PUPILS PERFORM AT ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY PLAYMAKING FESTIVAL
Pupils from across the country will follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s best-known actors this summer when they perform on stage in Stratford-upon-Avon as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) annual Playmaking Festival for schools.
Between the 2nd and 14th July 2018, young people from all over the country will gather in Shakespeare’s hometown to celebrate the work they do as part of the RSC’s Associate Schools Programme and its talent development initiative, RSC Next Generation. The festival line-up includes:
- A series of short 20-minute showcases inspired by Macbeth
- A special one-off performance of Macbeth in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST)
- The first public performance by the RSC’s first young company, Next Generation ACT.
Throughout the fortnight, up to 90 students from all over the UK will present a series of short 20-minute performances inspired by Macbeth at The Other Place (TOP), the RSC’s studio theatre space. These showcase events will take place on the 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th and 10th July.
Meanwhile on 4 July 2018, 120 students from Cornwall, Blackpool, Stratford-upon-Avon, Northampton, Hull, Canterbury, Middlesborough, County Durham and North Staffordshire, will perform a special adaptation of Macbeth in the RST. Each group has worked with a director to rehearse different segments of the play which are then laced together by the RSC Young People’s Performance Developer, Robin Belfield, to create a unique, collaborative production.
The festival culminates on Saturday 14 July with the first public performance by the RSC’s new young company of actors, Next Generation ACT. Made up of 20 young people aged between 13 and 17, Next Generation ACT is one strand of RSC Next Generation, a unique talent development programme that gives gifted young people from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to gain experience in acting, directing or backstage roles and explore whether a career in the theatre is for them. Performing at the RSC for the first time, the company will stage Sapho and Phao, John Lyly’s Elizabethan tale of infatuation, jealousy and social status.
Whilst in Stratford-upon-Avon the children will also be able to hone their theatre making skills in a number of workshops and masterclasses led by actors and creatives from the RSC.
Commenting on the Festival, Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Education, said:
“When schools join our Associate Schools programme they commit to working in long term partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company and their regional theatre. At the heart of that work is a passion for making theatre together, whether that’s working on a scene in a classroom or staging a performance in a school hall or theatre. Our Playmaking Festival celebrates the talents of the young people, teachers and theatres that we are privileged to work in partnership with. It’s a celebration of the profound impact that partnerships between schools and theatres can have on the lives of students, partnerships forged out of a shared vision for education in which access to the arts plays a central part.
“It is particularly thrilling that for the first time this year, the festival includes the first public performance by our Next Generation company of young actors, all recruited through our Associate Schools.”
The performances as part of the Playmaking Festival are open to members of the public. Performances are ticketed and cost £3. To reserve tickets please call the Education Box Office on 01789 403434.
For more information about RSC Education and the work it does in schools nationwide, please visit www.rsc.org.uk/education.
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For more information contact: Jo Hammond on 07739 330294 or jo.hammond@rsc.org.uk
Notes to editors:
The Associate Schools programme is supported by PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATION, THE POLONSKY FOUNDATION and THE ERNEST COOK TRUST
RSC Next Generation is generously supported by THE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER FOUNDATION, THE HAROLD HYAM WINGATE FOUNDATION and THE JOHN S COHEN FOUNDATION
About RSC Associate Schools Programme
The RSC Associate Schools Programme is the RSC’s long-term partnership programme with over 200 schools and 11 regional theatre partners nationwide that aims to immerse teachers and students in a new approach to teaching Shakespeare, based on the techniques RSC actors use in rehearsals.
The Associate Schools programme is our partnership programme with regional theatres and schools across England. It is built around the principle of schools working in local partnerships to develop communities of practice inspired by Shakespeare’s work. We aim for each local partnership to consist of a Lead Associate School who in turn recruits a number of Associate Schools. In many cases these local partnerships include a regional theatre as well as the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Schools that are interested in becoming a Lead school need to demonstrate a commitment to the teaching of Shakespeare at levels of the school, including governors and senior leadership. They also recruit and coordinate a cluster of up to ten Associate Schools in their area. The programme aims to enrich the teaching, learning and performance of Shakespeare’s work nationally.
The Associate Schools programme is open to any state-maintained primary, secondary and special schools in England, particularly those serving areas of socio-economic disadvantage.
Further information can be found at www.rsc.org.uk/education.
About RSC Next Generation
From the first ever RSC young company of actors, to discovering the next generation of directors, managers and theatre specialists, RSC Next Generation, is a unique talent development programme that gives gifted young people from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to gain experience and explore whether a career in the theatre is for them.
The programme has three strands;
- ACT: Up to 24 talented youngsters aged 13-18 will join RSC Next Generation to hone and develop their skills as actors.
- DIRECT: This strand is for young people aged 18+ who demonstrate the obvious creative leadership and directing skills needed to take a play from page to stage.
- BACKSTAGE: Each year 40 - 50 students aged 13-18 are given a ‘Backstage Pass’ to discover what goes on behind the scenes to bring each production to life.