch films together…in a safe space: we want everyone to feel as safe and relaxed as possible as we all venture out and get back to doing the activities we love best. With that in mind, The Barn has several safety measures to make you feel confident to come back to the big screen!

NHS test and trace app

We encourage visitors to ‘check in’ on arrival – look for the Test and Track poster and barcode. Details on the app can be found here.

Socially distanced seating

We have a new seating plan that allows for one meter+ between each customer booking. We have accounted for different numbers of booking groups (up to 4 people), so you can book a seat with friends and family. However, if you are having trouble finding a space that works for you please call our Box Office, open from 1- 8 Tue – Sun. If you are booking solo, please do feel free to book any of the seats allocated for two people (as long as one is not already booked).

We do ask our customers to respect the two-meter distancing advice and to leave the cinema by their closest exit and only when it is safe to do so at a two-meter distance from other customers.

A clean and fresh cinema

Keeping the Barn clean and fresh is our top priority. We have a (locally-made) hand sanitiser, which we ask our customers to use before they come into the cinema. We also have a salt-based disinfectant to spray down the seats after each performance. The Barn’s uses an air circulation system that takes fresh air from outside and circulates it into the cinema. To be doubly sure of fresh air flow between performances, we will leave the doors to the cinema open.

Face coverings in the cinema

We will ask our customers to respect the safety of our staff and their fellow film watchers and keep their masks on during the performance. If you believe you are exempt from wearing a mask, please do talk to our box office staff or front of house team who can make sure you are seated at a two-meter distance from the nearest customer.

We will be continually reviewing our policies and listening to new guidance and feed back throughout the duration of the pandemic.

Changes to ticket purchasing

We are currently not able to accept cash payments and encourage booking tickets online. This system will allow us to get customers through to the cinema faster and have any que outdoors, avoiding any crowds or congregation in our indoor foyer space. Do have your e-tickets ready on your phone or printed out so it can be scanned or checked by one of our front of house team. Dartington also have a brand new Welcome Center, on the opposite side of the archway to The Barn’s entrance, where our Box Office is now situated. You can buy tickets on the door there, but please make sure you can access your emails.

Our Team

We are delighted to be re-joined by our amazing team of volunteers who will be there to help and support you through your experience at The Barn, and who aim to make your visit as simple and relaxed as possible.

Program

With the film industry being very much thrown into flux by the pandemic we are not able to book films as far in advance as we would ordinarily. Due to this, and a desire to minimise points of contact, we will no longer be printing our program. We will continue to offer an online program and to display  information on posters in the local area. We are grateful for your understanding in this.