An entrepreneurial new partnership

For the arts to thrive we need to be entrepreneurial. Or, as Arts Council England (ACE) describes it, we need to “identify new partners, markets and opportunities”, advice that happens to ring true in the case of a new venture that we at the Octagon Theatre Bolton are currently embarking upon with the University of Bolton. A degree in Theatre between our two organisations is set to admit its first students in September, enabling them to study the critical and practical aspects of theatre in both university and professional settings.

Students will benefit from working with a regional producing theatre, giving them a professional insight at the core of their curriculum. They will undertake a range of modules that offer first-hand observation of the production process at the Octagon, learning directly from practising professionals and accessing a rich variety of potential work placements. There will be opportunities to specialise in disciplines including directing, production and theatre management, with teaching taking place at both the theatre and the university campus.

This partnership gives us the opportunity to be ambitious about the work we can stage

As part of this development, David Thacker will become the first Professor of Theatre at the university in July, when he completes his tenure as Artistic Director of the Octagon. David will remain with us in the new post of Associate Artistic Director until 2018, working with a new artistic director (to be appointed shortly). He will direct two productions a year as part of our season of work that will be placed at the heart of the new degree structure.

We have enjoyed a strong partnership with the University of Bolton. It has been our principal sponsor and we have contributed regularly to its Performing Arts, English and Creative Writing courses. The degree course is being jointly designed, with the costs and revenue shared between the two organisations.

We are fortunate to be an ACE national portfolio organisation, and also receive significant funding from Bolton Council and the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities. However, the challenge to increase income in the face of ever-diminishing funding streams is always high on the agenda, and the financial gains to be made from the university partnership will help with the all-important bottom line. Income from the partnership will be used in several areas to maintain and grow the organisation, as well as to fund the additional work that the project will inevitably create. That includes staff time spent with students and the administrative tasks that come with a project of this scale. Significantly, in terms of the artistic progression of the theatre, a portion of the funds will be spent directly on the two productions a year that will be co-produced by the university.

Like most theatres, we have seen the effects of austerity reducing our freedom and artistic scope. This partnership gives us the opportunity to be ambitious about the work we can stage, providing students with an incredible experience and giving audiences a programme of quality work. Partnership-working is also a major part of the university’s success story, and has helped it attract greater numbers of students. The pursuit of excellence extends to its Special Effects degree, with the regular contribution from visiting professor Neill Gorton, Co-Founder and Director of Millenium FX, who has worked on everything from the Oscar-winning film Gravity to Dr Who. The appointment of David Thacker in the role of Theatre Professor continues this commitment by the university in securing influential practitioners, all of whom bring a rich history of experience and practical skills, as well as their reputation to enhance the prestige of the courses.

The Theatre degree initiative demonstrates benefits for both us and the university, but the impact on the local economy is also a significant factor. It attracts more students to live, work and spend money in the area, as well as creates jobs within both organisations as we expand the range of our output.

By working in partnership with the university we are aspiring to provide an ambitious, exciting and varied programme of work for audiences, as well as securing the future of a theatre that has created successful, highly regarded work for almost five decades. The Octagon will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2017 and when the first intake of students walk through the doors later this year, we hope that they will be the next generation of theatre-makers inspired by the talent and skills of those that have worked and currently work at the Octagon.

Roddy Gauld is Chief Executive of Octagon Theatre Bolton.
www.octagonbolton.co.uk