FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If I’m unwell on the day of my screening, what should I do?
If you have coronavirus symptoms, or anyone in your household has had any symptoms in the last 14 days, please don’t come to Phoenix. If you’ve booked tickets in advance and can no longer attend because you’re self-isolating, you’ll be able to get a credit note or a refund – contact Box Office by emailing hello@phoenix.org.uk and we’ll get in touch with you to arrange this.

 

What changes have you made to your cinema screens?
We’ve reduced the number of seats available in our cinemas and are allocating seats when you book online or at Box Office to ensure there is safe social distancing between groups in our screens.

 

How are the cinemas cleaned?
Both cinemas are thoroughly cleaned every morning and after each screening, with particular attention on high-touch areas such as door handles, armrests, handrails, etc. We’ve also made adjustments to our ventilation system to increase fresh air levels where possible.

 

Can I still come to Phoenix with a group of people?
In line with the new law restricting group sizes to a maximum of 6, we won’t be able to take bookings above 6 people, all of whom must be from the same household or support bubble. The term support bubble is defined by the government as “a close support network between a household with only one adult in the home (known as a single-adult household) and one other household of any size. Once you make a support bubble, you should not change who is in your bubble.”

 

Can I still take snacks and drinks into the cinema with me?
Yes, you can buy drinks and snacks to consume in the screens at the foyer kiosk, as usual. Please replace your mask when you have finished eating and drinking. You can take your drinks from the Café Bar through to the screens, but please note that current restrictions mean that only table service is allowed in the Café Bar and customers are not permitted to queue at the bar.

 

Why is there now an admin charge when I buy my ticket?
We have had to make a lot of changes to ensure the safety of our customers and staff, so we have introduced a small charge to help us cover the extra costs of operating Phoenix at this time. Ticket prices themselves will be the same for many customers, and in some cases a little lower than before. MyPhoenix Members and Friends tickets are exempt from the admin charge.

 

Will you still produce your monthly brochure?
We won’t start producing our monthly brochure again until January 2021, so the easiest way to receive programme information is to subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter. Every Tuesday you’ll be sent our cinema listings plus information about our courses, art programme and special events. You’ll also be able to download weekly listings from our website, and we will have copies of the weekly listings available in the venue too.

 

Are you still offering Film & Dine, Lazy Sundays, Midweek Matinees and other special offers?
Due to restrictions in capacity and resource, we won’t be running Film & Dine, Lazy Sundays, Midweek Matinees, MyPhoenix Mondays or MyPhoenix Passport for the time being. We are focusing on a simplified offer when we reopen, but we will keep these offers under review in the hope that we can reintroduce them in the future.

 

Will film notes still be available?
To keep touch points to a minimum we won’t be producing films notes for the time being.

 

What if I need to use the toilets?
Our toilet facilities include an accessible toilet and a Changes Places facility. All our toilets are cleaned thoroughly throughout the day, and we ask that you wear a face covering and keep apart from others as much as possible. There are floor markers indicating where to queue. If it is busy and we need to ask people to wait elsewhere until the queue clears, please cooperate with staff and be respectful of others.

 

Can I go to the Café Bar after the film?
Yes, our Café Bar will be open throughout the day. We encourage you to book your table in advance – you can do this by calling Box Office or via our new online form. Table reservations are for a 2 hour time slot, and should be made at least 3 hours in advance. We’ll hold tables for 15 minutes – if you haven’t arrived after 15 minutes we will release it. If you haven’t booked, just speak to a members of staff to see if there is walk-up availability on the day.

 

Will I still order my food and drink at the bar, like before?
No, we’re now offering table service in the Café Bar. Please speak to staff on arrival to be seated; consider booking a table in advance as space is limited.  You’ll be able to order your food and drink via your phone, laptop or tablet – we’ll give you the website address to use for this when you’re at your table. There is free WiFi in our Café Bar. We will also have staff members taking orders from the table if you prefer to order that way.

 

Do I need to wear a face covering?
You need to wear a face covering throughout your visit, in line with government guidelines. Face coverings can be removed to eat or drink in the cinema screens, but should be replaced when you have finished your snacks or drinks. You do not need to wear a face covering when when you are sitting at a table in the Café Bar.

 

Are families welcome?
Yes, families are always welcome at Phoenix, including in the Café Bar. To ensure everyone’s safety, we ask that children remain seated and that they are accompanied to the toilet by an adult.

 

Will you still be offering short courses in the venue?
For the time being we will continue to run most of short courses online, via Zoom, but we are planning to bring our regular Talking Pictures course back to the venue in November. Please check the website for up to date information.

 

My gift vouchers expired while Phoenix was closed. Will you still accept them?
We realise that you haven’t been able to use your Phoenix gift vouchers while we’ve been closed, so we’ll accept expired gift vouchers and complimentary vouchers dated 18.3.20 – 31.12.20 until 31 March 2021.

 

I bought some gift vouchers and/or a membership while you were closed. When will I get the vouchers/membership card?
Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be posting out all the gift vouchers and membership cards that were purchased over the summer. Everything we need to do this task is in the venue, so with only a handful of staff working (from home) throughout lockdown it wasn’t possible for us to do this any sooner. But you should all receive your vouchers/membership cards within the next fortnight.