Learn Associate Schools Programme Playmaking Festival Playmaking Festival A celebration of young people and their creativity across the country. Each year, in schools across the country, young people create performances through the Associate Schools Programme. These Playmaking Festivals take place in schools, theatre across the country and here in Stratford-upon-Avon. This work is deeply routed in the artistic practice of our company. Young people and their teachers approach these texts as our actors do; something to be explored and understood together as we create performance. Playmaking Festivals 2025 This year young people from our Associate Schools in 24 regions will perform in Playmaking Festivals in their schools and community venues. The Playmaking Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon will take place in June and young people from across our Associate Schools Programme will come together to perform a new version of King Lear. Hamlet 2024 In the Playmaking Festival 2024 young people from across our Associate Schools came together to celebrate their work with Shakespeare in the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, with a performance of Hamlet. The Wood of Words or In Every Leaf In the Playmaking Festival, 2023, 265 young people performed a brand-new production celebrating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio, the Wood of Words, written especially for the Playmaking Festival by Chris White and Hannah Khalil. Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC Browse and license our images Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC Browse and license our images Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC Browse and license our images Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC Browse and license our images Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC Browse and license our images Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC Browse and license our images Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC Browse and license our images Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC Browse and license our images Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC Browse and license our images Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC Browse and license our images Launch Gallery Close Hide Thumbnails The work of the RSC Creative Learning and Engagement team is supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, GRoW @ Annenberg, The Polonsky Foundation, The Thompson Family Charitable Trust and other generous supporters. You are in: Learn Also in this section Also in this section Becoming an Associate SchoolAssociate School BenefitsAssociate Schools - FAQsBecoming a Lead Associate School < Back to Associate Schools Programme You may also like