OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15
octagon Bolton
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WELCOME TO THE OCTAGON’S 2014/15 ANNUAL REPORT
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Introduction As we approach the milestone of our golden jubilee in 2017, we have been increasingly focused on our future and 2014/15 saw a number of major developments. The University of Bolton has been an important partner for some time and in October 2014 we announced a new undergraduate course in Theatre, developed and delivered by our two organisations. We are delighted that the Octagon will play a fundamental role in educating future theatre professionals and at the same time, the partnership will provide a new revenue stream to sustain our work during a climate of reducing public investment. To spearhead this course, David Thacker took up the role of Professor of Theatre at the University in July 2015. He has had six highly successful years as our Artistic Director and we are indebted to him for his talent, passion and commitment. Paying testament to the quality of productions under David's leadership, The Guardian described the Octagon "as a first-call destination for classic American plays, English social realism and regionally centred new writing". Succeeding David as Artistic Director is Elizabeth Newman who has been our Associate Director for several years. After a national search, it was a pleasure to be able to appoint someone from inside the organisation. Elizabeth will undoubtedly consolidate our reputation for high quality drama whilst developing new collaborations, expanding the diversity of our work and audiences, and extending our already successful learning and participation work. Other appointments during the year included several new Trustees, boosting the board’s artistic, fundraising and legal expertise. At nearly fifty years old, our building is showing its age in places and lacks the access, facilities and space that other modern theatres have. In January 2015, we announced our ambitions for a major modernisation and Bolton Council pledged £2 million towards this: a remarkable offer in a time of austerity and an indicator of the affection and importance the Octagon has within our community. Planning and fundraising continues, and we hope to have a scheme developed for our 50th anniversary. The Council's support is matched by the loyalty and generosity of our audiences, donors, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders. We thank them all and look forward to an exciting future. Margaret Blenkinsop Chair of Trustees
Roddy Gauld Chief Executive
Photo: Ian Tilton
If you have any comments or questions about this Annual Report please get in touch on 01204 529407, or email roddy.gauld@octagonbolton.co.uk.
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PRODUCTIONS
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Our work in 2014/2015 offered audiences a range of theatre from fun family shows to emotional drama.
l-r, Clare Foster in Duet for One, Andrew Roberts Palmer in Brassed Off, Rob Edwards in Separation, Lauren Samuels and Daniel Boys in Love Story, David Birrell in Journey’s End, Early One Morning Company, Emily Butterfield and Russell Morton in Alice in Wonderland, Colin Connor in A View from the Bridge, Natasha Davidson and Barbara Drennan in Hindle Wakes.
Our festive show, a new adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, delighted the young and the young at heart with its fun and inventive approach; a magical tale of how a shy young girl found the confidence to speak up for herself. To commemorate the centenary of the First World War we paired two outstanding plays, Journey’s End and Early One Morning, together to give audiences a powerful insight into life in the trenches. The true story of local solider Private James Smith in Early One Morning was particularly important and poignant to tell. Recreating the trenches required a huge installation of sandbags, corrugated steel and around 20 tons of soil together with authentic costumes and a dramatic soundscape – altogether an impressive achievement that really showcased what can be created in the Octagon’s auditorium. Local history was also to be found in Hindle Wakes. Stanley Houghton’s once highly controversial play was a witty and entertaining commentary on social values and feminism in a Lancashire mill town just before the outbreak of the First World War. Love Story was a particular highlight of the year: a deeply moving musical based upon the film of the same name, our company of actor-musicians brought audiences to tears and to their feet. Our association with American classics and Arthur Miller continued with A View from the Bridge and as part of our commitment to training theatre professionals, a large company of student actors from ALRA (Academy of Live and Recorded Arts) North performed alongside professionals. This was not our only large ensemble production. In Brassed Offwe were joined by Eagley, Wingates, and Blackburn and Darwen brass bands who delighted audiences in this rousing story of the Grimethorpe colliery pit closure. Small cast productions made just as big an impact though. Another pairing of plays, Duet for One and Separation, both by Tom Kempinski, were powerful dramas that exposed the depth of human emotions and ultimately uplifted audiences. The outstanding acting in this double bill was recognised at the Manchester Theatre Awards, in what was a highly successful year for the Octagon, where we gained 16 nominations for our productions across the fields of acting, directing, design and writing. Clare Foster received the Best Actress award for her performances in Duet for One and Separation, and David Birrell took home the award for Best Actor for his performance in Journey’s End.
"...delivers strong, gutsy performances and sentiment-shaking brass harmonies" HHHH The Observer on Brassed Off
“Moving, powerful, poignant, heartbreaking, thought-provoking” HHHHH Manchester Evening News on Early One Morning
“Magical effects, live music and consistent thrills” The Observer on Alice in Wonderland
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WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, EDUCATION AND THE COMMUNITY
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The Octagon works across communities in Bolton and beyond to develop opportunities to take part in the arts. The benefits extend far beyond artistic outcomes. Participants gain confidence, communication and life skills that equip them for the future, as well as developing a life-long interest in the arts. The Switch Project, which aimed to bring young people from different backgrounds together through creativity, culminated in a festival in Bolton’s Queens Park. The festival involved over 50 young people and drew a crowd of over 1,500 people for a programme of events that included live performances, food stalls, sporting activities, storytelling workshops and much, much more. It was a fantastic day for families, and a great opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity of Bolton’s community. Funded by UK Youth through the Big Lottery, the Switch project engaged young people aged 13 to 25 in activities that included developing a touring piece of theatre about racism, running diversity and inclusion workshops, and training for young people to take leadership roles in their organisations and the wider community. Our Youth Theatre involves around 250 young people every week, providing a stimulating and creative experience for young people aged 5 to 25. The Bridges and Little Bridges groups provide specific provision for young people with disabilities and often act as a bridge for participants to gain the confidence to join our other activities. We began a partnership with Trust in Leigh and Curious Minds to establish a satellite Youth Theatre in Leigh at the Turnpike Gallery. During 2014/15, over 30 young people took part and for many this was their first experience of youth theatre activities.
Photos: Ray Jefferson, Bolton Camera Club & Sophia Keenan
Headspace is a service user led organisation supported by the Octagon, which works with young people and adults who are experiencing mental health issues. Funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has helped Headspace grow. In the last 12 months there have been more participants and more projects, including training provided for Greater Manchester West NHS Trust on Creative Facilitation and Leadership and creating training scripts on mental health issues for public sector agencies. An interactive story developed by Headspace members that incorporated performance, music, creative writing and illustration was presented to children at Manchester Children’s Hospital, Ladywood Special Educational Needs School and the Bolton Poetry Festival. Headspace is currently working with the Universities of Bolton and Manchester, who are undertaking research into creative delivery and the impact of this approach on participants.
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78,067
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PRODUCTIONS PRESENTED IN THE MAIN AUDITORIUM
PEOPLE ATTENDED AN OCTAGON PRODUCTION DURING 2014/15, + K 8 7 E H T S A L AND INCREASE OF AS WEL N O G A T C O N A D E FROM 2013/14 WHO ATTEND 00
1,136
21,466 YOUNG PE OCTAGON ACTIVITYOPLE PARTICIPATED IN AN INC TICKETS AND YOULUDING CONCESSION TH PROJECTS
0 , 0 9 Y L R A E N , N PRODUCTIO ON E N O W A S E L P MORE PEO ! D A O R B A R O K U TOUR IN THE
OF RESPONDENTS RATED THE QUALITY OF THE PERFORMANCE 98% OR EVENT THEY ATTENDED AS OR GOOD* VERY GOOD 58ND%ERLAND ATTENDERS THE AVER
OF ALICE IN WO , R E D N U R O WERE AGED 16 ETS SOLD WERE K AND 45% OF TIC ATTENDERS TO SCHOOLS
AGE TICKET PRICE WAS LESS THAN £12.50
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THE OCTAGON CONTRIBUTES
£5M
TO THE ECONOMY. THIS IS £5.76 FOR EVERY £1 OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT
94% OF RESPONDENTS RATED THE VALUE FOR MONEY OF THE TICKETS AS VERY GOOD OR GOOD*
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PERFORMANCES A ACROSS OUR TWOND EVENTS AND OTHER SPAC STAGES ES ARO THE THEATRE UND
RESPONDENTS RATED THEIR WHOLE EXPERIENCE AT THE 97% OFOCTAGON AS VERY GOOD OR GOOD*
19,218
IS G IN D N E P INDIVIDUA S R U O 66% OF LS ATTEND R U O O O C T T N A ED THE GON FEST ITIO D D A IN D N A I V L A E LOC PRODUCTI IN A A T L S I U C S E E ON, W I N WONDE E C R O F K R O W RLAND OWN E H T IN S 68 FURTHER JOB ECONOMY. *Figures taken from the 2014/15 Audience Finder survey
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Photos: Gemma Rooke, Octagon Theatre
INCLUSION Inclusion is one of the Octagon’s core values and we make continuous efforts to be as welcoming and accessible as possible to people, providing a safe and creative environment that is inclusive and open to all. During 2014/15 we undertook a number of initiatives to increase opportunities for audiences and artists with disabilities.
We also introduced captioned performances where the words are displayed on screen, giving access to deaf, deafened and hard of hearing customers. After receiving excellent feedback from customers, we have already extended the number of captioned performances scheduled during the 2015/16 season.
During the run of Alice in Wonderland we were delighted to offer our first ever relaxed performances, which were attended by over 350 people. Relaxed performances are specifically designed to welcome individuals with an autistic spectrum condition, learning disability, or a sensory or communication need into the theatre. As well as anyone who might just enjoy a more relaxed environment. They have a less formal, more supportive atmosphere to reduce anxiety levels. There is a relaxed attitude to audience noise and movement, and small changes to the sound levels and lighting effects. There are also other provisions such as visual stories, a chill-out space, and extra staff around to offer a helping hand.
In the autumn of 2014, Alyson Woodhouse joined us as Assistant Director for two productions. Aly has Cortical Blindness, meaning the Sight Centre in her brain is missing. As far as we know, Aly is the first blind person to train in this role on a professional production in this way, and she is just one of a number of artists the Octagon has trained and developed. In December 2014 we partnered with Graeae, the UK’s leading disability-led theatre company, and two other regional theatres, the Royal Exchange and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, to provide an intensive five day training course for professional writers. Our relationship with Graeae continued with a three-month placement of trainee director Jocelyn Cox, supported by the Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme.
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DEVELOPING ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES
“The Bar proved a great space for networking and food was lovely too – I have seen tweets that are a testimonial of that! We will definitely be back in the future.” Business Growth Hub on their event at the Octagon Theatre
Our commitment to developing artists, in particular writers, was evident throughout the year including:
Script Reading
New Writing
Masterclasses
Over 500 scripts were read during 2014/15, providing opportunities and feedback for writers’ development.
15 readings of new plays during the year, providing writers with valuable opportunities to test their plays with audiences.
In writing, directing and acting benefited 590 theatre professionals.
Placements
Developing Our Hospitality Audience
We provided opportunities for ten trainee directors on Octagon productions.
All images: Ray Jefferson, Bolton Camera Club.
“I would urge other theatres to witness the Octagon team at work. It’s a company full of individuals who care at every level, which in turn makes the creativity and end product that we’re selling infinitely possible.” Barbara Drennan, Actor
Throughout 2014/15 we have been working on working closely with local businesses and organisations to showcase the hospitality areas of the theatre and the unique spaces that can be used as an interesting and exciting space for meetings and events.
In partnership with Graeae, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, and Royal Exchange Theatre, we launched our Write to Play scheme. A development and training opportunity for deaf writers and writers with disabilities.
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2014/15 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE
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Leanring & Participation £122,867
Income Total £2,526,117
Catering £288,400 Sponsorship & development £110,598
Box Office £842,444
Core Grant Funding £931,641
Other Income £157,981
Expenditure Total £2,624,772
Operating and staffing costs £1,688,236
Catering £281,853 Direct costs Learning & Participation £83,169 Direct cost of Productions £571,514
Trustees’ Statement on Summary Financial Information The financial information below has been extracted from the full audited accounts of the Octagon Theatre Trust Ltd in order to give a brief overview of the Octagon’s finances. Copies of the audited accounts can be obtained from the Octagon’s registered office by email (info@octagonbolton.co.uk), or by downloading from either Companies House or the Charity Commission websites.
BOX OFFICE: 01204 520661 WWW.OCTAGONBOLTON.CO.UK
“It's funny, frustrating and uplifting - but, even though we know it is coming, the inevitable ending hits like a thunderbolt.” Manchester Theatre Awards on Love Story “An atmospheric set and a terrific cast bring home the human cost of the First World War” The Stage on Journey’s End
“A smouldering slow fuse…David Thacker is an insightful director of US drama” The Observer on A View from the Bridge “A characteristically meticulous production” The Guardian on Hindle Wakes
The Octagon Theatre is a Registered Charity and gives thanks to all its supporters. Registered Charity Number: 248833
SUE HODGKISS, CBE DL PRINCIPAL SPONSOR
PRINCIPAL PATRON
We give thanks to the following businesses for their support: ROCKGLEN DEVELOPMENTS
MAJOR PARTNER
Image credit: Ray Jefferson, Bolton Camera Club
The Octagon Theatre Trust is a Limited Company Registered in England No: 882226