Pupils have worked with our team of Director Mentors, as well as practitioners from our theatre partners, to rehearse a segment from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing over the past two terms.

Last week schools came together in Stratford-upon-Avon to work with the same creative team to weave the segments together and create a unique collaborative performance.

The Playmaking Festival took three different forms:

• National Playmaking: Young performers from Cornwall, Blackpool, Hull, North Staffordshire, Cumbria, County Durham and Suffolk performed their interpretations of Shakespeare’s comedy in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on 12 July.
• Local Playmaking: On 13 and 15 July, 10 schools and a college from the Stratford-upon-Avon area had their chance to perform on stage.
• Regional Playmaking took place in regional theatres and schools across the country, brought together by a dedicated website to celebrate students’ work.

All the young people who took part in the festival are part of our Associate Schools’ Programme or our Stratford Schools’ Partnership.