VISITING UKS
ACCESS NOTE

Welcome to UKS’ access note, where you can find more information about our accessibility, updated on 7 January 2023. We will periodically update this access note.

 

GETTING HERE

We are accessible by foot, car or public transport. The bus route 37 to Nydalen currently stops 5 metres from our door. Paid parking is available in the parking house on the corner of Bernhard Getz’ gate and Munchs gate, about 100 metres from UKS. Bicycles can be parked across the street by Trefoldighetskirken.

Visiting UKS is free and we do not require ID.

 

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

UKS is accessible by wheelchair. Our front entrance is one step above street level.

Because of the status of our listed building, we have a movable ramp which we can easily install. The front door is 180 cm wide. If you want to let us know about your arrival beforehand you can contact us via m.wistreich@uks.no or by phone: +47 920 34 848.

The exhibition space at UKS has multiple levels which are accessible by stairs and elevator. Because of the architectural layout of the building our upstairs office is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible but all audience-facing areas are.

 

CHILDREN AND PRAMS

Children are welcome at UKS and breastfeeding is allowed. We have a quiet space that locks, in which you will find a daybed. Strollers can be parked safely inside in our main entrance hall.

 

ANIMALS

Service animals are allowed. To protect people with allergies we ask that you leave your pets at home unless necessary.

 

TOILETS

We have one disabled bathroom with grab bars. The toilet is located on the lower level of the exhibition space and is accessible by elevator. The room measures approximately 3 x 2.5 metres.

We also have three single-stall, all-gender bathrooms with sit-down toilets on the first floor of our building. The largest bathroom measures approximately 2 x 1.5 metres and two are smaller, approximately 1 x 1.5 metres.

 

SOUND

Talking is allowed in the exhibition space. Our current exhibition, OPEN SYSTEMS, has loud sound played on speakers in three of five exhibition spaces.

Our main exhibition space is very spacious with some resonance.

 

LIGHT

The current exhibition has strong lighting in one enclosed room, which is lit by a 300-watt industrial growth light. The rest of the building is not strongly lit; in fact some rooms with projected video works are quite dark.

 

SCENT

We are not a scent-free institution. If you require a scent-free environment, please contact m.wistreich@uks.no before your visit and we will do our best to accommodate you.

One of the artworks in our current exhibition, Furrows (Or a stage for nightmares) by Miriam Hansen, includes three Brugmansia trees (Angel’s Trumpet) which produce a strong scent when flowering. The trees do not currently have flowers. The work is placed in a room which is kept at an elevated level of humidity and heat, around 20 degrees Celsius and 70% humidity.

 

TOUCH

The artworks in our current exhibition OPEN SYSTEMS are sturdy and can be touched. One work is made of 3-metre high glass plates and should not be leaned against.

One of the artworks in our current exhibition, Furrows (Or a stage for nightmares) includes three Brugmansia trees (Angel’s Trumpet) which are classified as poisonous plants and should not be touched.

 

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

We unfortunately do not currently have tactile ground surface indicators in our space. Our text material is printed on light paper in a size 12 font and is available both onsite and online. We are happy to help if you require assistance navigating our space or experiencing the exhibition.

 

QUIET SPACE

We have a small room with a curtained window and a door that locks. In the room you will find a daybed measuring 190 x 36 cm, a blanket and a pillow. The quiet space is open to both visitors and staff who need to withdraw.

 

KITCHEN

We have a kitchen that is used to prepare staff lunches and occasionally catering for visitors. We occasionally prepare meat, fish and shellfish, as well as using nuts and items containing gluten in the kitchen. Please let us know how we can accommodate your dietary requirements.

 

SEATING

Seating options at UKS include benches, folding chairs and stools but can vary depending on the exhibition. We will do our best to provide other seating if requested.

 

LANGUAGES

All our written information is produced in Norwegian and English. Parts of our website are also available in Sami. Our staff speaks Norwegian, English, Polish, Danish and French. If you need help to read the texts onsite, we are happy to help.

 

PARTICIPATING IN EVENTS

Events are usually spoken in English or Scandinavian languages. If you need specific interpretation, please let us know at least one week ahead of time and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Please contact us if you have specific language needs or would like to request Norsk Tegnspråk (NTS).

Many of our physical events are streamed online or documented and shared after editing. We do not currently include live captioning or transcripts for all our audiovisual productions but please do contact us if you would like this for a specific event.

If you need to move around, rest, twitch, pace or not make eye contact, know that you are welcome here.

Seating at events is usually folding chairs but other options can be made available if requested.

 

 

CONTACT

If you have any questions about access, UKS’ Director Miriam Wistreich can be contacted via email at m.wistreich@uks.no, or by phone or text message at +47 920 34 848. If we don’t know the answer, we will happily research and get back to you.

 

* Why is this here? Known as an ‘access note’, these details are increasingly being provided by arts organisations on their websites. Access notes traditionally reflect on limits to the built environment that may impede access for persons with disabilities. UKS feels it is important to look more broadly at access and, by sharing these details, we hope to start a dialogue on the effects of other structural limitations. We would like to hear from you if you have ideas about how UKS can be more accessible.