Our building & Hires
A modern building within a historic 19th Century exterior - this unique and spectacular space is suited to film production, conferences, and high-profile events, receptions, meetings, private parties, exhibitions, workshops, and rehearsals.
We offer the facilities of a modern cultural space, with great disabled access, within an iconic 19th Century exterior. The unique and spectacular Main Space provides a wonderful setting for aerial theatre, concerts, dance, and immersive live art. We are justly proud of our fully sprung dance floor. We also have a range of spaces for workshops, rehearsal, receptions, meetings, and private events; to gallery exhibitions, workshops and rehearsals and a beautiful chamber theatre with seating for up to 150.
We are located on the edge of the city centre, at the heart of Europe’s oldest Chinatown, and within walking distance of the shopping quarters and most of the City’s major institutions (cathedrals, universities, museums, galleries, theatres, concert halls). Road and rail access is excellent, and we are just 7 miles from John Lennon Airport.
A virtual tour of the Black-E building
For anyone who’s never been to The Black-E (or hasn’t been for years!), here’s our new virtual tour of the building… Our home and base – the former Great George Street Congregational Chapel. Please follow us on Facebook too.
Our Building Layout
Photo: The Main Space
Photo: A film shoot set up within the Main Space
Photo: A film shoot within the Main Space
Photo: Film shoot view from the balcony
Photo: Main Hall wedding setup
Photo: Wedding within the Main Hall
Photo: Main Space - Lower Balcony
The Main Space
The Main Space is made up of the Staging Floor (1st floor), Lower Balcony (2nd floor), and also the Upper Balcony (3rd floor).
The space is suited to large-scale events including events to be held in-the-round. Windows provide natural light while drawn curtains deliver a black-out. Triple glazing effectively eliminates the break-in and break-out of sound.
There is a height of approximately 9M to the grid, with some additional rigging points at a higher level for aerial work and truss suspension. There is a large theatrical lighting installation and excellent general-purpose sound installation fitted in this space.
- Photo: Main Space - Lower Balcony
- Photo: The Main Space
Main Space Balconies
The Lower Balcony is available for both standing audiences and for performers. It also provides excellent vantage points for photography and filming.
There are both 13A and 32A TP power supplies available in this area, and there is provision for data services in this space. There are rigging points and a fixed scaffolding pipe along the front of this balcony (unwired, but there is dimmed power on sockapex in the vicinity).
The third floor provides access to our second-level balcony and the sound and lighting store room. The balconies extend around all 4 sides of the Main Space.
Photo: Upper floor office | Rob Whelan
Photo: Upper floor office | Rob Whelan
4th Floor – Offices/Workrooms
The Roof – These 8 offices or workrooms are well suited to production office/media room type functions as well as providing for additional dressing rooms as required.
Each has good natural light from three velux windows.
Ground Floor
The Gallery
With a total hanging space of 84.66 metres in length and a minimum of 2.6m in height, the Gallery offers a range of interlinked exhibition spaces. The walls are a mixture of plasterboard and of brick, for displays in a variety of contexts and combinations. This space may also be used as a meeting room and as a foyer during events. The area as a whole may be adapted to serve buffet meals to delegates or audiences from the Main Space.
Photo: The Ground Floor Gallery
Photo: The Chamber Theatre | The Last Poets
Lower Ground Floor
The Chamber Theatre
This theatre space is suited to meetings, seminars, breakouts from conferences, and performances. The space seats around 120 people (layout dependent) on 3 rows of rake. There is limited natural light, with blackout available for performances. There is sound breakout from and into the adjoining Studio. There is also an underground railway which is occasionally audible in this space. This space does not have its own lantern stock or control gear, but this may usually be borrowed from the Main Space.
Click here to view the Black-E Lower Ground Floor floor plan.
Lower Ground Floor
The Studio
This space has a flat wooden floor and is suited to rehearsal and workshop use as well as to meetings, seminars, and breakouts from conferences. The space can also be adapted for performances that require a larger stage area than available in the Chamber Theatre when seating for around 120 people (layout dependent) can be accommodated. The space can also be adapted to include stalls for fairs. There is limited natural light, with blackout available when required. There is sound breakout from and into the adjoining Chamber Theatre.
Photo: The Studio | Kids soft play
Facilities Image Gallery
Photo: Main Space - Lower Balcony 
Photo: Performing in the Chamber Theatre | Tea Street Band 
Photo: Main Hall wedding setup 
Photo: The Last Poets in Chamber Theatre 
Photo: Wedding within the Main Hall 
Photo: Film shoot view from the balcony 
Photo: The Main Space used for a Social Event 
Photo: The Black-E Ground Floor Gallery 
Photo: Dancing in the Main Space 
Photo: Event seating in the Main Space 
Photo: Dancing in the Main Space 
Photo: Dinners seated for a lavish meal image sources
- the-black-e-main-space: The Main Space
- film-shoot-setup-cropped: A film shoot set up within the Main Space
- film-shoot-setting-the-stage-cropped: A film shoot within the Main Space
- film-shoot-view-from-balcony-cropped: Film shoot view from the balcony
- main-hall-wedding-setup-cropped: Main Hall wedding setup
- main-hall-wedding-setup-02-cropped: Wedding within the Main Hall
- black-e-main-space-lower-balcony: Main Space - Lower Balcony
- the-black-e-offices-01: Upper floor office | Rob Whelan
- the-black-e-offices-02: Upper floor office | Rob Whelan
- the-black-e-chamber-theatre-tea-street-band: Performing in the Chamber Theatre | Tea Street Band
- black-e-lower-ground-floor-theatre: The Last Poets in Chamber Theatre
- black-e-event-women-chatting: The Main Space used for a Social Event
- black-e-ground-floor-gallery: The Black-E Ground Floor Gallery
- the-black-e-party-event: Dancing in the Main Space
- the-black-e-main-space: Event seating in the Main Space
- the-black-e-party-event-dancing: Dancing in the Main Space
- the-black-e-inaugural-event: Dinners seated for a lavish meal