Yet too often the very opposite happens - not only do we fail to engage too many young people but some have such negative experiences that they leave formal education determined never to come into contact with a Shakespeare play again.
For the last 30 years the RSC has been delivering successful courses and projects for teachers and young people through all levels of formal and informal education. The RSC has long pioneered experiential learning techniques that use theatre practices to underpin its education work. This background makes the RSC especially well placed to advise on the way Shakespeare is taught in schools.
Why now?
During 2006-07 the company is hosting the Complete Works Festival which will see every play written by Shakespeare performed by the RSC and invited national and international theatre companies.
RSC Learning wants to ensure a legacy from this unique Festival which will doubtless provoke further thought and discussion about Shakespeare's prominence in our society. We believe that it is timely to debate the way in which Shakespeare is taught, studied and assessed; to question how we have strayed so far from the good intentions that saw Shakespeare given such status in a young person's education; and to argue that only by treating his plays from a performance perspective can we ever truly hope to engage all learners.
Furthermore, the RSC already has a variety of tried, tested and replicable theatre-based models that can bring about the sea-change in perception, understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare's plays that we're calling for. And in 2006-7 we are poised to launch further structures that provide support for teachers throughout their careers and give even greater opportunities for young people to engage with Shakespeare's plays as performance texts.
Where we start from
We believe that:
- approaching Shakespeare's plays as performance texts* provides the best way of introducing Shakespeare
- many English teachers have never been given the skills, confidence and support to teach Shakespeare as a performance text
- there is insufficient training and support offered, both for trainee and existing teachers
- current assessment mechanisms discourage the study of Shakespeare's plays as performance texts
- a deep understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare enriches the academic, social and emotional lives of young people
- too many students leave formal education believing Shakespeare is boring and/or that they're not clever enough to understand his plays
- too often the enthusiasm and open-mindedness we encounter at primary level is not only lost at secondary level, but is quite often exchanged for extremely negative attitudes towards Shakespeare
- appropriate theatre-based techniques enable ALL students, regardless of age and ability, to understand and enjoy Shakespeare
* - For us, approaching plays as performance texts means:
- keeping at the forefront that these are plays written to be performed
- using practical theatre-based exercises to help young people understand and own the language
- approaching the plays from the actor or director's viewpoint
- making the exploration of Shakespeare more memorable and meaningful by encouraging young people to experience Shakespeare physically and emotionally as well as intellectually.
