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It's been too long...QFT reopens Friday 7 August

21 July 2020

We’re so excited to be opening again on Friday 7 August. It’s been almost 5 months since we closed. Five long months. But we’re back, well, almost! Here's the lowdown on the new normal at QFT.

QFT reopening

If you’ve joined one of our membership schemes, keep an eye on your inbox for programme announcements. If you’re not, now is a brilliant time to join. QFT Community is completely free to join, as is LUMI if you’re 26 or under.

We’ve been taking our time over the past weeks to plan how to reopen in a way that reduces risks for our staff and our customers. Your wellbeing remains our number one priority. Tied, of course, with brilliant films.

Reducing the risk of COVID-19 at QFT is a team effort, so we wanted to outline what we’re doing to make QFT a reduce risks in the current pandemic, and what you can do to help us achieve that.

Here’s what we're doing to welcome you back

Social distancing

We’ve carried out a full assessment of our space and will be implementing various measures to ensure there is a safe distance between household groups in the cinema. This includes floor markings, new queuing systems, and a new dynamic form of allocated seating.

Reduced capacity

We have reduced the capacity within our screens, blocking off every other row, and installed a new dynamic form of allocated seating that will block out three seats to each side of a booking. 

Staggered screening times

We’ll be staggering our screening times to ensure people can exit and enter the cinema without any build up of traffic in the cinema at any one time. This will also provide more time for thorough cleaning between screenings.

Hand sanitising stations

We’ve installed new hand sanitising stations in the cinema for our staff and customers.

Enhanced cleaning regime

We’re increasing our cleaning regime to ensure high touch points are regularly disinfected. We've extended the break between films in order to ensure the screens are clean thoroughly after each screening.

Staff practising good hand hygiene

In addition to our hand sanitising stations staff will also be mindful of practising good hand hygiene; washing their hands for at least 20 seconds in accordance with advice from the Public Health Authority.

Staff will be provided with PPE where deemed necessary in accordance with PHA guidelines, or as requested by individual staff members.

Here’s what you can do to help us out

Book online in advance

We are recommending everyone book online. Our capacities are much reduced so booking online should help prevent disappointment and will help us know full capacities in the cinema and allow us to participate in the NHS Test and Track scheme. You can still book in person at the cinema but lots of our screenings are selling out. 

Pay using card or gift card in our venue

We won’t be accepting cash payments during our initial opening period. Please pay using credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or with a QFT gift card.

Don't come if you're unwell

If you’re experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, please do not come to the cinema. We will be able to refund you if you contact us 48 hours prior to your screening, or we will be able to offer you an exchange beyond that point.

Follow social distancing guidelines

Please respect the social distancing measures we put in place throughout the cinema.

Practise good hand hygiene

Please make use of our hand sanitising stations and make sure to regularly wash your hands for at least 20 seconds in accordance with PHA guidelines.

We'll be reviewing our measures on a weekly basis to make sure we're responding to the best public health advice as well as our customers' needs. We will notify customers of any major changes.

The best way to keep up-to-date with our plans is to become a member, whether that’s a free QFT Community or LUMI membership or our classic QFT Member package.

If you have any questions, please check out our Re-opening FAQs or contact us on qftmanager@qub.ac.uk.