The Octagon Theatre

Octagon & Westlands Inclusion Group

The Octagon & Westlands Inclusion Group is our chance to hear directly from disabled, D/deaf or neurodivergent people who would like the chance to talk to us about barriers they have experienced when attending cultural events and venues and what works well for them.

The Octagon & Westlands Inclusion Group enables disabled people and those with lived experience to be at the very heart of our organisation and its development. We want to understand what we already do well so we can continue to do it well and to hear about how we can improve our organisation to better support individuals with access needs or any disability.

Members have the opportunity to shape and influence our offer from our accessing our venues to the opportunities we present across the county.

The Octagon & Westlands Inclusion Group meets a total of 3 times each year and is always open for new members to join at any time. Meetings either take place in person at our venues or online, depending on member preferences.

At the meetings we look to identify areas where there is a lack of cultural provision and/or access for people with disabilities in Somerset, personal and lived experiences (good and bad) of attending or participating in arts and cultural events, and what experiences members would love to see happen locally. Plus, updates to discuss the progress we’ve made and reflect on the experiences people have had since.

If you are interested in becoming a member of The Octagon & Westlands Inclusion Group you can find out more here.

Accessible Pricing Scheme & Access Fund

We are currently developing and looking to launch an Accessible Pricing Scheme and Access Fund to enable people from low-income households the opportunity to attend shows and workshops at no or heavily discounted cost with a subsidised ticket scheme.

We will launch an Accessible Pricing Scheme to shows and events, Access Fund to participatory sessions and workshops, and a Buddying Scheme to shows and classes, to improve access to our programme of activity.

Buddying Scheme

We are currently developing a Buddying Scheme to shows and classes at the Octagon & Westlands. The scheme will bring together theatregoers who may hesitate to attend alone and encourage those who are interested but that haven’t stepped foot inside our venues or been to the theatre before, to pair up with a ‘buddy’ and attend together. The scheme will give people the chance to make new friends and meet like-minded people. More information coming soon!