From 18-24 March 2024, millions of school children, teachers and families will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Shakespeare Week. Since 2014 this national celebration has become an influential, annual event in schools and with families across the UK, helping to bring William Shakespeare’s work, life and times to life and creating a positive first experience for children.
Led by the world-class museum and educational charity, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT), celebrations are set to be even bigger as organisers announce a vibrant programme of events and activities that are inspired by the women in Shakespeare’s life.
Highlights of this year’s national celebration will include a day of free workshops and events for Warwickshire school children, which includes the chance to meet Horrible Histories illustrator, Martin Brown, daily online broadcasts from children’s authors and presenters including Michael Rosen and a new interactive online exhibition, Shakespeare’s Family in Nine Objects.
Children can also enter a nationwide competition to create a fictional diary as though they are one of Shakespeare’s family, details can be found on the Shakespeare Week website.
Additionally, there will be new cross-curricular digital resources, giving educators invaluable tools to teach Shakespeare in the classroom, all for free.
‘’We’re delighted to mark this significant anniversary with families, our partners, and schools nationwide. As part of our wider learning programme, Shakespeare Week ensures that all children have a positive first experience with Shakespeare and inspires them to continue engaging with his works throughout their lives.
‘’We understand that teaching Shakespeare can be challenging, so the celebration is also an important tool for educators and teachers. Through our free resources, we are empowering them with the confidence and knowledge to teach, what is often perceived as a complex subject to children."
Said Sally Gray, Shakespeare Week Project Manager at the SBT, the organiser of Shakespeare Week.
Highlights of Shakespeare Week include:
- Monday 18 March, 11am: To launch celebrations, there will be a Shakespeare Week online assembly, filmed at Mary Arden’s Farm with Ben Cajee, a presenter on CBeebies and CBBC and the William Shakespeare puppet.
- Monday 18 March to Friday 22 March: Early Years Shakespeare Sessions with Warwickshire Libraries. Attendees can expect a fun-filled session of storytelling, arts, crafts, music and dance with an exciting Shakespearian twist.
- Tuesday 19 to Friday 22 March, 11am: Daily online broadcasts exploring Shakespeare’s Language with Michael Rosen.
- Tuesday 19 March, 10am to 3pm: Warwickshire schools open day - a day of free workshops for Warwickshire school children in partnership with organisations across Stratford-upon-Avon including the Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare’s Schoolroom. Celebrations include two live events and book signings with Horrible Histories illustrator, Martin Brown at the Stratford Playhouse.
- Wednesday 20 March, 9am to 3pm: Celebratory event at the Stratford Playhouse with students from four of the Trust’s Shakespeare Hub schools who will be performing, dancing and singing. There will also be a special performance of Romeo and Juliet from Stratford-upon-Avon Primary School using a script from the Children’s Folio.
- Thursday 21 March, 2pm: Children's Shakespeare Book Club launch. A termly Shakespeare children’s book event with a question-and-answer session from authors and illustrators, including Marcia Williams.
- Friday 22 March, 2pm: Martin Brown returns with a broadcast for all schools to tune in to. His sketchbook showcase focuses on Mary Arden and life on a Tudor Farm.
- Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March: A free festival of events, activities, workshops and performances on Henley Street, outside of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, including Circus Mash, Ascension Dance and more.
A highlight of the celebrations includes a special event at the Stratford Playhouse on Wednesday, 20 March, hosted by Ben Cajee. During the event, pupils from Shakespeare Hub schools (Nottingham, Oxford, Birmingham and West Midlands) will present their Shakespeare-inspired performances in a variety of art forms, bringing Shakespeare’s work to life.
Children from Stratford-upon-Avon Primary School will also take centre stage to perform a version of Romeo & Juliet taken from the new Children’s Folio, an abridged version of the famous book for children that keeps all of Shakespeare’s original language but in an accessible way for younger readers and performers.
‘’Since 2014, we have impacted the lives of millions of people and partnered with brilliant organisations, and I can only hope we continue to do so over the next 10 years.
‘’Over the next decade, we hope to extend the programme, develop greater links with local schools, and deepen our impact and engagement. Importantly, through Shakespeare Week and our new Children’s Folio we want to continue inspiring children from all backgrounds and empowering educators with the confidence to engage with and teach Shakespeare.
‘’This year, we encourage everyone to get involved – whether it’s in our competition, our many workshops or one of the free events during the week. We’re extremely proud of the Children’s Folio, so we also urge schools to request their own copy through our website.’’
Added Andy Reeves, Head of Learning Development.
As part of the ongoing celebrations, schools across the nation have the opportunity to request their free copy of the Children’s Folio, which includes all 36 plays in Shakespeare’s original First Folio in an abridged format, through the SBT website. The Children’s Folio will be published in April 2024.
Shakespeare Week 2024 will run from 18-24 March 2024. Teachers are encouraged to visit Shakespeare Week to register for free resources and stay updated.
Please see www.shakespeare.org.uk/education/ for more information about the SBT’s learning initiatives, stay updated and access an array of free digital resources.