Octagon celebration at premiere of Fabric of Bolton film

BOLTON’S Octagon Theatre has hosted a special celebration event to mark the launch of a short film.

The theatre was celebrating after the launch of the world premiere of their documentary The Fabric of Bolton.

The documentary, which celebrates the rich cultural diversity of the town and documents Bolton’s industrial heritage through the lens of Black, Asian and other ethnic minority members of the community, is one of the films featured as part of this year’s Bolton Film Festival.

(PERFORM: Ibrahim Ismail performing at The Fabric of Bolton event - credit to: Francesca Tennant)

The celebratory event, held in the Octagon’s Kitchen and Bar, included speeches from the project organisers and the Octagon’s artistic team as well as music and spoken word performances from local artists.

The Octagon Theatre’s artistic director, Lotte Wakeham, said: “It was wonderful to celebrate the world premiere of this film with all the participants and their family and friends, and to really put their stories in the spotlight.

“It was a very special evening with our staff and colleagues from the Bolton Solidarity Community Association and MACFest, and was filled with lots of laughter!

“The event provided a great opportunity to showcase the new Octagon to even more members of the local community.

“We’re incredibly proud of the film and can’t wait for it to be seen even more widely.”

Over the past 12 months, the Octagon Theatre’s Creative Engagement department, in partnership with Bolton Solidarity Community Association, spoke to members of the community who worked in textiles and other industries in Bolton from the 1960s to the 1980s.

(PARTICIPANTS: Five of the people who featured in The Fabric of Bolton)

The first-hand testimonies have now been pieced together to create the short film that explores the working and social lives of Bolton’s mill workers, weaving together the diverse threads that make up the fabric of the town of Bolton.

The film was showcased at the Light Cinema on September 29 after the celebration event and will be available to watch online as part of Bolton Film Festival on Saturday, October 9 from 1pm (available for 48 hours).

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