Octagon TheatreArchives - Poor theatres: theatre, performance, poverty

Documenting precarious theatres – precariously …

January 29, 2016 9:25 am / no comments

Post by Jenny Hughes The first phase of the poor theatres research is about to end and it’s time for a blog post that reflects on the process of putting together the free online resource on theatre, poverty and economic justice initiatives available on these webpages. On this database there are […]

Percent for Art at Bolton at Home

October 7, 2015 1:22 pm / no comments

Post by Jenny Hughes For an excellent introduction to Bolton at Home’s unique ‘Percent for Art’ scheme, have a look at the 7 minute film below. Here, Dawn Obe-Yates (Percent for Art Officer for Bolton South) gives an overview of the aims of Percent for Art and key points in […]

Seeing Red – Melodramatics (part 2)

September 22, 2015 7:51 pm / no comments

Post by Jenny Hughes Thanks to the Melodramatics group for letting me sit in on some of their rehearsals towards their first piece of live performance, Seeing Red, which premiered in the Bill Naughton Studio Theatre of the Octagon Theatre on 21st September 2015 (see previous blog post ‘Seeing Red […]

Seeing Red – Melodramatics (part 1)

7:31 pm / no comments

Post by Jenny Hughes ‘Can everyone check they have their red bra please?’ – was the repeated appeal from director Lauren Ash in the final hours of the rehearsal of Seeing Red, an original drama exploring experiences of domestic violence, performed in the Bill Naughton Studio at the Octagon on 21st and […]

‘Conversation is an activity to be valued in itself – not just for where it may lead’

August 25, 2015 2:00 pm / no comments

We are pleased to publish a ‘guest post’ by Lauren Ash – currently an MA Theatre and Performance student at the University of Manchester. Lauren completed a placement with the Learning & Participation Department at the Octagon Theatre (Bolton), working closely with Melodramatics – the women’s theatre group in New […]

‘Humanising our public spaces’ – part 2

August 18, 2015 2:37 pm / no comments

Post by Jenny Hughes This is a follow up to the ‘Humanising our public spaces’ and ‘A unique partnership’ blog posts – giving an overview of the Octagon Theatre’s partnership with Bolton at Home, and Bolton at Home’s wonderful Percent for Art scheme. As noted on previous posts – the partnership between this major […]

A unique partnership between a regional theatre and social housing

August 8, 2015 11:50 am / no comments

Post by Jenny Hughes In this two minute clip, Roddy Gauld summarises the partnership between the Octagon Theatre – a major regional theatre – and Bolton at Home – a social housing provider responsible for 18,000 homes across Bolton (a town in the North of England). Roddy describes the responsibility […]

‘Humanising our public spaces’

August 6, 2015 3:32 pm / no comments

Post by Jenny Hughes ‘Some suggested areas of work include: Community led design – railings, pavings, play areas etc.; Arts and cultural festivals – to celebrate communities; Community development projects – video, photography, local history, drama; Tenants news – local community art input; Art to support finding bids – use […]

Octagon Theatre, social housing and the uses of history

May 20, 2015 7:04 pm / no comments

Post by Jenny Hughes I am looking at the history of a partnership between a major regional theatre and social housing provider in the North – the Octagon Theatre and Bolton at Home. The aim is to document the partnership by talking to key artists and community members as well as […]