2023 graduation ceremonies

Ceremony dates and times

The graduation ceremonies will take place on Thursday 6 July 2023 for graduands in the Empress Ballroom of Blackpool’s Winter Gardens. Which ceremony you attend depends on which curriculum area you belong to – we’ve outlined below which curriculum area will be graduating at which time.

Ceremony One – (12 noon)

The ceremony starts at 12 noon. (You and your guests must be seated in the Empress Ballroom 20 minutes before the ceremony commences)

To book your tickets for ceremony one go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bfc-2023-graduation-ceremony-one-tickets-621639429267

To book your gowns go to robe https://www.wippellgownhire.co.uk/institutions/blackpool-and-the-fylde-college/

Closing date:  22 June 2023

Ceremony Two – (3pm)

The ceremony starts at 3pm. (You and your guests must be seated in the Empress Ballroom 20 minutes before the ceremony commences)

To book your tickets for ceremony two go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bfc-2023-graduation-ceremony-two-tickets-621662718927

To book your gowns go to robe https://www.wippellgownhire.co.uk/institutions/blackpool-and-the-fylde-college/

Closing date:  22 June 2023

Please note: We cannot guarantee a place for you and your guests if you have not completed the booking form and requested your robe and photography by Thursday 22 June 2023. (You can request a refund for your robe hire for up to 30 days after the event).

If you are in any doubt as to which ceremony you should attend, please contact the Event Organiser on graduation@blackpool.ac.uk

Secure your place

We cannot guarantee a place for you and your guests if you have not completed the booking form and requested your robe by Thursday 22 June 2023. The link for you to do so is included in your invitation. Please email graduation@blackpool.ac.uk if you have not received your invitation by Friday 19 May 2023.

Please note: If you do not collect your robe on the day, you can request a refund for your robe hire for up to 30 days after the event.

When you check-in on the day all your guests will be issued with a wristband. We will only issue the number of wristbands you have requested on your booking form. If you bring extra guests on the day they will not be permitted access to the venue.

Event Organiser
Marketing Office
Blackpool and The Fylde College
Ashfield Road
Bispham
Blackpool
FY2 0HB

Guests

Due to the capacity of the venue, each awards recipient is allowed to bring up to four guests. Under exceptional circumstances we will consider requests for further guests, subject to availability. Once ticket reservations close on Friday 22 June 2023, we will review guest numbers and should the venue have capacity, release additional tickets on a first come, first served basis.

Drinks reception

After the ceremony, you and up to two guests are invited to join the College Principal and staff for a celebratory drinks reception in St John’s Church, Church Street, Blackpool (opposite the Winter Gardens).

Please note: If you invite three or four guests to the ceremony, only two of these will be able to attend the Drinks Reception due to limited capacity at the venue. Entry is by ticket only and tickets are allocated on a first come first served basis. It is essential you confirm your attendance when booking your ceremony tickets.

Disabilities, access requirements or reasonable adjustments 

For awards recipients or guests with disabilities, access requirements or who need reasonable adjustments, please contact the Event Organiser on graduation@blackpool.ac.uk to enable us to make the necessary arrangements for you. Examples of the assistance we can provide include, but aren't limited to, wheelchair access, access to a signer, early entrance to the Ballroom, space for a pushchair, use of a lift. Whatever your requirements, we are here to help. 

Robe hire

The ceremony is a formal occasion and as such you are required to wear full academic gowns, which you will need to obtain yourself. They can be hired from our official gown-makers, J Wippell and Co Ltd, using this link you will need to place your order by 10am on Thursday 22 June 2023. Payment can be made with any major credit or debit card. You will receive a confirmation email for both your order and payment. 

Do not worry about ordering your robe early, as a charge will only be made for gowns actually used. If ordered robes are subsequently not required, your money will be refunded, provided you inform Wippells in writing within 30 days following the ceremony and include your request in a stamped self-addressed envelope.

When ordering your robes you will need to have the following details ready:

• your height
• your chest measurement
• your hat size (circumference of head just above your ears)
• the date of your ceremony
• the time of your ceremony
• your qualification
• your student number

Recommended dress beneath the robes is a suit and tie for men and a plain dress or skirt/trouser suit for women.

Photography

The official photographers on the day will be Tempest who have advised us that there will be no prebooking requirement.

Tempest will be situated in the Pavilion area of the Winter Gardens, directly adjacent to the Horseshoe, where you collect your graduation gown.

For graduates whose ceremony takes place at 12pm, you will have the opportunity to have your photographs taken between the following times:

Prior to the ceremony - 9am - 11am

After the ceremony - 2.30pm - 3.30pm

For graduates whose ceremony takes place at 3pm, you will have the opportunity to have your photographs taken between the following times:

 Prior to the ceremony - 12pm - 2pm

After ceremony - 4.30pm - 6pm 

Once your photographs have been taken, Tempest will provide you with a unique reference for ordering your photographs online. Details of the packages available can be found on their website - https://www.tempest-graduations.co.uk/. Although not listed, there will also be an option for ordering digital copies. Please contact Tempest on 01736 751555   or graduation-photographs@htempest.co.uk after the event to discuss this option.

Tempest will also be taking individual photographs of graduates receiving their scrolls on the stage, which will be available to purchase on the day in the Ballroom Foyer

Get social

Don't forget to add yourself to our Facebook Graduation event page for the latest information and updates leading up to Graduation. We will also post photos and videos from the day for you to download for free after the event.

If you use Twitter or Instagram, be sure to use our Graduation hashtags so we can share your special moment: ‪#bfcgrad. Click on the link here or search BFCGRAD and you can add a dedicated filter to your Instagram post.

Gifts and mementoes

We have a wide range of university gifts and mementoes. They are available to purchase at our awards ceremonies and to order all year round. Visit Campus Clothing to see the full range. Campus Clothing now offers a click and collect service, allowing you to pre-order your items and collect them for free at the ceremony.

The College operates a strict wristband entry system.

The wristbands will allow you and your guests to move freely in and out of the Winter Gardens. Therefore you are required to bring your booking confirmation to the Winter Gardens entrance on St John’s Square so that you and your guests can be allocated wristbands.

Your booking confirmation and tickets will be sent from Eventbrite to the email address you used when you booked your graduation tickets, along with tickets for the drinks reception if you have ordered them.

Please note: As part of standard security arrangements for any large event, whilst modest-sized handbags are permitted, anyone bringing a rucksack or larger bag to the event will not be admitted.
 

Ceremony One – commences 12 noon

• Arrival (register, collect robes, photography): earliest 9.00 am, latest 11.15am
• Collect wristbands
• Doors to the Empress Ballroom open: 11.30am
• Recipients and guests must take their seats promptly: 11.40am
• Ceremony begins: 12 noon

Ceremony Two – commences 3.00pm

• Arrival (register, collect robes, photography): earliest 12 noon, latest 2.15pm
• Collect wristbands
• Doors to the Empress Ballroom open: 2.30pm
• Recipients and guests must take their seats promptly: 2.40pm
• Ceremony begins: 3.00pm

Registering your arrival

Award recipients must arrive between the times stated above. Go first to the registration desk situated in the Winter Gardens: you will then be directed towards the robing room located in the Horseshoe Area of the Winter Gardens.

Award recipients are seated in reserved blocks in the centre of the Empress Ballroom. You may take your seats from the time that the auditorium doors open but you must be seated by 11.40am for ceremony one and by 2.40pm for ceremony two. It will assist stewards if you remain seated once you have taken your place. It may not be possible for you to take part in the ceremony if you arrive after it has started.

Robes

Wippell's will be located in the Horseshoe Area of the Winter Gardens. As the robing area can get busy about 45 minutes before each ceremony, we recommend that you collect your robe as soon as possible after registration. Pins are provided to secure your hood, either at the shoulders or by the loop at the front. You may find it useful to wear a buttoned shirt or top so that the loop can fit over the button. Hair grips also help to secure the mortar board.

It is requested that guests do not enter the robing area to minimise congestion in the Horseshoe Area of the Winter Gardens.

After the drinks reception in St John’s Church robes should be returned before 5pm to the Horseshoe area.

Guests

On your arrival at the Winter Gardens, your guests will be asked to wait for you in the Floral Hall.

Guests do not have numbered seats and are permitted to sit anywhere except for the recipients’ block in the centre of the Empress Ballroom and a few reserved seats for guests with disabilities/special requirements.

What happens if I arrive late?

We ask that you arrive in good time, as we cannot delay the start of the ceremony. Those arriving after 11.15am for the morning ceremony or after 2.15pm for the afternoon ceremony will be considered late and will normally be called at the end of the ceremony, rather than with their cohorts. Alternatively, they may not be able to participate.

Refreshments

You will be able to purchase light refreshments such as tea, coffee, soft drinks and sandwiches from the Mazzei Café situated in the Floral Hall. Additionally, there will be a celebratory reception where you and a maximum of two guests will be served a complimentary glass of sparkling wine or orange juice and a selection of canapés.

Please note: you must book your tickets for the celebratory reception when you book your tickets for Graduation.

Gifts and mementoes

A range of gifts and mementoes will be available to buy on the day in the Ballroom Foyer. To find out what is available and/or to pre-order items for collection at the event, visit Campus Clothing

The ceremony

What happens during the ceremony?

Award recipients are seated in the Empress Ballroom alphabetically in curriculum area and course order. Guests sit separately.

A steward will ask you to stand and will direct you to the edge of the ballroom, where you will be directed to the side of the stage. You will be called across the stage in formal acknowledgement of your achievement, shake hands with the Vice Chancellor of Lancaster University and your scroll will be handed to you. As you leave the stage, stewards will guide you back to your seat. It is difficult to estimate, but we would expect the ceremony to last about an hour and a quarter. Once you are seated you are not normally permitted to leave the auditorium. Once everyone has received their scrolls, you will be asked to stand and your awards will be conferred by the Vice-Chancellor.

Once the ceremony is over, you and your two nominated guests may then attend the celebration drinks reception.

Please note: entry to the drinks reception is by ticket only.

Conduct

The ceremony is a wonderful celebration to be enjoyed by recipients and their guests. Aggressive or abusive behaviour is unacceptable and anyone behaving in this way will be asked to leave the ceremony.

Personal belongings

We recommend that graduands and guests don’t leave their personal belongings unattended in any part of the Winter Gardens complex.

Mobile phones

Please ensure your mobile phone is switched off during the ceremony.

Access and facilities 

The Winter Gardens is equipped with a hearing loop and has wheelchair access. The ceremonies will be signed in BSL. The awards platform is accessed via a ramp. If you have a disability or access requirement that would make access to the platform difficult then let us know beforehand and we will make appropriate arrangements. 

Assistance on the day 

For graduands and guests with disabilities, access requirements or who need a reasonable adjustment, assistance will be available at our Event Access reception desk. When you first enter the Winter Gardens, please ask at the registration point and someone will be able to direct you to where this situated. If you complete the Disability, access requirement or reasonable adjustment section of the booking form you will need to check in here.

Graduation Gallery

The following video gives a real sense of what our graduation ceremonies are all about – a time to celebrate your hard-earned achievement and focus on the next exciting phase of your life.

Useful Information

Getting here

The graduation ceremonies will take place at the Winter Gardens, 97 Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 1HL. The venue is easily accessible by a variety of means:

• By road – There are direct motorway links (M55/M6/M62) across the country and express coach services connecting many UK towns and cities.
• By rail – Blackpool benefits from an excellent rail network linking Scotland, Yorkshire, the Midlands and South East. For up-to-date information on times, prices and journey disruptions, contact National Rail Enquiries on Tel. 08457 484950.
• By air – Manchester Airport is only an hour’s drive away.

Where to park

There is no car parking facility at the Winter Gardens itself. However, there are numerous public car parks located in and around the town centre.

Where to stay

If you need somewhere to stay, Blackpool offers a range of accommodation to suit every taste and budget. Choose from cosy B&Bs with their famed friendly landladies to elegant four-star hotels. For more information go to www.visitblackpool.com.

Contacts

If you have any queries regarding your certificate, please contact the Achievements Office on T 01253 504177 or E exams@blackpool.ac.uk.

Ceremony administration
Email: graduation@blackpool.ac.uk

J Wippell & Co Ltd (gown hire)
Tel: 01392 254234
www.wippellgownhire.co.uk

Tempest Photography
Tel: 01736 751555

Campus Clothing (personalised clothing is available)
Tel: 0333 403474
www.campusclothing.com

Use of personal data

As part of accepting the invitation to the graduation ceremony you and your guests need to be aware that official photographers will be taking photographs and videoing during the ceremony and around the venue on the day. These photographs and videos are likely to be used for promotional purposes by the College. Please confirm that you have read and understand the statement about the use of personal data by the College.

STATEMENT ABOUT THE USE OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA:

Blackpool and The Fylde College graduation ceremonies are significant events for our graduates, their guests and our staff. These ceremonies are public events and therefore there is no expectation of privacy under data protection legislation for any attendees. This statement explains how personal data will be processed for and during the event, and provides guidance should you not wish your personal data to be processed in this way. This applies to all students who are intending to graduate or may be eligible for an award, whether they attend a ceremony or not. Please note the following important information and ensure your invited guests are also aware of the information relevant to them:

• The information you provided on Eventbrite for booking your place at Graduation will be used to process your booking. The information collected will include your name, contact details and accessibility information. 
• If different to our existing records, the contact details you provide on Eventbrite will also be used to update your details on our student record system and to contact you about the Graduate Outcomes Survey. This national survey will be sent to you 15 months after you graduate by HESA, the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Your responses will help current and future students gain an insight into career destinations and will also help B&FC evaluate and promote its courses
• Your name will appear in the Graduation programme. If you do not want your name included for this purpose you must tell us be emailing graduation@blackpool.ac.uk
• If you graduate in person your name and award title will be read out at the ceremony immediately prior to you walking across the stage.
• Your photograph will be taken whilst receiving your ‘scroll’.
• Crowd shots will be taken by the University photographers at the venue and at our graduation receptions and these may include images of you and your guests.
• Your consent will be sought for smaller group or individual photographs prior to these being taken. If you do not wish to be photographed, you should tell the photographer before the photo is taken.
• Live film feed will be used to project the ceremonies on to a back screen on stage and this will be streamed externally.
• Videos of the ceremonies may be produced and screened at relevant post-graduation receptions and, at a later date, will be made available for viewing from the College’s website and social media platforms.
• Video interviews of our honorary graduands and other VIPs or film of the event generally may be produced. If you do not wish to appear on film, you should maintain your distance from any filming that may take place.
• Appropriate photographs and films of these events may be used to promote the activities of Blackpool and The Fylde College and these may appear in any of our promotional materials, in printed or electronic format, including worldwide web, multimedia productions, course leaflets or prospectuses.
• If you have any queries or concerns about the use of your personal data for/at our Graduation ceremonies or if you do not wish your data to be used as described above, please email graduation@blackpool.ac.uk