Our Education plans for the year ahead include tuition for our first ever company of young actors, the chance for students to act with the professional Romeo and Juliet cast and for 50 schools to make a version of Matilda The Musical their school play.
Talent Development
Twenty young people, aged 12-16, have joined our first ever talent-based young company, RSC Next Generation ACT. Young people can stay with the company until they are 18, honing their talents with support, tuition, training and mentoring led by some of the country’s leading actors and theatre practitioners.
RSC Associate Schools programme
In September, 240 new schools from across the country will join our groundbreaking RSC Associate Schools programme, joining 500+ schools and 11 regional theatre partners nationwide. Young people will get the chance to act alongside our professional cast in Romeo and Juliet. Each night four students from Associate Schools in the Midlands, London and the touring locations, will share the role of the Chorus with the main cast.
On 22 June 2018 we will host a two-day headteachers’ conference Shakespeare: Leading the culture for learning in your school, looking at the impact that our approaches to teaching Shakespeare can have on students – particularly those with lower than average language skills.
New technology
Working with Google Expeditions, we launch a virtual tour of our theatres on 30 September, going behind the scenes to reveal our history, what’s involved in staging a show and reveal backstage careers.
Students can have a rare glimpse into the creative process with our new live-streamed rehearsals broadcast directly into classrooms up and down the country, and can ask the actors and directors questions.
Teacher Professional Development
Teachers can now be recognised as experts in teaching Shakespeare thanks to our new series of Teaching Shakespeare certificates. Open to teachers in any primary, secondary or special school in the UK, they give teachers at all stages of their careers experience in using RSC rehearsal based techniques in their own classrooms.
Performing around the UK
First Encounters with Shakespeare: Julius Caesar
This abridged version of the play for young people and their families seeing Shakespeare for the first time will come to schools and theatres across the UK. At each performance, students will take on the role of ‘Citizens of Rome’, writing songs to welcome Caesar to the citadel and making part of the set.
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Matilda The Musical across the UK and Ireland
Next year our award-winning Matilda The Musical begins its first UK-wide tour. Alongside the show is Change My Story, a new education programme devised with our regional theatre partners. State schools can apply for one of 50 places to become a Change My Story Champion School. They will:
- Stage a 45-minute version of Matilda the Musical as their school play
- Undertake a two-year programme of creative work
- Have professional development and training opportunities for teachers
- Work with five other local schools to share the skills and knowledge