Please note that the application phase of this project is now over.
Every amateur group in the UK are invited to apply to perform a production as part of the RSC's Open Stages. Applications take the form of a 'pitch' for a production.
To be part of the RSC Open Stages project:
- The production should be performed by an amateur or community group, defined for the purposes of this project as a group run by volunteers, and whose participants are volunteers
- The production must be a Shakespeare, or Shakespeare-themed.
Possibilities include:
- A performance of a Shakespeare text in whole or cut form
- An existing Shakespeare adaptation e.g. West Side Story or Kiss Me Kate
- A new Shakespeare adaptation written for the group
- A new Shakespeare version devised by the group
- One of our new edits of Shakespeare's most popular plays. Edited by established playwrights for the RSC
- One of the back catalogue of new plays commissioned or produced by the RSC which was inspired by one of Shakespeare's plays
- An evening of Shakespeare extracts or Shakespeare related scenes or music
- A site specific event involving the performance of Shakespeare, or related theatre or music.
The production should aim to embrace an exciting new challenge for the group, and/or audience, following the RSC's own principles of being inquiring, ambitious, collaborative and engaging.
For example:
- Engaging with another art form e.g. music, dance or visual arts
- Collaborating with a new partner e.g. a local amateur orchestra, a youth theatre or school, local morris dancers or club DJs
- Show a spirit of inquiry by working with a new practitioner/artist and learning new skills e.g. a choreographer, fight director, artist, circus performer, poet or writer
- Productions should be ambitious, not necessarily in size but ideas. Performances maybe site specific e.g. outdoors, in the crypt of a church, a castle or a disused factory.
Participating in Open Stages
Applications will go directly to the RSC. We will accept all applications that fulfil the above brief.
Successful applicants will:
- Attend a regional Open Stages exchange event, hosted one of 8 regional theatres across the UK. At which practitioners from the RSC, the regional theatre and amateur organisations will run performance, technical, design and directing workshops. The aim of these events will be to inspire ideas and pass on new skills for use in the group's productions. It will also be an opportunity for amateurs and professionals to share experience and problem solve.
- Be 'badged' as part of RSC Open Stages i.e. they will receive and have permission to use the RSC Open Stages logo on all publicity materials for the production.
- Be part of a national campaign run by the RSC profiling the project.
- Receive a marketing pack, including PDF's for posters, press releases, quotes etc.
- Become member contributors of the Open Stage site, where groups may share photos, films and blogs of their productions. This will act as a forum for ongoing debate and exchange of ideas.
Under the badge of RSC Open Stages groups then perform in their own venue, hired space, festival or site at any point within 2011/ 2012, with each production forming part of a national network of Open Stages productions across the UK. Groups will be encouraged to see each other's work, as well as post production extracts and experiences on the website.
RSC Open Stages recruitment campaign
Participating groups may also use the project to recruit new members and will receive an Open Stages recruitment pack. Groups may use this locally for directly recruiting to their group. If they are not in need of, or able to, recruit at this time they may use the pack more generally to encourage participation in amateur theatre. This will be part of national initiative led by the RSC aimed at encouraging people from all back grounds to perform Shakespeare. It will look to link those interested with a database of groups and activities through the Voluntary Arts Network. It will look to create a ground swell of individuals wanting to perform Shakespeare and channel them through their local amateur groups.
RSC Open Stages Regional Showcases
The eight regional theatres will host a showcase of Open Stages work from amateur and community groups. The groups performing will be selected from the range of amateur Open Stages productions in their region. The showcase will be selected to show the variety of groups and their approaches to performing Shakespeare. It will also take particular account of how much groups have embraced the idea of challenging themselves and their audience (see Strand 1 applications).
The showcases aim is to celebrate the work of amateur and community groups, as well as demonstrate the universal accessibility of Shakespeare for performers and audiences.
RSC Open Stages partner theatres
National Theatre of Scotland
The Lyric Theatre, Belfast
Contact Theatre, Manchester
The Sage, Gateshead
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
New Wolsey, Ipswich
Hall for Cornwall
Nuffield Theatre, Southampton
Questors Theatre, London
RSC Open Stages Pro/Am partnership productions
The eight regional theatres will work with a group of individual amateur group members from a variety of groups as well as individual members of the community, to create a new Shakespeare themed production. This may be devised by the group or a piece of new writing commissioned by the regional theatre.
RSC Open Stages Shakespeare Festival – national Shakespeare competition
In 2012 The All England Festival in partnership with the RSC will run a national Shakespeare competition within its regular amateur drama festival. The overall national winner of this category will be invited to perform on the stage of the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford as part of the World Shakespeare Festival. The process for entering the RSC Open Stages Shakespeare Festival will be announced at the English Final in Harrogate on 4 June 2011.
RSC Open Stages at the World Shakespeare Festival in Stratford 2012
A number of production from across the regions will be invited to perform at the World Shakespeare Festival in Stratford in 2012, performing alongside professional Shakespeare productions at the RSC.