Market Place in Bolton is pleased to announce that The Octagon Theatre Box Office and café have temporarily moved to the centre while it undergoes a redevelopment.
The theatre’s drama groups including Art Beat, Headspace, the Youth Theatre and Bridges Company, will all also be relocating to Market Place. Booking is open now for the new term starting in September and there are drama groups for people aged 5-50+. More information about the groups can be found here: https://octagonbolton.co.uk/get-involved/takepart/
The Box Office will be open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5.30pm and customers will be able to book their tickets to see shows in their Out and About season which will see them perform in venues across Bolton. The full season can be viewed here: https://octagonbolton.co.uk/whats-on/
The Octagon’s café inside the centre will be serving hot drinks and homemade food and cakes, Monday to Saturday, between 9am to 5.30pm. This space in Market Place will be a creative hub where people can meet and share ideas, and find out about things that are happening in Bolton.
The project has been funded by Bolton Council, Arts Council England, grants from supporters, trusts, foundations and the ongoing public fundraising campaign Octagon Reimagined. The works, which were originally scheduled to take place earlier this year, were delayed due to issues moving telecommunications lines around the existing building.
The project is the biggest redevelopment in the theatre’s 50 year history and they will ensure that the Octagon will be open and accessible for artists and audiences for generations to come. The new Octagon is scheduled to open in early 2020.
Nikki Wilson-Cook, Centre Manager, Market Place said: “We were absolutely thrilled when the Octagon agreed to relocate to Market Place during their redevelopment. Being within the centre gives the theatre an opportunity to raise its profile within the local community and reach an audience that ordinarily may have thought theatre wasn’t for them. The Octagon has been really easy to work with and I hope they thoroughly enjoy their stay.”
Fiona Gibson, Business Director at the Octagon Theatre, added: “We’re very grateful to Market Place for offering us a temporary home for our box office, café and creative engagement work. It’s wonderful to have such a central spot in the town centre for our base whilst our own building undergoes its major revamp and we take our theatre productions out and about in community locations across Bolton. Do come and see us soon in Market Place and be tempted by our wonderful afternoon tea!”