October Gallery rents out three rooms for private events in Bloomsbury, central London, from a reception for 150 standing guests to a meeting for a small team around a conference table. The gallery occupies a 19th-century Grade II listed building at 24 Old Gloucester Street, and every space has natural light and built-in audiovisual equipment.
Seminars and company events
The Club Room is the meeting space. It is a library-style room with a small conference table, stained glass windows, oriental carpets and leather armchairs, offered for meetings, presentations and film screenings. It can be booked from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm, Monday to Saturday. The room has no step-free access, and large meals and alcohol are not allowed in it.
The Theatre on the second floor suits presentations, film screenings, rehearsals, auditions and concerts. It measures 6 by 12 meters and holds 70 people in theatre layout or standing, 40 in classroom layout and 35 in cabaret layout. It has a wood floor, good acoustics, a Bechstein grand piano, and projection and sound equipment. Seating, tables and equipment are set up to match your event. Access is by stairs only, and the same Monday to Saturday hours apply.
The Gallery and Courtyard is the choice for receptions, book launches, annual parties, dinners and award presentations. Guests are welcome Monday to Saturday from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm, once the exhibition has closed for the day.
Rooms and capacities
The ground floor has two gallery rooms that open onto a courtyard garden. Gallery Room 1 measures 13.75 by 5 meters and takes 80 people in theatre layout or 30 in cabaret layout. Gallery Room 2 measures 11.6 by 5.6 meters and takes 60 in theatre layout or 35 in cabaret layout. The courtyard measures 13 by 9 meters and is open-air. Together, the gallery and courtyard hold up to 150 standing guests.
Wi-Fi covers the whole building. A PA system, microphones, flipcharts and a large screen can be added to a booking. Computers and laptops are not supplied, so bring your own for presentations.
Catering
The ground-floor gallery has an optional professional kitchen. It is reserved for professional caterers and must be hired to serve food or alcohol at an event. The in-house café can supply refreshments for daytime meetings, Tuesday to Friday between 9:00 am and 5:30 pm, with breaks served from the kitchenette upstairs. For evening events it can provide food: platters for groups of up to 50 guests, and waiters for larger groups or on request. You may also choose one of the outside caterers listed on the gallery website.
History and setting
The gallery was founded in 1979 and shows contemporary art from around the world, with artists such as El Anatsui, Rachid Koraïchi and Romuald Hazoumè. Events share the building with the exhibition program, which is why the gallery floor is available to guests from 6:30 pm. The building is closed on official holidays and for the whole of August.
Getting there
The gallery stands in the heart of Bloomsbury. Holborn and Russell Square Underground stations are a few minutes' walk away.
