The Gala Big Band
If you’re a musician from County Durham with a passion for swing, Gala may be the home in Durham you’ve been looking for. Gala Big Band is a community band made up a diverse range of Durham based amateur and semi-pro musicians. Launched as part of BRASS 2014, the band is quickly becoming a permanent feature at Gala Theatre. Rehearsing and performing throughout the year the band also performs public concerts, both at Gala Theatre and elsewhere in the local area. Rehearsals take place in the Gala Studio every other Tuesday from 7.00pm to 9pm during term times. If you’d like to come along get in touch with us on The Gala Big Band.
Be part of our Digs List
Do you live in Durham? Do you like meeting new people?
Do you have a spare room that you would like to earn a bit of money out of?
Gala Theatre are looking to add to their digs list. The shows we produce and present at our theatre all have people attached who need places to stay; performers, stage management teams or other creatives like directors, choreographers and designers. These people are given a touring allowance by the companies they work for and they will pay around £20 a night, or £100 a week for a room. This income is tax free up to £7,500 a year. The digs list is a document sent out, on request, by the admin department at Gala to anyone who requests it. It has a list of rooms that people can choose from, with info about what is included and contact details. Arrangements are then made between host and booker directly.
The room should be private, clean and warm. Rooms with private bathrooms will always be most popular, but it isn’t a necessity. It is usual for guests to be allowed access to the kitchen and laundry facilities, but they don’t usually expect you to provide food. A shelf in a cupboard and room in the fridge for their groceries is usually the extent of it! The important thing is that you are up front an honest about what you are offering and about what you will expect of people; so if you have pets that should be stipulated, and if you only want non-smokers then you should state that etc.
If you would like to be added to our digs list then you can contact Rory Stuart (Arts Programme Assistant) for a registration form. We also encourage people to list their rooms on theatredigsbooker.com (although please note that this is not managed by Gala).
