A SPECIAL open day is to be held at Blackburn’s Empire Theatre on Sunday aimed at recruiting volunteers to the venue’s dedicated team.

This will be the first time that the theatre on Aqueduct Road will be throwing open its doors to welcome anyone with an interest in finding out more about how the theatre works and how they can help.

A registered charity, the Empire is one of East Lancashire’s busiest venues with a diverse line-up of quality shows and entertainment throughout the year.

A theatre spokesman said: “Our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. Without them, we simply could not function and as the number of shows we put on increases and our wonderful theatre becomes ever more important as a hub for the community, the more people we can call on the better.

“Our volunteers are involved in every aspect of the theatre from working on the box office, staffing the bars, welcoming our patrons and showing them to their seats, undertaking maintenance and cleaning duties and generally ensuring the smooth running of the venue.”

For the open day on Sunday, the theatre will be open from 12noon to 4pm and visitors will be given a guided tour of the venue and a look at the many and varied roles which a volunteer could take on.

“Our volunteers are very much a team,” said a theatre spokesman. “They are all part of our theatre family and we would love to welcome more people into that family.

“If you have always wanted to see what goes on behind the scenes at a theatre, the open day is your chance to have a look around and hopefully become involved.

“It doesn’t matter if you can only devote a couple of hours a week, you can make a valuable contribution to the Empire’s on-going success story.”

The open day is free and there is no need to book. Special Empire Theatre goody bags will also be available.

“Come and have a look round and see how you could help,” said a spokesman.