There were two simple objectives for this project: to engage visiting families with the Shakespeare Story and to encourage them to think about and respond to our fabulous Collections. We wanted children to write, draw, create, spot, question, reflect and learn. The trails needed to be educational yet fun at the same time! We wanted to encourage families to explore our sites in depth and learn together, prompting them to have conversations about Shakespeare and ask the guides questions too.
The Birthplace Trails are already in use, the New Place trails are printed and ready to hand out and the Hall’s Croft trail is nearly ready for sign off so we just have the Country Houses left to go.
We are very lucky to be working with the Wallis Agency who are working on the design elements of the trails and the illustrators, Mick Manning and Brita Granström who are authors of the wonderful book, ‘William Shakespeare: Scenes from the life of the world’s greatest writer’ which is available to purchase from our online shop and in our Gift Shops.
We have received some very positive feedback on the Birthplace Family trail:
"Excellent – very engaging, informative and beautifully presented"
"Great idea to keep the kids interested around the properties"
"The children’s guide through Shakespeare’s Birthplace was engaging and informative for my children. Similar guides at each of the other houses would be great, drawing on the key elements of each location."
If that last family returns with their 12 month pass then they will discover that we have taken their feedback on board as very soon all 5 Houses will have these trails as part of the visitor offer. We have even noticed parents putting away their iphones to engage in discussions with their children – we couldn’t ask for more!
Staff from almost every department across the Trust have been involved in this project: Learning, Collections, Marketing, Retail and Operations. Together we have achieved a high quality product, which makes a visit to the Shakespeare family homes accessible, informative and enjoyable and leaves visitors with a wonderful keepsake of their visit to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Look out for our family trails on your next visit to Shakespeare's family homes!