At the Octagon, we believe in the power of theatre and creativity to bring people together, inspire change, and make a real difference in our community. Over the past year, we’ve worked with families, young people, and local groups across Bolton, sharing stories, unlocking opportunities, and creating unforgettable moments.

Here are some of the incredible ways we’ve connected with our communities in 2024:

Sharing Stories

Our community project Sharing Stories continued to inspire, with a library tour, schools tour, World Book Day event, and free monthly storytelling sessions. Watch this video to see what families got up to at our World Book Day event:

The Agency

We launched The Agency, a new project that empowers young people in Farnworth to create projects that improve their community.

octagon £4 Tickets

Our new Affordable Ticket Scheme unlocked thousands of £4 tickets for low-income households, opening the door to theatre for all - find out more about the scheme

FAmily Festival

Children and their families flocked to our Family Festival, a free celebration of creativity and the arts.

Young Octagon

Our Young Octagon company performed Orchestra as part of the National Theatre’s Connections Festival, showcasing their incredible talent.

Octagon Community Connections

We launched a Community Connector Scheme, recruiting local voices to shape our future outreach

Bridges

The Big Give helped raise awareness and support for our work with young people and adults with additional needs.

Theatre of Sanctuary

We renewed our status as a Theatre of Sanctuary, and our Women’s Group created a moving film for International Women’s Day.

Through it all, we’ve been reminded of the power of theatre to bring people together to create happier & healthier communities.

These are just some examples of the incredible work of our creative engagement team over the year - and here's to more in 2025!