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Lowell Lecture Hall Application Information

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION.   

LOWELL HALL USE

Lowell Lecture Hall is a FAS classroom Monday through Friday, 8am to 3pm, scheduled by the FAS Registrar’s Office.

At other times, Lowell Lecture Hall is managed by the Office for the Arts at Harvard. Standing rehearsals, both faculty-conducted and student-led, are scheduled Monday though Thursday afternoons and evenings, Saturday mornings and all day Sunday. Rehearsals are occasionally scheduled for Friday afternoons. Standing rehearsals are generally not moved.

Events are scheduled Fridays and Saturdays during term time. In most cases, space access for Friday events will begin at 6pm, Saturday events at 12pm. On selected dates, access may be another time which will be indicated on the application form.

Food and drink are not allowed in Lowell Lecture Hall. The space is not suitable for banquets or receptions. Bottled water is allowed in the five basement classrooms. These rooms will be scheduled along with the hall reservation in order to support the event as dressing rooms or warm up space.

EVENT CRITERIA

As part of its mission, the Office for the Arts strives to elevate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as core values across all art disciplines and endeavors. Applications will be reviewed with this core value in mind. This may mean a shift in the scheduling of events that student groups have grown accustomed to over the years.

Only officially recognized FAS student organizations may request event dates in Lowell Lecture Hall. Harvard College groups will be given priority over GSAS groups. We are not currently accepting applications from non-FAS schools.

The event must be appropriate for the venue and the production scope must be feasible. Events requiring numerous rehearsals, major technical support and/or complex set up is not appropriate. Tech weeks are not available. 

  • During the week of your event, you will have one assigned 2-3 hour tech rehearsal.
  • Up to an additional 4 hours of rehearsal time within two weeks of your show may be scheduled. This time must be requested and will be given based on availability. 
  • On the day of your show you are allotted access 6:00pm-midnight for Friday events and 12:00pm-midnight for Saturday events. This time is inclusive of set up and break down of equipment.

All activity in Lowell Hall must end by 11:45pm so that your group can vacate the building by midnight.

Event timelines are now required to assess the viability of events.

For Friday event dates, access granted 6pm – 12am. (1 show only starting no earlier than 8:00pm)
For Saturday event dates, access granted 12pm – 12am. (1 show assumed, 2 shows possible with approval)

One Show Timeline example: Event Timeline Info Sheet (1 show) — Two Show Timeline Example: Event Timeline Info Sheet (2 shows)

If your event requires more rehearsal or access time, you will need to consider other venues.

Contact Memorial Hall’s Administrative Office if you have questions about these issues before applying for an event date.

SCHEDULING CONSIDERATIONS

  • Faculty-conducted groups presenting student group performances may be given scheduling priority. (see note below)
  • Performance groups have scheduling priority over non-performance groups.
  • Performance events involving Harvard student performers have scheduling priority over performance events involving non-Harvard or non-student performers.
  • Applications for non-performance events will be reviewed after all others.
  • GSAS student group applications will be considered after all undergraduate student group applications are reviewed. 

Note: In an effort to support a broad scope of student activities, a student organization’s traditional access to other campus venues (i.e. Sanders Theatre, Paine Hall) may be a consideration during terms when the number of Lowell Hall event requests exceeds the available performance dates. In other words, a group with a performance scheduled in Sanders Theatre during a particular semester may not receive priority scheduling for Lowell Hall.

Applications will be reviewed after the deadline posted. A particular date scheduled one year does not insure the same date will be available or granted to the same group the following year. The aim is to support as many student groups as possible.

Recognized student organizations may request a Lowell Hall event date for one Friday or one Saturday per semester.

Lowell Hall dates granted to student groups are for one performance only. Proposals for two performances on a single day will be reviewed by the Memorial Hall Production Office on a case by case basis (prior history does not guarantee future approval). If access time is limited, multiple performances will not be approved.

APPLICATION PROCESS TIME-LINE

SPRING SEMESTER 2025FALL SEMESTER 2025 subject to change
Application periodNovember 12 – December 1, 2024April 11-30, 2025
Dates will be offered to groups byDecember 13, 2024May 9, 2025
Groups confirm dates byDecember 20, 2024May 16, 2025

Late applications will be considered after the confirmation deadline if any available date events remain open. 

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER EVENT CONFIRMATION

Once confirmed, group representatives are responsible for the following:

  • Meeting with Harvard Box Office staff regarding ticketing
  • Meeting with Memorial Hall/Lowell Hall Production staff to review production and house management policies and procedures
    • Scheduling sound/light training as needed
      • Sound and Lighting Training must be scheduled within two weeks of your event. Failure to schedule training means you or your group will not have access to lighting and sound systems.
    • Confirming House Managers and Lighting/Sound Technicians with Production
      • House Manager is required for each show. The required house management position is a non-performing member who will be responsible for the audience throughout the event. They typically are in charge of ticket collection, venue capacity, as well as audience safety and policy enforcement: no standing in aisles, everyone in a seat, making sure people exit safely if there’s an emergency, no food/drink in the lecture hall, etc.
    • Arranging day of Ushers if needed
      • 4 to 12 Ushers may be needed depending on the scope of the event. Speak with the production team for more information.
    • Facilitating pick up of equipment, accessories and keys at a specified time
    • Returning equipment, accessories and keys, and a short post-event report, at a specified time
  • Reimbursing Memorial Hall/Lowell Hall Admin Office for HUPD detail
    • HUPD detail must be reimbursed before keys and equipment for the space are provided.
    • Budget $258 per performance – please confirm as rates may change.

CANCELATION POLICY

  • If we have not received confirmation by the deadline listed, the event date will be given to another group.
  • If a date is confirmed, then cancelled before the second Friday of the semester, your group cannot reapply for the current semester.
  • If a date is confirmed, then cancelled after the second Friday of the semester, your group cannot reapply for current semester and forfeits the opportunity to apply for event dates during the initial application period and early weeks of a subsequent semester. 

APPLICATION FORMS

Submitting an application form implies you have read and agree to the above policies and procedures.

Application form Spring 2025

Contact memhall@fas.harvard.edu with questions.