From getting hands on with history, to watching Shakespeare’s famous female characters brought to life, families visiting Stratford-upon-Avon this summer are invited to explore William Shakespeare’s story in a new way through a series of hands-on events and activities inspired by the remarkable women in his life.
From July, a special series of events and activities for all ages will be taking place across Shakespeare’s family homes in Stratford-upon-Avon, as the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) announces its packed summer programme.
The programme of events invites visitors to explore the outside spaces of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Shakespeare’s New Place in a new way as they walk in the footsteps of the women who made Shakespeare.
‘’With the summer holidays upon us, we are delighted to share our fun-packed programme of family-friendly events. From adventure backpacks to learning new skills with local artists, these events offer a great opportunity for families, especially our younger audience, to explore and engage with Shakespeare’s story in a fresh and exciting way.’’
Commented Rachael North, Director of Museum and Public Programmes.
New Multi-Site Family Trail
Following the success of last year, from Saturday 27 July, there will also be a new multi-site Family Trail, which focuses on the lived experiences of women during the Tudor period.
Adventures awaits as the immersive trail invites young children to discover the remarkable stories of the women in William Shakespeare’s family who were born, grew up and lived in the properties in an engaging and hands-on way.
Backpacks of Exploration
Every day, during the summer, young adventurers are invited to embark on a journey of discovery as they explore the scenic grounds of two of the Shakespeare family homes.
At Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, children can pick up a Nature Explorer Backpack, equipped with essentials like butterfly nets, tweezers, bug jars and animal footprints, which they can use to explore the abundance of biodiversity thriving at the place that young Anne once called home.
Meanwhile, at Shakespeare’s New Place, budding artists can unleash their creativity with a Creative Explorer Backpack as they discover the place where William Shakespeare is said to have written many of his most well-known plays. Included in the backpacks are chalkboards, viewing frames and stacking blocks.
“Since launching during Great Big Green Month, Explorer Backpacks have proved a great hit with our younger visitors. Like the family trail, these activities provide our younger visitors with a new level of freedom to explore our sites, getting up close and personal with nature, whilst discovering the rich history of the women who once lived there.’’
Added Jennifer Shufflebotham, Audience Engagement Manager at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Nurture in Nature
Taking place every Wednesday throughout the summer holiday, at no additional cost after entry, young children and their families are invited to get closer with the incredible biodiversity found in the gardens of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage through a series of engaging activities.
From junk modelling cardboard wings, to creating lavender bags, the little ones can get stuck in making something special to take home using recycled and natural material found in the garden.
Sundays at New Place
On selected Sundays, families are invited to the site of the last home that Shakespeare shared with his family to explore the impact of the extraordinary women who lived and worked there through hands-on craft activities.
From poetry writing and circus skills to exploring the art of screen printing and calligraphy, visitors are invited to experience a host of hands-on activities led by local female artists in the beautiful gardens of Shakespeare’s New Place.
Not only that - Sundays at New Place offers a unique opportunity for both visitors and residents, with those living in a CV37 postcode having the chance to visit Shakespeare’s New Place as many times as they wish during the season for free, to learn a new craft, create art and meet the artist.
Hidden Voices Exhibition
Whilst at Shakespeare’s New Place, visitors will have the opportunity to visit the SBT’s new exhibition, Hidden Voices, exploring and celebrating the lives of the Women Who Made Shakespeare.
Objects on display include an unfinished coif, which would have been worn by women of the Shakespeare family’s social status. Women often acted as the main healers in the family and understood the medicinal properties of many plants and so items including Medicine jars and cabinets from the period are on display to help explore this fascinating story.
Getting Hands on With the Shakespeare Story
At each property, the SBT’s friendly team will be showcasing a selection of objects to visitors to get hands on with history, inviting them to discover something new and different about life in Shakespeare’s time.
Every day during the summer, there will also be daily performances in the garden of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, where the talented team from Events from History act out some of Shakespeare’s most famous scenes, with a focus on the female stories told.
Shakespeare Story ticket
Visitors are encouraged to get the most out of their experience visiting Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Shakespeare’s New Place with the Story ticket.
As the Shakespeare Story ticket is valid for 12 months, visitors have the flexibility to return and take part in the range of events and activities across all the family homes throughout the year at no extra cost.