Your visit to the Barber: Frequently Asked Questions
Your visit:
No. Unfortunately, our galleries - including the main galleries that house our permanent collection, our print bays that show works on paper; our coin gallery and Lady Barber exhibition gallery - are all currently closed (as of 2 October 2023) to enable us to carry out essential building work.
When our galleries reopen, self-guided groups of up to 30 people will be welcome. We are not currently offering paid-for guided tours; however, our team can offer you and your group a 15-minute gallery introduction.
Self-guided visits are free, but please book these in advance. Contact us at learning@barber.org.uk.
If you are a local community or healthcare organisation, please look at our Community Engagement page and contact us at learning@barber.org.uk
If you are a school group please look at our School Visits page and fill in the embedded enquiry form.
The galleries are due to open in summer 2024. We'll publish a more exact re-opening date as soon as we can.
The Barber is on the campus of the University of Birmingham, which is served by its own railway station, University station, two stops from Birmingham New Street, and close to bus routes 1A, 61, 63, X20, X21 and X22. Parking (payable) is available every day at the University of Birmingham’s multi-storey (no lift) Northeast Car Park at Pritchatts Road.
Visitors may park for free on campus on Saturdays and Sundays only. Blue Badge holders can park on campus every day and in any available space providing the Blue Badge is clearly displayed. There are parking bays in front of the Barber, but these cannot be pre-booked.
Cloakroom, Toilets, Visitor Facilities:
There are no supervised secure cloakroom facilities. Coats may be left on the hooks available in the foyer at visitors’ own risk. If you wish to leave a buggy, please speak to a Visitor Assistant, who will be happy to assist you. Please travel light for your visit.
Yes. Male and female public toilets are available on the ground floor, and an all-gender accessible toilet is available on the first-floor gallery level. Please speak to a member of our Visitor Services team for access.
Yes. We have a baby-changing facility in our ground-floor women's toilets and in our all-gender accessible toilet at first-floor gallery level. Please speak to a member of our Visitor Services team for access.
The main entrance to the Barber is accessed by a flight of 13 shallow steps with a central hand rail. Level access is available. Please help our team to help you by letting them know if you require level access by calling 0121 414 7333 or emailing reception@barber.org.uk before your visit.
The Barber lift operates between all floors giving access to the shop and toilets (ground floor) and an accessible toilet (first floor). The lift is available by request for those visitors who require it, including wheelchair-users, visitors with additional mobility requirements or with buggies. Please ask a member of the Visitor Services team, who will be happy to help.
For our full Access Guide please see our AccessAble listing.
Yes. You can buy teas, coffee, cold drinks and snacks. We accept contactless payments only. Tables in the foyer are provided for visitors who have purchased refreshments from our shop. Water is also provided for visitors; please bring your own bottle or ask a Visitor Assistant for a disposable paper cup.
Yes, the Barber shop sells a selection of catalogues, books, greetings cards and postcards. We accept contactless and cash payments. You can also buy a souvenir of your visit online via our ART UK online store.
Yes please! We have two contactless donation points in the building to ensure donations to the Barber can be made safely and conveniently. You can also donate online or make a cash donation if you prefer. Your donations help us to share the collections, supporting our Learning and Engagement programme and our internship scheme.
The galleries are currently closed, however, a few works of art and and historic artefacts are on display in our foyer.
Also, we hope you enjoy looking at the Grade-1 listed architecture of the Barber, and its elegant Art-Deco interiors - particularly our travertine-lined foyer.
Workshops, Events and Learning:
We are not currently organising any workshops or activities on site at this stage of the closure (2 October 2023 - summer 2024). However, in case this changes, please check the website's onsite and online events programme regularly. Advance booking is essential for all events.
Join our Mailing List to stay up to date with all future events.
The Learning and Engagement team has developed our Barber Schools programme. As part of our core programme, when the galleries are open, we offer secondary-school groups (KS3 and above) free self-guided visits and gallery tours, both of which are supported by downloadable resources for teachers.
We do not currently offer creative workshops or visits for under KS3.
Please explore our Barber Schools webpages to find out more.
The Barber Concert Hall is currently closed as the auditorium is unventilated, but Barber Lunchtime and Evening concerts continue to take place at our nearby venue on campus, the Elgar Concert Hall in the Bramall Music Building.
No. Our Prints and Drawings Study Room is currently closed until further notice (as of 2 October 2023) to enable essential building improvement work to take place.
No. Our Coin Study Room is closed as of 2 October 2023 until further notice to enable essential building improvement work to take place.
The Barber is home to the University of Birmingham’s Department of Art History, Curating and Visual Studies, ranked number 2 in the UK. Teaching takes place in the Barber building Monday to Friday (in the galleries, lecture theatre and various teaching spaces).
There is a wealth of information on our collection online. You can listen to our Online Talks, delving into individual artworks from the collection, or particular themes. Or, check out Barber Home – a digital initiative set up during the pandemic and includes online talks, workshops and resources.
Health and Safety Precautions:
No. However, we ask you to respect the personal space of other visitors.
Public washrooms are available for you to wash your hands.
The Barber is cleaned daily prior to opening.
The ground floor has no mechanical air-handling; ventilation is provided by open windows. When the weather allows, the main doors to the Barber are kept open, as well as the windows, to ensure fresh airflow.
Covid-specific Risk Assessments are no longer required for University of Birmingham buildings but the Barber’s operational approach follows ALVA recommendations and was approved by Visit Britain’s Good to Go industry standard. Our General Emergency Evacuation Plan (GEEP) can be found here.