BACK TO SCHOOL: RSC AND SAMSUNG INVITE YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET IN THE ZONE
BACK TO SCHOOL: ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY (RSC) AND SAMSUNG INVITE YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET IN THE ZONE
Shakespeare Learning Zone launches Monday 3 September – the most in-depth online resource ever for young people about Shakespeare’s plays
As another academic year gets underway, The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is using its unique archives and expertise in staging Shakespeare, along with Samsung’s technology expertise, to help 11-18-year-olds get to grips with Shakespeare.
The RSC Shakespeare Learning Zone launches on 3 September and will become the most comprehensive online Shakespeare guide of its kind giving pupils the skills and confidence to master his plays.
The site has been developed over two years, including months of research and consultation with students and their teachers, to understand exactly what support they need in the classroom, at home and when preparing for exams. Following extensive online testing, further touches will be completed on the site over the summer, with more plays being added each term.
Through the Shakespeare Learning Zone young people and their teachers can access:
- hundreds of RSC production photographs, videos and interactive content that help pupils unpack Shakespeare’s plots, characters, language, literary devices and themes
- step-by-step plot guides and timelines
- PEE[1] grids to test the knowledge of young people at different stages of their learning
- interactive features, including videos and photos from past RSC productions and character maps that brings characters and their relationships to life
Launching initially with seven of Shakespeare’s best-known plays, two new plays will be added each term to create a comprehensive online bank of resources for pupils and teachers. The site also allows students to select the level of information relevant to them and their studies from basic plot overviews, timelines and character maps to in-depth explorations of linguistic techniques, character relations, themes, plot, key scenes and language analysis.
RSC Education works with thousands of young people and teachers each year, using rehearsal room techniques to transform experiences of Shakespeare in school. Rehearsal rooms are intense learning environments, just like classrooms, and the RSC believe that young people take ownership of Shakespeare’s work when they are on their feet and speaking the words aloud.
The Shakespeare Learning Zone uses video tutorials and clips to take students behind the scenes to discover what strategies RSC actors and directors use in rehearsals to break down key passages, explore scenes and unlock the plays.
Talking about the resource, Jacqui O’Hanlon, RSC Director of Education, said:
“We believe that all young people can enjoy and take ownership of Shakespeare’s plays regardless of their age, background or perceived ability.
“We wanted to create an online space that supports young people in their Shakespeare studies at any stage of their learning, from students who want to quickly access information about the story to those who want to delve deeper into different interpretations of the plays. The site means we can share some of the skills and tools we use at the RSC to really get under the skin of the plays and understand the techniques and devices common in Shakespeare’s work.
“Our aim is to build young peoples’ confidence and ultimately help them take ownership of Shakespeare’s work so that even when faced with a scene or speech they haven’t studied, they have to tools to unlock it.”
The site is ideal for independent learning or as part of a scheme of work in the classroom. It currently features Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, The TempestandJulius Caesar. Additional plays will be added each term and content will continue to evolve to create a unique resource for students and teachers.
The Shakespeare Learning Zone can be found and reviewed at: https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone. Please note the website is being further refined and improved over the summer, in advance of the launch in September.
BACK TO SCHOOL:OTHER KEY DATES FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2018/19
Alongside the RSC’s ongoing national schools’ partnership programme (Associate Schools) and regular workshops and courses for teachers and students, the RSC has announced a number of key dates for the academic year 2018/19:
- Sixth Form Conferences:To complement RSC main stage productions, two one-day courses for KS5 students explore language, structure and interpretive choices. 18 September will focus on Macbeth; 19 November 2018 will focus on Moliere’s classic, Tartuffe.
- Theatre Skills Day: On 20 September 2018 BTEC and Drama KS4 and 5 students will explore Romeo and Juliet working with RSC Directors and Voice and Movement specialists to develop their performance skills.
- First Encounters: Comedy of Errors. Throughout October and December 2018 the RSC’s latest 90-minute production for 7-13 year olds will tour to schools and regional theatres across the country.
- Free Schools’ Broadcasts:on the 21 November, schools across the country can watch the RSC’s latest production of Romeo and Juliet in the comfort of their own classrooms. Sign up is free and students can enjoy additional content including a live Q&A with RSC actors and creatives. RSC Schools’ Broadcasts are termly.
- Primary Open Day: A Christmas Carol:on 17 January 2019 primary school groups can take part in a series of activities, workshops and backstage tours before watching a matinee performance of A Christmas Carol.
[1] Point Evidence Explain
-Ends-
Notes to Editors
For more information contact Jo Hammond on 07739 330294 or jo.hammond@rsc.org.uk or Emily Magdij on 07920 541729 or emily.magdij@rsc.org.uk
The work of RSC Education is generously supported by PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATION, THE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER FOUNDATION, THE POLONSKY FOUNDATION, THE ERNEST COOK TRUST and TAK ADVISORY LIMITED
The work of the RSC Literary Department is generously supported by THE DRUE HEINZ TRUST
Shakespeare Learning Zone is powered by Samsung.
RSC Schools' Broadcasts and Live Lessons are generously supported by Virgin Media as part of its commitment to make good things happen through digital.
About the Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company creates theatre at its best, made in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world. We produce an inspirational artistic programme each year, setting Shakespeare in context, alongside the work of his contemporaries and today’s writers.
Everyone at the RSC - from actors to armourers, musicians to technicians - plays a part in creating the world you see on stage. All our productions begin life at our Stratford workshops and theatres and we bring them to the widest possible audience through our touring, residencies, live broadcasts and online activity. So wherever you experience the RSC, you experience work made in Shakespeare’s home town.
We have trained generations of the very best theatre makers and we continue to nurture the talent of the future. We encourage everyone to enjoy a lifelong relationship with Shakespeare and live theatre. We reach 500,000 children and young people annually through our education work, transforming their experiences in the classroom, in performance and online. Registered charity no. 212481 www.rsc.org.uk.
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit Samsung Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com.
About Virgin Media
Virgin Media offers four multi award-winning services across the UK and Ireland: broadband, TV, mobile phone and landline.
Our dedicated, ultrafast network delivers the fastest widely-available broadband speeds to homes and businesses and we’re expanding this through our Project Lightning programme, which will extend our network to 17 million premises. Our interactive Virgin TV service brings live TV, thousands of hours of on-demand programming and the best apps and games to customers through a set-top box, as well as on-the-go through tablets and smartphones.
Virgin Mobile launched the world’s first virtual mobile network and offers fantastic value and innovative services with 4G connectivity. We are also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the UK and Ireland.
Through Virgin Media Business we support entrepreneurs, businesses and the public sector, delivering the fastest widely available broadband speeds and tailor-made services.
Virgin Media is part of Liberty Global, the world’s largest international TV and broadband company. Liberty Global serves 25 million customers with fixed-line services and 10.1 million mobile subscribers through operations in more than 30 countries across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.