BOLTON is set to receive a six-figure share of a multi-million pound government investment for the Octagon Theatre along with the borough’s museums and galleries.

The money comes as part of the £107m Cultural Recovery Fund, which aims to help theatres, art galleries and other venues across the country, including 51 in Greater Manchester, back on their feet after the devastation wrought by the pandemic.

In Bolton’s case, the town’s Octagon Theatre is set to receive £123,600, while Bolton Council will receive £329,267 to help support its cultural venues.

Octagon chief executive Roddy Gauld and artistic director Lotte Wakeham said: “We are very grateful that we have been awarded funding from the latest round of the government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

“We’re delighted to have reopened and to be welcoming people back to live events, but uncertainty and tough times remain due to the lasting effects of the pandemic.

“This grant will provide the stability we need to continue to welcome audiences, artists and the community throughout winter and into 2022.”

The money has been awarded in grants through Arts Council England, Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport hopes that it will help cultural venues, particularly in areas hard hit by the pandemic like Bolton, survive and restart programmes they had been running before the crisis hit.

Further applications will be under consideration in the coming weeks.

Where Bolton is concerned, the council will be using the funds to support some of the borough’s most well used venues.

Bolton Council deputy leader Cllr Hilary Fairclough said: “We are delighted to be included in this latest round of the Cultural Recovery Fund, which will help support Bolton Museum, Bolton Music Service and the Albert Halls.

“The grant will give a boost to the creative and cultural recovery of these valuable services and to the borough as a whole.

“All our cultural services did an outstanding job by adapting during the pandemic, these new funds will help us engage new audiences and offer new experiences as we welcome back live crowds.”