Tagore Birthday Commemoration

Join us at Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Sunday 4 May to celebrate the 164th birthday of the Indian Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore and the 30th anniversary of our Tagore commemorations. Enjoy a day of engaging activities exploring the continued importance of his work, and the ways in which he was inspired by Shakespeare.

About Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 May 1861. He is perhaps best known for winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for his poetry. Two of his songs are also the national anthems for India and Bangladesh.

Shakespeare was a great influence on Tagore. The poem, 'In Honour of William Shakespeare', praises the playwright as both an English and world poet that shaped literature and culture as we know it. The poem is now engraved and on permanent display with the bust of Tagore situated in the Birthplace Garden. Like Shakespeare, Tagore’s works have a broad, timeless appeal that we continue to celebrate.

Celebrating Tagore’s Influence

To mark Tagore’s birthday, we have invited two organisations from the South Asian community to highlight the continued importance of his work, and the interconnected relationship with Shakespeare.

DESIblitz

11am – 4pm | Henley Street, Outside the Front of Shakespeare’s Birthplace

We’re bringing the celebrations of Tagore’s birthday to Henley Street as British Asian Lifestyle brand DESIblitz brings their brightly decorated, Punjabi ‘Truck Art’ to Shakespeare’s Birthplace for the celebrations.

Rowshanara Moni, the acclaimed Bollywood and Bengali singer and actress, will perform beautiful musical pieces inspired by Tagore’s work, transporting audiences with her soulful renditions.

Senjuti Das, a highly skilled Odissi dancer, will entertain audiences with captivating dance performances, inviting everyone to learn, participate and experience this classical Indian dance form with an interactive dance workshop.

Prantik

From 3pm | Starting at Shakespeare’s statue on Henley Street

A vibrant procession singing Tagore songs from Shakespeare’s statue on Henley Street to the garden of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, the performance will end in front of the bust of Tagore in the garden, forming a symbolic journey between these literary giants.

Mural Designing with Haseebah Ali

11am-4pm | Have a go at creating a mural with local artist Haseebah Ali using printing and traditional South Asian designs.

So, pull up one of the colourful deckchairs and enjoy.

Event Information:

Performances in the garden and the and wreath ceremony are included in the admission ticket to Shakespeare's Birthplace and the Shakespeare's Story Ticket.

Performances on Henley Street are free to access, with no booking required.

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