Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank: 14,000 students receive free tickets to a specially-commissioned production of Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe 12 January 2011 Students from schools in every London Borough will receive free tickets to a play at Shakespeare’s Globe in March, thanks to a pioneering partnership between Globe Education and Deutsche Bank.
Over 14,000 students from 110 schools across the capital will see a specially-commissioned production of Macbeth through the Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank programme. The project is the most comprehensive education initiative ever supported by Deutsche Bank’s extensive CSR programme, and was recognised in 2009 with a Lloyds Arts & Business Innovation Prize.
In addition to attending one of the performances, students from 30 schools will receive free workshops. Training days have been provided for their teachers. Online learning resources supporting the production and the teaching of Shakespeare will be available to schools across the UK on the Playing Shakespeare website.
Patrick Spottiswoode, Director, Globe Education, commented: “At a time when arts funding is being reduced, it is particularly heartening to be able to produce a project that will provide free tickets to a Shakespeare production for over 14,000 London students. Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank will offer many students their first experience of live theatre, let alone a live Shakespeare production.”
The project is supported by a panel of celebrity patrons including Simon Callow, Peter Capaldi, Joseph Fiennes, Blake Harrison, Matthew Kelly, Gerard McCarthy, Alfred Molina, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Miranda Raison, all of whom share the belief that young people are entitled to access theatre of the highest quality.
Lending his name to the project, Blake Harrison said, “It’s so important to give teenagers the opportunity to see great works like Shakespeare from an early age. I grew up in an area of South East London where no one ever went to see live art – it was always the cinema or TV. Projects like this open up teenagers’ eyes to live theatre and give them the chance to experience Shakespeare in its purest form.”
Gerard McCarthy commented, “There’s a world of difference between reading Shakespeare on the page and watching a live performance. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to come to the theatre and see the play come alive.”
Playing Shakespeare has been generously supported by Deutsche Bank since its inception in 2007. Colin Grassie, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bank in the UK, commented: "At Deutsche Bank, we believe that culture can ignite young people's passion to learn and spur them on to exceptional achievements. We've worked with Globe Education for almost a decade on exciting projects like this to help open up a new world to students in London."
The Financial Times is the project’s media partner, for the fourth successive year.
Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank runs at Shakespeare’s Globe from 1 – 11 March 2011. More than 2500 tickets will be available for public performances on Saturday 5 March at 2pm and on Friday 11 March at 7pm. Tickets for the public performances are free, but must be reserved in advance by calling the box office on 020 7401 9919 when booking opens on Monday 21 February.
ENDS Further information and images are available from Eleanor Lovegrove at Shakespeare’s Globe Press Office on 020 7902 1468, eleanor.l@shakespearesglobe.com
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Globe Education is one of the country’s largest arts education departments. Each year, more than 100,000 people of all ages and nationalities participate in Globe Education's programme of public events, workshops and courses. Globe Education also runs an extensive programme in the Southwark community and creates national and international outreach projects for students and teachers. For more information, visit www.globe-education.org
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Deutsche Bank is a leading global investment bank with a strong and profitable private clients franchise. A leader in Germany and Europe, the bank is continuously growing in North America, Asia and key emerging markets. With 77,053 employees in 72 countries, Deutsche Bank offers unparalleled financial services throughout the world. The bank competes to be the leading global provider of financial solutions for demanding clients creating exceptional value for its shareholders and people. www.db.com
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Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank is endorsed by a panel of celebrity Patrons who share the belief that young people are entitled to access theatre of the highest quality. The full list of Patrons is: Simon Callow, Peter Capaldi, Joseph Fiennes, Blake Harrison, Paterson Joseph, Matthew Kelly, Amanda Lawrence, Alfred Molina, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Gerard McCarthy, Bunmi Mojekwu, Miranda Raison and Simon Russell Beale.
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Two of the free performances will be open to the public – on Saturday 5th March at 2pm and Friday 11th March at 7pm. The Box Office for the free performances opens on Monday 21 February and tickets can be booked by calling 020 7401 9919.
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The free online learning resources can be found on the Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank website at www.playingshakespeare.org
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The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing essential news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community, the FT has a combined paid print and digital circulation of 579,249 (Deloitte assured, September 2010) and a combined print and online average daily readership of 1.9 million people worldwide (PwC assured, May 2010). FT.com has three million registered users and the FT has 189,022 paying digital subscribers. The newspaper, printed at 24 print sites across the globe, has a daily circulation of 400,699 (ABC figures November 2010).
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The Shakespeare Globe Trust is a registered charity No.266916. The Globe receives no public subsidy.