Brilliant news! Team Boo join Bolton’s iconic Octagon as corporate partners!
Brilliant news! Team Boo join Bolton’s iconic Octagon as corporate partners!
Amy recalls our magical childhood memories of Bolton’s famous theatre.
When I was a child I thought every town had an ‘Octagon’. It was so much part of the fabric of Bolton that I didn’t realise what a special opportunity we Boltonians had as youngsters to experience culture and the arts in such a unique building.
Becci went to the Saturday morning theatre club as a young teenager in the early 90’s, before realising that a career in acting was not for her.
“I remember thinking that when I grow up, I will be sophisticated and go to the Octagon Theatre with all the other sophisticated folk in Bolton! I’ve taken my daughter Lily to at least one show a year since she was old enough. My favourite production was East is East and Lily loved Alice in Wonderland.“
I also attended the acting club – briefly. I remember being asked to ‘be the ozone layer’ and realising that life on stage was not for me either. For me, a place in the darkened audience, bodily amongst my classmates, but mentally transported to another world. I recall no details of the numerous childhood trips to this irregularly shaped theatre, but I clearly remember how it felt to be absorbed in magic for a couple of hours.
My favourite trip of adulthood was a 2005 visit to watch Eight Miles High. Sitting cross legged on grassy turf watching 60’s tribute bands felt like the closest thing to a real Woodstock experience I’d ever have. I immediately wanted to see it again
This night has stuck in my memory for another reason. I was asked to take part in a scene in which a whole string of young women emerge from a one-man tent. I had to go backstage then crawl out through the tent in front of a laughing audience. I went first. The joke was that this particular character had fit so many women into his tent, but I wonder if they were laughing a bit more because as I emerged on my hands and knees, I caught the hem of my dress so that it pinged off my top half completely. My one time on stage at the Octagon and I flashed 200 people!
I was so pleased when Becci told me that Team Boo were going to join Bolton Octagon as corporate partners. We are so proud of our hometown, and so excited about this opportunity. Long live the Octagon, and long live Bolton!
Press release here and below
Boo Coaching & Consulting join the Octagon Family
The Octagon are thrilled to announce a new corporate partner has joined the Octagon’s Corporate Supporters
The Octagon Networking Enterprise (ONE Club) is a corporate membership programme run by the Octagon Theatre in Bolton. The club aims to provide companies with networking opportunities and access to the new state-of-the-art space in the heart of the town where best business practice can be shared within a creative environment, as well as providing financial support for the theatre which is a registered charity.
Boo Coaching & Consulting are a Bolton based firm who run coaching, mentoring and leadership programmes. The company has joined the growing members of the Octagon’s ONE club which will help support the theatre through a challenging year.
The theatre was due to open after a major redevelopment this summer but this has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic with a new opening date of December announced last month. With the delay to the opening and uncertainty of when full audiences will be able to be housed safely has led to the biggest ever challenge faced by the theatre in its 50 year history.
Roddy Gauld Chief Executive of the Octagon comments
I am delighted that Boo Coaching & Consulting have come on board. The Octagon faces an unprecedented challenge to survive the effects of this pandemic, and it’s with the support of local communities and companies that we’ve been able to survive so far and plan our recovery. I cannot wait to welcome Boo Coaching & Consulting into the building when we open later this year and I hope this will be a long term and fruitful relationship for both organisations.”
Becci Martin Founder and Director at Boo Coaching & Consulting comments:
We are a business with national reach and global ambitions, but my goodness are we proud of our hometown! The Octagon is such a treasured local landmark, unique to Bolton. We’re keen to help support and preserve it for generations to come.”
Other ONE Club members include: William Hare, Carrs Pasties, Ideal Corproate Solutions, Chancellor Financial, KBL, Handelsbanken, Bruntwood and Eric Wright Group.
Head of Development Danni Fearnley adds
We are so grateful to all of our supporters, it is thanks to their generosity that we have made it this far in such a difficult year. We hope that our ONE Club will continue to grow as we approach the fantastic new building opening, and we aim to provide a really exciting and unique opportunity for the business and arts worlds to come together as a force for good to build a stronger community here in Bolton.”
If you are a company and interested in finding out more about the ONE Club please contact Head of Development Danni Fearnley on Danielle.fearnley@octagonbolton.co.uk
