Auditorium is an end-stage theatre designed primarily for drama, with a broad proscenium and a full fly system housed in the high fly tower above the stage. The auditorium seats 500: above the raked stalls, the circle and upper circle balconies are stepped downwards at each side as open boxes looking towards the stage. There are nine wheelchair spaces. Internal finishes include perforated metal panels in front of the balconies to deflect sound back to the stage, the side walls are finished to reflect sound without causing echoes. The Studio Theatre is designed as a black box theatre and fitted with retractable seating which can be arranged in various configurations, seating up to 128 people. There are six wheelchair spaces. The Gallery Suite provides multifunction meeting, rehearsal and functions rooms, which can be combined into one large space, and all have full height windows looking out to the view over the Clyde. The Bar + Kitchen is open Monday – Saturday 9am to 5pm as a café, with meals at lunch time. On show nights it serves pre-theatre meals, and acts as a bar and café at intervals. The Beacon has a secure fenced yard providing parking space which can be used by outside broadcasting units for televised events or digital recording of performances. Cable portholes enable direct connection into the communications and control systems of the two theatres. Activities From the outset, the Arts Guild has promoted and encouraged public participation in arts activities. The BBC Domesday Project for 1986 noted that the Arts Guild Theatre building had multiple uses. It featured both amateur and professional drama, with an annual Greenock Academy school opera production, generally a Savoy opera, and a Christmas pantomime. There were also dance classes, elocution lessons, and classes in music and chess. The various rooms were actively used in evenings, and provided a venue for local clubs and societies to hold meetings. The Beacon Arts Centre puts on a wide range of performances, including national companies such as Scottish Opera and National Theatre of Scotland, classical chamber music, rock concerts, community musicals, and amateur theatre and dance. It also has an exhibition programme, and puts on classes and courses. Beacon Youth Theatre provides weekly workshop sessions led by professional specialist tutors for various age groups, between 5 and 21 years old, to gain acting and performance skills, learn about drama production, and put together original