SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES WEEK - More info & view video
¹ Watch Stand up for Shakespeare campaign video »
November 2008
A letter from Michael Boyd to teachers:
Earlier this year we launched Stand up for Shakespeare, a manifesto for Shakespeare in schools, written in consultation with educational professionals and young people. In it we set out a vision for how we believe pupils of all abilities and backgrounds can have the best possible experience of Shakespeare. The removal of the Key Stage 3 test now gives us the opportunity to make this vision a reality and work with Shakespeare in ways that excite and engage young people from Primary school through to Secondary.
From the inspirational teaching we have seen in schools across the country, we know that children and young people get the most out of Shakespeare when they do it on their feet - exploring plays as actors do, see it live - participating as members of a live audience and start it earlier - begin working on the plays from a younger age.
If you support these practices and/or if your school is already approaching Shakespeare in this way, I would be grateful if you and your students would sign up online in support of the manifesto. We also ask for your participation in our National Stand up for Shakespeare Assemblies Week starting on Monday 26 January 2009. Please download our specially created Shakespeare assembly packs:
Download for Primary schools (PDF 155KB) »
Download for Secondary schools (PDF 136 KB) »
Within the packs, you will find ideas for structuring your assembly with supporting notes. We hope you’ll have fun exploring these suggestions and that they might inspire more ideas of your own. Please share your ideas by posting footage of your assembly on the YouTube website and emailing us the link: education@rsc.org.uk
I hope you will watch our Stand up for Shakespeare campaign video which gives examples of children and young people living out the principles of the manifesto and includes interviews with actors who are key supporters of Stand up for Shakespeare, including David Tennant and Judi Dench. We hope it will inspire you and your students to support the manifesto and hold your own Shakespeare assembly.
It is my belief that Shakespeare remains the world’s favourite artist because his living dilemmas of love, mortality, power and citizenship remain unresolved, vivid and urgent today. I hope you will join us in promoting the importance of Shakespeare in the classroom and of keeping his plays alive and relevant for children and young people across the country.
With best wishes
Michael Boyd
Artistic Director, RSC
To sign up online or for further information about the manifesto please explore this site: www.rsc.org.uk/standupforshakespeare
Download our press release and let your local media know your school is taking part.
