Fundraising Pack
Introduction
“This year my school was happy to pay up because they could see the benefit to our participating
students so clearly.”
Shakespeare Schools Festival (SSF) is a charity
The registration fee to take part in the Festival is £850 (ex VAT)
SSF cover the remaining cost of participation in the festival for you. In 2014 the average cost
of participation per school was £1767.
"You can’t put a price on seeing those children come on the stage. You can’t put a price on it. It was
worth every single penny, and twice as much."
At SSF we believe that every school should have the opportunity to participate in our Festival. With
this in mind we have produced the following pack to provide some ideas and suggestions of ways to
raise all, or a portion of, the registration fee.
Many of these fundraising ideas have been tried and tested by previous SSF Teacher Directors. We
are always looking for new ideas and ways to approach the issue of funding. If you have discovered
something new please let us know at enquiries@ssf.uk.com or call the office on: 02076011800
You can also tell us your fundraising stories via our social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
YouTube) using the hashtag #SSFfundraising. When you have your website login feel free to share
your fundraising ideas in the Green Room.
This pack is constantly being updated so keep checking our website for the latest version and
new fundraising ideas.
“My school loves my results and agrees that these festivals help students achieve the highest grades,
(48% A/A*) therefore money is found.”
“Be not afraid of greatness”
What does the registration fee pay
for?
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Support
Teacher Director CPD Workshop: a day’s training on how to introduce your students to
Shakespeare, training on how to direct your play, a chance to meet other teachers in your
region
Additional Inclusive Performance Workshop for Special School Teacher Directors
Primary School Teacher’s conference
A Cast Workshop - working alongside another school
5 extra students (marketing, technical) can get involved in the Cast Workshops
Technical resources, including an online interactive programme to show the effect of the 12
lighting states and an example cue list
Your Teacher Director and Cast Workshops are run by industry professionals with years of
experience who are all SSF-trained
Your Venue Managers are trained separately by SSF
Lots of support from the SSF Team, including your own Regional Coordinator
Resources
Teacher Director Handbook with all the information you need for the Festival process
Access to 21 abridged Shakespeare scripts
9 Scripts specially abridged for Primary Schools
Examples of scripts adapted by Special School teachers
Notes from Teacher Workshops
Online resources including: Green Room area - forum to discuss your ideas and concerns with
other teachers, dressing room warm ups, ideas on how to link the plays more widely within the
statutory curriculum, personal and social development links, curriculum links for citizenship and
PSHE
Downloadable resources on using SSF for Arts Award
A marketing pack for Marketing Students
Box office information
Marketing tips/resources including: example press release, poster and flyer templates, MP
invitation
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The Performance Day
The chance for your students to perform in a professional theatre to a paying audience
A professional tech/dress rehearsal
The chance to be included in a professional programme
Cast Lists are provided at the performance
An appraisal from the Venue Director after the performances
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The Experience
Chance to work with other schools and integrate with your community
A Certificate of Achievement for students
OK, that sounds great!
Have you thought about...
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Sharing the fee between departments?
This is a great way to make the festival cross-curricular. Here are
some suggestions that have worked in the past:
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Music and Dance departments, with both contributing an element to the performance
Art departments can get involved in creating props and costumes
There are roles for students interested in photography, poster design, journalism, press and
marketing
History (and even Geography) students could research the play’s context and provide
information relating to the play for display in school and in the theatre foyer
Business Studies students can be involved as Marketing Students (SSF runs a Marketing
Student programme, including a mini seminar on the Cast Workshop day)
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Using a portion of your Teacher CPD budget to go towards the Teacher Director workshop
day?
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Working with your local primary or secondary school?
This may open up avenues for funding as many schools have money budgeted for transition projects
between secondary schools and their feeder primary schools.
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Asking your PTA, Lions Group (or similar) to contribute?
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Exploring the following learning development funds?
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Cognition and Learning
Raising Student Performance
Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)
Using Extended Schools or Specialist School budgets, if available?
Can I access any funding linked to national school
strategies?
How about Pupil Premium…
SSF is a great way to spend your Pupil Premium funding.
“Be not afraid of greatness”
Our aim is to engage pupils in their education, inspire teachers
in their jobs and create community ties. We offer this
experience to all children regardless of background, ability or
location.
Sir John Dunford, the Government's Pupil Premium Champion, has advocated the use of
Pupil Premium on Shakespeare Schools Festival:
“Indeed I would encourage [headteachers to spend Pupil Premium on SSF] as a way of
building the skills and life experience of disadvantaged children”
But how do we demonstrate the impact of this?
We understand that this can be a concern and that headteachers may want to demonstrate
the impact of participation in SSF to Ofsted as they explain how they have spent the money
and what it has achieved.
Think about it like this…
“It is right to spend [Pupil Premium] on broadening the experience of disadvantaged children,
who are likely to have a narrower experience in their lives outside school” Sir John Dunford
And of course…
“The impact of such activities can be demonstrated – to Ofsted and on the school website –
by using (anonymised) case studies to tell the story of the difference that SSF has made to
the lives of the PP children taking part – in the development of their skills, their self-confidence,
etc, and any knock-on effects that this has had on their attendance and achievement at school”
Sir John Dunford
So there you have it!
If you need any extra help in making the decision to use Pupil Premium funding, do get
in touch and we can send you our great Evaluation Brochure to see how SSF makes a
difference in the lives of students and teachers alike and lets them engage with their
heritage, education and community.
Are there any fundraising schemes I might not have
heard about?
Do you know about…
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Arts Award Access Fund?
About Arts Award
“Be not afraid of greatness”
Make the most of your participation in Shakespeare Schools
Festival by accrediting your students' work.
Teacher-directed plays are most likely to map to the Discover, Explore, Bronze or Silver Arts Awards,
while student directed plays will fit well with the Gold Arts Award.
Arts Award is suitable for many students with special educational needs. Each young person follows a
plan which suits their ability and chooses appropriate ways to evidence their work.
Find out more here (www.artsaward.org.uk)
Arts Award Access Fund
The Access Fund is designed to help centres who would not be able to complete Arts Award otherwise,
rather than to enhance existing projects. Registered Arts Award centres can apply for grants of £100–
£1,500. Information about this can be found here (www.artsaward.org.uk/site)
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Your Local Trusts?
Charitable trusts are dedicated to giving money to worthy causes. Each Charitable Trust has certain
criteria for funding, depending on the interests of the trustees. You will need to find ones that support
youth education/arts projects in your area.
Tracking down your local Trusts
Here are some useful websites for finding grant opportunities:
www.grants4schools.info/page/case-studies;
www.school-enterprise.com/fundraising/ongoing_grants
You can also check out your local library, or Citizens Advice Bureau, for a list of local trusts.
A great idea is to have a look at your local theatre website too to see if they are supported by local
trusts.
The application process
Most trusts will require you to fill in an application form. If you’re not sure whether you fit into their
criteria, just give the trust secretary or grants officer a call.
Some trusts may require you to write them a letter with your proposal. A template letter can be found
at the end of this pack and may give you some ideas on how to go about explaining why you need
funding for SSF.
Trusts to get you started:
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Boots Charitable Trust
Limited to the company's home area of Nottinghamshire, this supports charities and voluntary
groups involved in health, education and social care.
Find out more here
(www.bootsuk.com/Corporate_Social_Responsibility/Community)
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IKEA
Supports community projects. Information can be found here
(www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/our_responsibility/applying_for_support/applying_for_supp
ort)
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WHSmith Trust
WHSmith Trust provides grants to support the voluntary efforts of WHSmith staff in their local
communities. The Trust will match employee fundraising up to £1000 and team fundraising up to
the value of £2,000
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The Asda Foundation
Contact your local store to apply. For more information click here
(www.your.asda.com/asda-foundation)
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Starbucks and Youth Action
16+ year-olds can get up to £2000 to run a community change project (like SSF) in their local area;
more information can be found here (www.ukyouth.org/latest-news-hidden/item/312-starbucksyouth-action-supporting-community-change-projects)
Covering additional costs:
The Trusts below could be used to cover the costs of, and time involved in, props and costumes
(as these are not requirements of SSF, these should only be considered as additional and must
conform to SSF festival rules regarding props and costume):
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WHSmith Community Challenges
The Trust encourages employees who participate in team community challenges to complete a
specific task to benefit a local school or charity. Those involved in a team challenge can apply for
up to £250 per project to cover the cost of materials or equipment used in the challenge.
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B&Q -Waste Donation
The waste donation scheme is a system where, at the store manager's discretion, goods no long
available for sale can be donated to schools, community groups and charities. To find out more
click here
(www.diy.com/diy/jsp/corporate/content/environment_ethics/ethics/community/waste_donation)
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I want to fundraise in school, but I am worried about
how much time it will take.
Don’t worry; get your students to take the lead:
Fundraising is a great way to begin the process of collaboration and communication that is at
the heart of any good show!
Fundraising provides the perfect starting point for your Marketing Students. Not only does it
begin the process of creating that all important ‘buzz’ around your production, it can also be a
way for students not involved as actors to get a real sense of ownership of their production.
Why not think about it like this?
If you have 20 cast members and each raises £25 you will cover over half the registration fee.
Below are some tried and tested fundraising ideas to get you started:
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A non-uniform day for SSF participation
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A School Auction
Individuals pledge a service which can be bid on. E.g. ‘‘I pledge to bake a cake for the highest bidder’’;
‘‘I pledge to perform a Shakespeare sonnet’’ etc.
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Attempt to break a Guinness World Record
This also offers a fantastic opportunity to drum up support from the local community and create a buzz
around your school’s performance.
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Sports match
Staff v students or crazy costume matches.
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Sponsored activities
Ask people to sponsor bike rides, dance-a-thons, car washing events.
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Fundraising events
Part of each person’s ticket money goes directly to your fund. How about a charity gig, fashion show
or themed party?
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Bake sale
Alternatively, sell toasted sandwiches or smoothies and fruit kebabs over the summer
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Quiz
Get your students to create a short quiz (or use the template included). Some schools have used small
prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd as an added incentive
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Bag Packing
Contact a local retail business (usually a supermarket) and arrange with them for the students to
fundraise in store by offering to help pack shoppers bags. A bucket is usually placed at the end of the
check out and shoppers donate as a thank you for the service
Usually the request to bag pack has to be sent in writing to the general manager with a specific date
request and students then go in and do a set time of bag packing.
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The Smarties Challenge
Buy (or asks a store to sponsor) tubes of Smarties and give them out to your class. Pupils can then
eat the chocolate and fill the empty tubes with 20p coins. A prize could be given to the person who fills
their tube the fastest/fills the most tubes. A full tube contains £15!
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Bag2School
“Be not afraid of greatness”
Parents and friends are asked to donate old clothing that they no
longer want or need and Bag to school arrange a mutually agreed
time to pick up the bags. The collection is then weighed and you are paid £500 per tonne (50p per kilo)
for your unwanted textiles. For more details click here (www.bag2school.com/u/k/home)
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Sell your old/broken mobile phones
Advertise in school and ask staff, students, friends and family to donate any old, broken or unused
mobile phones. These can then be sold to any of the services below for cash. The phones are either
used for parts or recycled - so you are not only helping to save the environment but making some
valuable money to help fund your production.
www.envirofone.com/trade
www.mazumamobile.com
www.mobilephonexchange.co.uk
www.fonebank.com
More websites with loads of ideas: www.better-fundraising-ideas.com/school-fundraising
www.how2fundraise.org/fundraising-ideas/fundraising-ideas-for-schools
Resources
Sponsorship Form
Name
Contact Details
“Be not afraid of greatness”
£ / unit
Total
Amount
Paid
Example Brainteaser Quiz
Our school group is taking part in Shakespeare Schools Festival this year. SSF is the largest Youth
Drama
Festival
in
the
UK.
We will be performing [Insert play] at [Insert theatre name here].
To help us raise money for the registration fee, please take part in this brainteaser quiz. For £2 you
can support our performance.
1. Apologies! (5)
______________________________
2. Cornering the market (8)
______________________________
3. ABBA musical? No, BB musical (5)
______________________________
4. Grope about with letters (8)
______________________________
5. Rubbish! (10)
______________________________
6. To be played until you die (3,4,2,4)
______________________________
7. Californian cowboy (8)
______________________________
8. Longest running board game? (5,4)
______________________________
9. Appendectomy or tonsillectomy (9)
______________________________
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10. ‘‘I am playing’’ said the Roman (4)
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11. Brrrrr! (8)
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12. Chance (4)
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13. Stern ham (10)
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14. A chase of small value (7,7)
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15. Boas and damaged tights (6,3,7)
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16. Tornado (7)
______________________________
17. Startle with amazement (6)
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18. Sound of a big stone hitting the water (8)
______________________________
19. Brain Container (7)
______________________________
20. Take a hint and act on it (6)
______________________________
I’d love to get local businesses involved in our
Performance.
Many local businesses have money available for projects involving young people or the arts. This
section contains a step-by-step guide to approaching local businesses and these extra resources:
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A template approach letter - to help you make the perfect funding application
A template thank you letter to send out if your application is successful.
Step 1: Decide on Your Campaign
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Work out what you want from the business. For example, do you want them to fund your
registration fee, or just travel expenses?
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If you have already secured your registration fee but need non-monetary help, why not apply
for in-kind support? This is a non-financial request, e.g. asking for printing services for your
posters, or a spare meeting room for rehearsals.
Step 2: Make a List of Businesses to Contact
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Find out which businesses support your local theatre and use your school/ youth group’s links
with businesses. Do any of your university governors or school PTA members work in local
companies?
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Make a list of businesses on your local high street, e.g. Law Firms, Estate Agents, etc.
Step 3: Make Contact with Your Businesses
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You should direct your request for support to a specific
person at each company before writing to them. This will
make your approach more personal. Call your businesses and find out the name of the person
who would deal with sponsorship applications; this may be the press/marketing person or
manager.
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Include your company logo or photos on your approach letter (p.15) and involve your marketing
team.
Step 4: Thank them for their support
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If they agree to help, remember to thank them – you could use our template thank you letter
(p.16)
I have a business sponsor, how do I look after them?
Any business sponsors you gain should be recognised and thanked for their kind support
during the Festival process. This can be done in a variety of ways:
Updates
Why not ask your marketing team to send sponsors a couple of monthly updates? It keeps donors in
touch and it is another opportunity for sponsors to be recognised publicly.
Publicity
Send copies of the posters, flyers and other publicity produced by your marketing team to sponsors.
Closer to the event, SSF will produce posters which you can also use which can be downloaded from
the SSF website.
Perform
Offer to perform a scene or couple of excerpts for your business sponsors, for example at a company
event. It would be a great opportunity to perform in front of a live audience after the Festival.
Invitations
Invite your sponsors to the performance, with detailed information about the evening. They will want
to see the results of their donation and all your hard work.
A thank you from your students
A thank you letter put together by your students after the Festival can be really nice touch
“Be not afraid of greatness”
Resources
Template Letter to Businesses
[Insert business contact name]
[Insert business address]
[Insert date]
Dear [Insert business contact name],
[Insert School name] invite you and your business to support our participation in Shakespeare
Schools Festival (SSF). SSF is a charity and it is the largest youth drama festival in the UK. In 2013,
25,000 young people had the chance to experience the genius of Shakespeare through the Festival.
The project will allow us to perform an abridged Shakespeare play at [Insert theatre name].
The Festival will help students at [name of School] to significantly develop their confidence,
communication and teamwork skills; which will benefit them as they move from education into the
workplace. Sir Tom Stoppard, playwright and Shakespeare Schools Festival patron has said of the
Festival:
“Had I encountered something like Shakespeare Schools Festival, I believe my life at age fourteen
would have bounced forward over some of the inhibitions and incomprehensions of adolescence.
Childhood deserves such luck.”
The Shakespeare Schools Festival introduces young people to the excitement and discipline of live
theatre. Through workshops and performance it enables them to aim high, challenge, support and
inspire each other, and take pride in their achievements.
As a registered charity, SSF requires each group to contribute £850 + VAT towards the cost of
participation. We would like to invite [insert business name] to help support our registration fee for
this unique project. The registration fee includes:
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Teacher Director training day
Workshops for cast and crew
Access to specially abridged scripts and resources.
Theatre hire, staff, technicians and publicity
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As well as investing in your community, by supporting [insert
School name], you would receive the following business benefits:
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[Insert any benefits you would like to offer your local business as incentives]
We do hope that you can join us in this exciting venture. Please contact me on [Insert contact number
and/or email] and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
[Teacher Director name]
Template Thank You Letter
[Insert business contact name]
[Insert business address]
[Insert date]
Dear [insert business contact name],
On behalf of [insert School name], can I offer our sincere thanks for your support of our participation
in Shakespeare Schools Festival. We have chosen to perform [Insert play choice] at [insert theatre
name]. We are now looking forward to starting work on our production, with rehearsals and theatre
training commencing in [insert month] for a performance on [insert performance dates- you will
know these from June].
In return for your support, [insert School name] would like to offer you the following business benefits:
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[Insert here any business benefits you would like to offer your sponsor (e.g. free tickets
to your performance]
If you have any further questions about business benefits or our participation in Shakespeare Schools
Festival, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
With best wishes and thanks,
[Teacher Director name]
“Be not afraid of greatness”