The Octagon Theatre

Here is where you can join in online, with our online classes and workshops we filmed and produced during the pandemic.

Our response to the Coronavirus pandemic

On the 21 May 2020 we launched our Octagon Online Together initiative, with a programme of activity designed to bring our community together whilst at home during the national pandemic.

Since then we have streamed 74 Octagon Academy online directly into homes across the county, hosted 9 online theatre themed Quiz Nights receiving over 1,900 views, released 4 ‘In The Spotlight’ talks with film industry professionals online, and produced a series of Online Summer Tutorials in Songmaking, Art, Film and Musical Theatre receiving over 310 views.

We brought together our community of dancers, singers and performers with our community project, ‘Let’s SHiNE Together’, our online alternative to the Octagon’s annual community performance platform, SHiNE. Over 150 people of all ages and abilities took part in the project including pupils from 5 local schools, key workers from Yeovil District Hospital and South Somerset District Council. The community dance film premiered on our YouTube Channel and has since been viewed over 1,500 times.

Online Octagon Academy Classes range from adult dance classes to youth theatre sessions to fitness classes. Classes are free to access on-demand and remain available on our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about our Octagon Online Together initiative.

In The Spotlight shines light on leading film industry experts based in the South West. Our programme of online interviews with local filmmakers, is designed to inspire young people looking at a career in film and to discover what happens behind the scenes.

Find out more about In The Spotlight.

Our series of Online Summer Workshops, are an online alternative to our annual summer schools. This year we release tutorials in Song Making, Art & Nature, Photography & Filmmaking and Musical Theatre, which remain available to watch free via our YouTube Channel.

Find out more about our Online Summer Workshops.

All activity delivered has been with the support of South Somerset District Council, Arts Council England, British Film Industry and Film Feels Connected.