Background to the manifesto
In 2006/7 the RSC hosted the Complete Works Festival - every play written by Shakespeare was performed in Stratford by the RSC or invited national and international companies. As part of this festival, it seemed timely to open up the debate about how and why Shakespeare is taught, studied and assessed in our schools.
In 2005 as a result of its review of English, the Qualification and Curriculum Authority had invited the RSC to "investigate innovative and successful ways that Shakespeare is taught in schools to share good practice".
We began by reflecting on our own experiences of good practice, from more than 30 years of running Shakespeare activities and courses for young people and teachers. As we began to share ideas with others, we were struck by a repeated sense of frustration and missed opportunities: teachers and students responded so positively to innovative and successful theatre-based approaches, and yet these approaches still seemed marginalised or completely absent in the majority of schools.
Having further researched the history of Shakespeare teaching within England's education system we concluded that for more than 100 years there has been a consensus of opinion about good practice in the teaching of Shakespeare that is rooted in theatre-based approaches. Despite this, there is no universal adoption of this practice. So what is preventing good practice within schools? And what are the consequences for our education system and our young people?
In 2006 and 2007, RSC Education has worked with schools and teachers across the country exploring what makes Shakespeare exciting and accessible for all young people, irrespective of background and ability. Stand up for Shakespeare – our manifesto for Shakespeare in Schools - is the result of that exploration.
In creating the manifesto, we have consulted with key stakeholders (including NATE, QCA, DCSF, teachers and students around the country) alongside other Shakespeare theatre specialist providers (The Globe, Shakespeare4Kidz, National Theatre, Shakespeare Schools Festival). We have been privileged to work with many schools and teachers and the manifesto sets out a vision that is inspired by existing good practice.
So what is at the heart of Stand up for Shakespeare? There are three key themes that the manifesto addresses:
- The importance of active, theatre-based approaches being used in the teaching of Shakespeare
- The importance of young people seeing live performance
- The benefits of 'playing' with Shakespeare from an earlier age
In short, the messages are Do it, See it and Start it earlier.
Why Do it?
Whilst many students and adults enjoy reading Shakespeare, our experience has shown that the majority of students benefit from using active, theatre-based approaches. These approaches lead to a more detailed understanding of the text and we believe that the reading of text becomes more sophisticated after students have explored some of its interpretive possibilities in a practical way. It's interesting to reflect on changes happening within higher education that support this idea. For example Warwick University, along with other leading higher education institutions, is increasingly making the practical exploration of text a key part of undergraduate English study and they are currently running a module called 'Shakespeare without chairs'.
Why See it?
As a theatre company, we believe in the power of live performance and that this experience is essential in helping young people to understand the richness of the plays. In promoting the importance of the live experience, we set a challenge for ourselves and other theatre companies to ensure that we provide high quality productions, accessible to young people and supported by activities and resources that offer a deeper opportunity for engagement.
Why Start it earlier?
We passionately believe in the importance of young people having access to Shakespeare from an earlier age. The primary classroom can be the perfect place to introduce text, language and story in a way that generates an excitement about Shakespeare that will continue into secondary education
We would like you to sign up in support of the manifesto and add your voice to the growing movement for change. We also hope that you will tell us about how the work you do supports the manifesto's recommendations.
For more detailed information:
