What our Cultural Partners are saying…
The Abbotsford Trust
www.scottsabbotsford.co.uk
Press contact: Dr Sandra Mackenzie
E: sandra.mackenzie@scottsabbotsford.co.uk
T: 01896 752043
“Sir Walter Scott had a deep love and respect for Shakespeare, to whom he gave
credit for inspiring him in his literary career. Now that we have a learning and
engagement programme in place, we are keen to promote the great contribution that
Shakespeare made and to bring this to new audiences in a relevant and accessible
way through Shakespeare Week.”
Dr Sandra Mackenzie, Learning and Engagement Officer, The Abbotsford Trust
Arts Award
www.artsaward.org.uk
Press contact: Tora Soderlind
E: tora.soderlind@trinitycollege.co.uk
T: 020 7820 6181
“We share the belief that Shakespeare is a timeless author who has relevance for all
young people. Shakespeare Week is exciting in that it is working with such a wide
range of cultural partners to provide inspiring opportunities for young people to
engage in Shakespeare through a variety of art forms and heritage as well.
We hope that many schools who take part in Shakespeare Week and use the
Passport to Shakespeare will see the value in delivering their activities through Arts
Award, which is managed by Trinity College London in association with Arts Council
England. We plan to work with Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in the lead up to the
first Shakespeare Week to ensure that schools can clearly see the value that
engaging with Shakespeare and delivering Arts Award can bring to their children.”
Alice Young, Head of Arts Programmes, Arts Award
Ashmolean Museum
www.ashmolean.org
Press contact: Jo Rice
E: jo.rice@ashmus.ox.ac.uk
T: 01865 288181
“The Ashmolean has stunning and unusual objects from Shakespeare’s time and
objects, inspired by the plays and characters he created. We are delighted to take
this wonderful opportunity to link in with this national programme.”
Jo Rice, Head of Education, Ashmolean Museum
Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre
www.bosworthbattlefield.com
Press contact: Steve Pumfrey
E: steve.pumfrey@leics.gov.uk
T: 0116 305 8284
“Bosworth Battlefield is a site of national historic significance, being the location of
the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. It is infamous as the place where King Richard III lost
his life and crown to Henry Tudor and thus where the Tudor dynasty was born.
Shakespeare immortalised Richard III, a King betrayed, unhorsed, surrounded by his
enemies and finally calling out ‘A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.’
Bosworth is the ideal venue to bring the story of Richard III and the Battle of
Bosworth alive and Shakespeare Week offers a fantastic opportunity for us to reach
young audiences and celebrate his legacy.”
Kath Perry, Learning and Engagement Manager, Leicestershire County Council
The Churches Conservation Trust
www.visitchurches.org.uk
Press contact: Laoise Bailey
E: lbailey@thecct.org.uk
T: 020 7841 0415 / 07831 873 515
“The life, time and legacy of Shakespeare can be seen in the different sites that The
CCT looks after. Shakespeare Week echoes our mission to protect and share the
architecture, history and stories behind these sites.”
Marie Sellars, Heritage Learning Officer (West), The Churches Conservation Trust
Digital Theatre Plus
www.digitaltheatreplus.com
Press contact: Fiona Lindsay
E: Fiona.lindsay@digitaltheatreplus.com
T: 020 7734 1802 / 07836 767486
“The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Digital Theatre Plus share a passion and
purpose in their commitment to providing young people with a rich and rewarding
experience of theatre and the creative arts regardless of financial, geographical or
social constraint.
Both organisations believe access to quality creative and cultural experiences
enhance learning and deepen understanding. By working together on Shakespeare
Week, the ambition is to provide a nationwide opportunity for young people to have
access to great theatre and those that make it.”
Fiona Lindsay, Creative Producer, Digital Theatre Plus
English Heritage Education
www.english-heritage.org.uk/education
Press contact: Victoria Rugg
E: victoria.rugg@english-heritage.org.uk
T: 01793 445093 / 07880 558462
“We support learning outside the classroom through all subjects, including English
and Drama, and how better to do this than by linking the performance of
Shakespeare to our historic properties through Shakespeare Week? Some of our
properties have a connection, if not with the Bard himself, then with Queen Elizabeth
I, who inspired his writing.”
Francesca Lashmar, Education Manager SE, English Heritage Education
The English-Speaking Union
www.esu.org
Press contact: Michael Pryke
E: michael.pryke@esu.org
T: 020 7529 1572
“The words of William Shakespeare are key to English having become the global
language and The English-Speaking Union wish to celebrate this fact through taking
part in Shakespeare Week.”
Steve Roberts, Director of Charitable Activities, The English-Speaking Union
FILMCLUB
www.filmclub.org
Press contact: Tom Doyle
E: tom@filmclub.org
T: 020 7288 4520
“FILMCLUB is taking part in Shakespeare Week to help bring to life the playwright’s
work for young people through the medium of film. Shakespeare’s plays have been
adapted countless times for the big screen and provide a perfect entry point into his
work, inspiring a lifelong passion for both Shakespeare and cinema.”
Jane Fletcher, Schools Support Director, FILMCLUB
Firstlooktv
www.firstlooktv.co.uk
Press contact: Will Hanrahan
E: will@firstlooktv.co.uk
T: 01789 450425 / 07711 005404
“This inspirational week will take the poetry and humanity of Shakespeare into
classrooms in every community in the country. It will translate his observations of life
and universal truths into a language that everyone, young and old, rich and poor, can
understand. For one week, we will all be touched by the word of the Bard.”
Will Hanrahan, Creative Director, Firstlooktv
Gazebo Theatre in Education
www.gazebotie.org
Press contact: Michael O’Hara
E: michael.ohara@gazebotie.org
T: 01902 497222
“We aim to bring the National Curriculum to life, to help young people learn about
their historical, cultural and literary heritage in an exciting and dynamic way. One of
the main corner stones of this heritage is the work of Shakespeare.”
Michael O’Hara, Artistic Director, Gazebo Theatre in Education
Heritage Services, Bath & North East Somerset Council
www.romanbaths.co.uk
www.fashionmuseum.co.uk
Press contact: Maggie Bone
E: maggie_bone@bathnes.gov.uk
T: 01225 477737
“We want to take part in Shakespeare Week to highlight our collections in new ways
to the local school community. We have objects from the period which can be used
to give background and context to Shakespeare’s time.”
Lindsey Braidley, Learning and Programmes Co-ordinator, Heritage Services, Bath &
North East Somerset Council
John Clare Cottage
www.clarecottage.org
Press contact: Kay Marsden
E: events@clarecottage.org
T: 01733 253330
“We are a literary house working with schools and community groups. As a
quintessentially ‘English’ poet, John Clare was passionate about literature and the
landscape and naturally fits with Shakespearian themes such as politics and power,
the land, rural characters, song.”
Sara Blair-Manning, Chief Executive, John Clare Cottage
Knebworth House
www.knebworthhouse.com
Press contact: Julie Loughlin
E: jloughlin@knebworthhouse.com
T: 01438 812661
“Knebworth is a Tudor house with a proud literary heritage and is keen to make a
contribution to celebrating the legacy of this most important writer through
Shakespeare Week.”
Martha Lytton Cobbold, Managing Director, Knebworth House
Library of Birmingham
www.libraryofbirmingham.com
Press contact: Lucy Kamenova
E: lucy.kamenova@birmingham.gov.uk
T: 0121 303 3720
“We would like to use Shakespeare Week to introduce school children to
Shakespeare outside the classroom, using our resources to make his legacy
accessible and relevant to the multicultural population of Birmingham.”
Lucy Kamenova, Birmingham Shakespeare Library, Library of Birmingham
Mary Rose Trust
www.maryrose.org
Press contact: Sally Tyrrell
E: s.tyrrell@maryrose.org
T: 02392 750521
“The Mary Rose Trust is committed to encouraging children and their families to
explore our Tudor past. The collection of artefacts from Henry VIII’s flagship provides
a unique insight into Tudor life from music and games to ships and weaponry.”
Mary Kinoulty, Head of Learning, Mary Rose Trust
The National Trust
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Press contact: Helen Lyman Smith
E: helen.lymansmith@nationaltrust.org.uk
T: 01789 761385
“Many of the places that the National Trust cares for today would have been
recognisable to Shakespeare; they are doorways into our national past and are
brought to life through the stories of the people who lived and worked there. The
National Trust supports Shakespeare Week in its aim to spark children’s
imaginations and engage them with our heritage.”
Beccy Speight, Regional Director (Midlands), The National Trust
Orchestra of the Swan
www.orchestraoftheswan.org
Press contact: Zoe Haines
E: zoe@orchestraoftheswan.org
T: 01789 267567
“Music develops confidence and builds self-esteem, and has been proven to aid
concentration and behaviour. Shakespeare is full of vitality and relevance for today’s
students, and our work is designed to help pupils discover their own voices through
engaging with his. As part of Shakespeare Week, we’re looking utilise our musicians,
composers, drama leaders and poets to engage with KS2 pupils by creating a
selection of scenes and songs in workshops, combining material from Shakespeare’s
plays and poems with original student responses.”
David Curtis, Artistic Director, Orchestra of the Swan
Royal Shakespeare Company
www.rsc.org.uk/education/resources/
Press contact: Amy Belson
E: amy.belson@rsc.org.uk
T: 01789 412622
“We want to ensure that first encounters with Shakespeare’s work are vivid,
accessible and enjoyable so that children and young people can form a life-long
relationship with Shakespeare, theatre-going and theatre-making.”
Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Education, Royal Shakespeare Company
Sampad
www.sampad.org.uk
Press contact: Simi Obra
E: simi@sampad.org.uk
T: 0121 446 3266
“As part of our 2013/2014 education programme for schools, we are offering creative
workshops that aim to improve the use of English through creative writing, poetry,
storytelling and performance related activities. One of our core workshops focuses
on the Bengali poet, writer and polymath Rabindranath Tagore. We are aiming to
incorporate Shakespeare’s works as part of this, in order to examine key themes
such as empowerment and love as seen through the eyes of these literary giants, so
that new generations can take inspiration from their hugely influential writing.”
Rabiyah K. Latif, Education Programme Co-ordinator, Sampad
Seven Stories, National Centre for Children’s Books
www.sevenstories.org.uk
Press contact: Lauren Regan
E: lauren.regan@sevenstories.org.uk
T: 0845 271 0777 X 705
“We are thrilled to have been invited to be part of this exciting initiative, and are
looking forward to bringing Shakespeare to life for a variety of students via our
interactive workshops.”
Lisa Moll, Learning Liaison Co-ordinator, Seven Stories
Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory
www.sattf.org.uk
Press contact: Morag Massey
E: morag@sattf.org.uk
T: 0117 963 3054 / 07789 021851
“Shakespeare Week is a national initiative from Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which
echoes Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory’s (SATTF’s) main educational aims: to
make Shakespeare’s plays accessible to everyone, particularly young people, and to
show Shakespeare’s relevance as undiminished, seeking to make the worlds of his
plays real and fresh and to encourage new audiences.”
Andrew Hilton, Artistic Director, Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory
Shakespeare Schools Festival
www.ssf.uk.com
Press contact: Penelope Middelboe
E: Penelope.middelboe@ssf.uk.com
T: 020 7601 1803
“Encouraging primary school students to engage with Shakespeare is not just a good
idea, it is essential. It can unlock imagination and most importantly, give children the
language with which to articulate their complex thoughts and feelings. Through
performance, this can open up our heritage and make it relevant to everyone;
children and parents alike.”
Dominic Fitch, Creative Director, Shakespeare Schools Festival
Society of Chief Librarians
www.www.goscl.com
Press contact: Elizabeth Elford
E: elizelford@gmail.com
T: 07891 056114
“The Society of Chief Librarians supports Shakespeare Week as an important
element of the public library network.”
Janene Cox, President, Society of Chief Librarians
TES
www.tes.co.uk
Press contact: Sarah Cunnane
E: sarah.cunnane@tes.co.uk
T: 020 3194 3123
“Ben Jonson wrote that Shakespeare was ‘not of an age, but for all time.’ We have
found that nowhere is that sentiment truer than in the classroom, where teachers and
pupils alike still get as much from the Bard’s work today as they ever have. As the
largest network of teachers in the world, TES is committed to bringing the best
content into classrooms so that pupils can continue to discover and enjoy
Shakespeare’s timeless plays and poems for years to come.”
Aimee Fagan, Partnership Manager, TES
Warwickshire Library and Information Service
www.warwickshire.gov.uk
Press contact: Jan Dawson
E: jandawson@warwickshire.gov.uk
T: 01926 476767
“Warwickshire Library and Information Service is pleased to support the first
Shakespeare Week in 2014 by promoting it via our library network. We will also be
pleased to participate in any upcoming national library initiatives in addition to our
own calendar of events.”
Jan Dawson, Reader Development Librarian, Warwickshire Library and Information
Service
Weald & Downland Open Air Museum
www.wealddown.co.uk
Press contact: Carole Richmond
E: marketing2@wealddown.co.uk
T: 01243 811036
“At the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, we are keen to join this initiative in
collaboration with Chichester Festival Theatre to enthuse young people about the
works of Shakespeare and gain an understanding of what life was like for people in
this era. Both organisations work extensively with young people on topics relating
closely to this but not normally together, so our joint expertise will bring something
extra special to the week!”
Lucy Hockley, Schools Services & Project Manager, Weald & Downland Open Air
Museum
What on Earth Publishing
www.whatonearthbooks.com
Press contact: Christopher Lloyd
E: chris@whatonearthbooks.com
T: 020 3318 1003 / 07760 289589
“We are developing and publishing the What on Earth? Wallbook of Shakespeare in
partnership with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. It will be launched in spring 2014
and will feature the top 100 moments across all Shakespeare’s plays on a beautifully
illustrated book that unfolds into a 2.3m timeline for mounting on a wall. There could
be no better time to get involved with such an inspirational project as Shakespeare
Week.”
Christopher Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer, What on Earth Publishing
The Wordsworth Trust
www.wordsworth.org.uk
Press contact: Paul Kleian
E: p.kleian@wordsworth.org.uk
T: 01539 435544
“Wordsworth was hugely influenced by the works of Shakespeare and we’re really
keen to be involved in Shakespeare Week, so we can bring literature from the past
alive for the students of today. This fantastic opportunity is a great chance to explore
how Shakespeare has shaped the work of writers for hundreds of years”.
Esther Rutter, Education Development Manager, The Wordsworth Trust
For more information, please contact: Laura Sullivan / Nancy Collantine
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