Parties and Functions

The Institute is an ideal venue for parties and functions. Why not use it to celebrate a birthday for young or old, have a disco, ceilidh or ballroom dance, hold a food or drink festival, afternoon tea or dinner dance? Whether small or large-scale, public or private, we would be delighted to host your event.

Celebrating 2012 with a tea party
Celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee
Embsay with Eastby Annual Village Show
Village art exhibition in the main hall
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The main hall provides excellent facilities for a party or function. During the day it is a light and airy space thanks to the floor to ceiling-height windows and modern, LED lighting (fitted in 2018). For a more intimate, party atmosphere, the heavy curtains can be drawn, the ambiance enhanced with coloured lighting that you may choose to bring.

We are more than happy for you to employ external entertainment providers, including DJs, entertainers, magicians and many more. The hall is fitted with numerous electrical sockets for their equipment. If they have any other requirements, please contact us at the time of booking the hall or before your event and we will do our best to help.

Catering for your event is no problem as you can use our modern, well-equiped kitchen at no extra charge (use of the kitchen should be indicated when booking; priority is given to users of the main hall). You are welcome to prepare your own food or use an external caterer.

The supper room can be a useful extra space for your event and is available to book along with the main hall for a small extra charge. For example, if you are catering for lots of people, it could be used as a food preparation or service area – with doors from the kitchen and into the hall, this space can help make your food service easy, quick and efficient. It could also make a pleasant ante-room to the main hall, perhaps as a quiet room for conversation, a bar area (subject to you obtaining the necessary alcohol licence and paying the Institute’s bar fee) or storage room.

There are 130 chairs – newly upholstered in 2018 – and tables of various sizes that may be used and are set up as required by our caretaker. To make your event even more special, you may choose to decorate the hall with balloons, streamers, flags and other personal touches. We will be happy to advise how these can be fixed in place without damaging the fabric of the Institute.

If you feel the Institute might be the right place for your party or function, we would love to hear from you. You can make a booking online, but would strongly advise you to contact us to discuss your event if you have particular requirements.