2012 LEARNING REPORT by Bell Shakespeare

L EA R N I N G REPO RT 2012

W E A RE BE L L SHAKESPEARE

Shakespeare’s work explores human experience at its limits. It was never just meant to be read. We believe the only way to truly appreciate his work is to see it brought to life through live performance. We believe Shakespeare and other great works are not stuck in the past, but that they are the key to exploring our present and imagining our future. We value the beauty of Shakespeare’s ideas, language and imagery. His work becomes our lens, helping us find modern perspectives on timeless truths. These plays are not static. They’re constantly adapting, helping us make sense of who we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. And we’re not static either. We’ve been travelling the country for more than 22 years, bringing classic theatre to Australia, looking for new ways to educate, collaborate and recreate. Shakespeare and the other classic plays we present challenge our beliefs and urge us to see ourselves in a new light. Their ability to discover the things that make us human inspires us to make work that challenges preconceptions and encourages new interpretations and contemporary parallels… work that speaks to every age.

CONTENTS WE ARE BELL SHAKESPEARE

DIGITAL INNOVATION AND ONLINE INTERACTION

Romeo And Juliet Live Stream Performance Romeo And Juliet Live Stream Q&A Digital Workshops via Sydney Opera House Social Media

2012 IN REVIEW Head of Education, Joanna Erskine THE PLAYERS The 2012 Players Report from Teresa Jakovich

8 14

IN THEATRES

Romeo And Juliet 16 Macbeth 18 The Duchess Of Malfi 20 The School For Wives 22 The School For Wives Regional Access Programme 24 Shakespeare Seminars for Senior Students 27 IN SCHOOLS Actors At Work Actors At Work Special Projects Student Masterclasses Artist in Residence

INTERNATIONAL Worlds Together Shakespeare in Education Conference, London UK

ADULT EDUCATION Actor Training Shakespeare Training at ACPA and NIDA

64 65

RESEARCH Educational Transformations Evaluation

SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT 28 36 42 44

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING National Teacher Forum: Shakespeare Fever 46 Shakespeare Weekender 47 Shakespeare Intensives 47 RESIDENCIES Regional and Remote Residencies Collingwood English Language School

60 60 61 61

48 54

Such Sweet Sorrow 67 ADVISORY PANELS Bell Shakespeare National Education Advisory Panel 68 Primary Teachers Advisory Panel 68 RESOURCES Online Learning Packs

2012 STATISTICS OVERVIEW

ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP

THANK YOU TO OUR 2012 PARTNERS

REGIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS Regional Teacher Scholarship Regional Performance Scholarship

Cover: Romeo And Juliet, 2012. Photo: Marnya Roth Left: Macbeth, 2012. Photo: Rush

56 58

We are always incredibly grateful for the VISION of Bell Shakespeare to go beyond the blue curtain of the Dividing Range. Our students are unbelievably inspired by your visits and this must be passed on to John Bell, your Actors At Work, your actors who bring the theatre productions West and the support teams that happen to marvellously ‘come our way.’ We are very appreciative. All of our parent body greatly appreciate your company’s understanding of the tyranny of distance. The energy, empathy, intelligence and skill of your team ensures that you are the premier company in Australia. — Trin Graham, Teacher, Kinross Wolaroi School, Orange NSW

2 012 I N REVI EW F rom our H ead of E ducation , J oanna E rskine We are blessed at Bell Shakespeare to have an artistic team, board and entire staff who value the importance and power of education. Since 1990 our education activities have been at the core of Company activities and 2012 has been no different, reaching 81,583 students and teachers, and another 72,916 through online and digital activities. It was also a year to reflect on what we’ve done for the last 22 years and refocus the next chapter of Bell Shakespeare Learning. We’re excited to start this plan in 2013, opening up our programme to ‘learners’ of all ages. After commencing work as an intern in the Bell Shakespeare education team back in February 2008, it was a privilege to step up as Head of Education in 2012. We visited a myriad of towns and cities from the dusty streets of Marree in remote South Australia, to the tropics of far north Queensland in Mossman. We explored Romeo And Juliet with refugee and new migrant students, and introduced 5-year-olds to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We streamed a live performance from Sydney Opera House to 600 screaming students in Port Macquarie. We toured to flood-affected schools in Toowoomba and Brisbane, and delivered our first-ever actor training in our Sydney rehearsal room. We took The Tempest to remote Northern Territory, trading Shakespeare with traditional water stories from communities including Elliot, Canteen Creek and Ali Curung. We were invited to speak about our work with Shakespeare in marginalised communities on the global stage in London. These are just some of the incredible stories from 2012. Throughout this report you’ll not only find a comprehensive overview of our 2012 activities, but also some real stories from our year passed on from teachers, students, Players, Arts Educators and staff – hilarious, moving, affirming. Thank you to all who were a part of Bell Shakespeare’s 2012 Learning programme.

Joanna Erskine Head of Education A note on statistics: Regional and metropolitan schools statistics in this report are defined by the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA).

THE P L AYERS 2012 was the second year of our Players delivery model, allowing us to develop an expert team of performers with complementary teaching skills. The benefit to schools and the Company of having a full-time ensemble of actors working within the education team has ensured that we will continue The Players in 2013 and beyond. The 2012 Players were Julia Billington, Teresa Jakovich, Felix Jozeps, Edmund Lembke-Hogan, Huw McKinnon, Suzanne Pereira, Matilda Ridgway and Anthony Taufa. After commencing the year with a fortnight of Shakespeare Bootcamp with Bell Shakespeare artistic staff and industry professionals, The Players entered rehearsals for Actors At Work with Matt Edgerton and James Evans as directors. Dividing into two teams, they toured the country and performed Midsummer Madness and Macbeth: Undone, totalling 399 performances to an audience of 49,544 from 296 schools. Tours included capital cities as well as many regional and remote locations including Marree SA, Broken Hill NSW, Port Hedland WA and

flood-affected regions of Queensland. The Players joined together under the direction of Damien Ryan to perform Romeo And Juliet at Sydney Opera House and The National Theatre in Melbourne to a combined audience of 17,032 students and teachers. The Players also taught Student Masterclasses around Australia, performed scenes for our Shakespeare Seminars for Senior Students, and participated in key creative developments for the Company including The School For Wives with director Lee Lewis and PhĂ¨dre with Co-Artistic Director Peter Evans. At the end of the year the Players divided into pairs and presented two-week regional and remote residencies in Mossman QLD, Balranald NSW, Sea Lake VIC and Burnie TAS, working with 790 students across the four residencies. We were thrilled to see four of the 2012 Players cast in Bell Shakespeare mainstage productions for 2013, continuing the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proud tradition of nurturing artists over the length of their career.

JULIA BILLINGTON FELIX JOZEPS

SUZANNE PEREIRA

HUW MCKINNON M ATI LDA RI DG WAY

TERESA JAKOVICH

A N T H O N Y TA U F A EDMUND LEMBKE-HOGAN

Having an ensemble who build trust and a sense of play over a year is invaluable to the industry. There is a much better quality of work capable when a group has the time to solidify. It is the only ensemble-based full-time work nationally and the benefits will be long lasting. I have learnt a strength and independence that will stand me in good stead for years to come. It’s been a joy to explore arts education, play development and theatre in education over this year. Matilda Ridgway, The Players 2012

Sharing the joy of performance to the future artists of Australia is VITAL to our industry not only continuing but GROWING. Often, we are the first point of theatrical contact some students have ever had, and I have heard on numerous occasions that we have inspired kids to follow their creative dreams. Julia Billington, The Players 2012

The Players model is one of the rare opportunities that exists in this industry to form a true acting ensemble. Constant performance and continually changing spaces/ venues have stretched, challenged and honed all technical skills. To work with Shakespeare daily has been inspirational. EdMUND Lembke-Hogan, The Players 2012

Performing Shakespeare’s stories for young adults demands the actor to work with precision, clarity, integrity and most of all, boundless energy and enthusiasm. It’s a great model because the length of employment allows the actors the time needed to acquire the skills and knowledge to become confident Arts Educators. Felix Jozeps, The Players 2012

TH E PLAYERS There are very few ensembles in Australian theatre and this group dynamic allows for economy of creativity, development and work of a higher, more consistent quality. A model such as this teaches actors to be robust, flexible, fit and above all it provides actors with an opportunity to refine their skills with Shakespearean text. Teresa Jakovich, The Players 2011 & 2012

REP ORT F RO M TER ESA JA KOVICH Teresa Jakovich was a member of The Players in 2011 and 2012. She reflects on her experiences over her time with the Company.

Australia is a vast and extremely varied country and over the last two years I have had the privilege of visiting every state and territory, both regional and metropolitan, as a Player in the Bell Shakespeare Learning programme.Yet, I was not a mere traveller, skimming the surface of these communities. By connecting and working closely with students and teachers nationwide, through the cultural medium of Shakespeare, theatre and English literature, I was able not only to aid social and educational development and gain a thorough perspective of the cross section of students in Australia, but also discover unbelievable communities that are often unrealised by our country’s main centres. Bell Shakespeare’s programme allows us to bridge this gap, provide cultural experiences to those with limited access to the arts and most importantly make these remote communities and their students feel worthy, included and empowered. Shakespeare is not only an important part of the canon but it is compulsory for secondary studies. I have found that these texts can seem lofty and inaccessible to both students and teachers and a lot of fear arises when approaching such studies, so a large part of our role is to provide support for this. We aim to show the universal nature of Shakespeare’s timeless works, bring them down off their cultural pedestal, show their humanity and humour and bring them to life through performance. One element of this work that continually surprises me is the empathy that arises amongst teenagers nationwide when they begin to see into the character’s journeys and personal heartache. By playing the characters themselves in our workshops, students form a more intimate connection with the texts and further develop personalised responses in their studies. They no longer look at these texts from a distance and are able to become part of the stories. Growing up in a remote community myself, in the central wheat-belt of Western Australia, I know very well how isolated this can make a young person feel. I was lucky enough to be part of an amazing township, but our access to the arts was restricted.

I have found that students’ dreams and aspirations are either limited to the sum of their experiences or if they happen to reach beyond this, their path into such careers seems almost impossible and not worth even pursuing. This is why going to them is so important. They instantly feel validated and as these students are certainly not spoilt for choice they are most often open and appreciative, and thus very easy to work with. Fuelled by my own experiences as a child, through Bell Shakespeare, I have been able to make a future career such as my own or any in the arts seem all the more possible. Most of these students are viewing live theatre performance for the first time and unlike other mediums it is unbelievable to see the impact it has on the scope of their imaginations that are so often only exposed to film and TV. They are utterly surprised! Firstly that Shakespeare is both funny and heart wrenching, but also surprised at our confidence as performers, the energy and effort required and our willingness to make utter fools of ourselves. This strangely breaks through a lot of the artifice that is all so inherent in teenage social behaviour. For those who are not necessarily interested in following a career in the arts I have found that the work we do with Bell Shakespeare builds confidence, public speaking skills and truly empowers the students. Above all they are left with access to texts and language that previously seemed foreign and difficult. Along with the importance of this work in remote Australia I must also focus on the role it plays in our larger centres. Students in our more remote cities, such as Perth and Adelaide are extremely grateful to be acknowledged by national theatre companies. It is also important to note the extreme variance in schools in the outer suburbs of cities like Melbourne and Sydney. Often these students have had no access to theatre and feel restricted or defined by the constraints of their particular suburb’s culture. Again, by penetrating their community and connecting with the students and teachers directly the Players were able to empower the students to follow alternative passions and have an individual voice in their community.

Romeo And Juliet, 2012

It is difficult to summarise or draw out one particular moment from an entire year where I have met and worked with over 80,000 students, as so many [moments] spring to mind. Where do I start? I’ll never forget the young Indigenous girl in Kalgoorlie who asked if she could sing for us after class, and as this angelic voice came out to one of Whitney Houston’s classics I looked over to see my cast members all in tears. There was a young Tongan boy at a school in the outer suburbs of Sydney who had never read Shakespeare in his life but when I nominated him as the lead character in a The Taming Of The Shrew workshop he began to cast his friends as the remaining characters and finished up directing the entire show.

I could not forget the teacher chasing me down the hallway after a Romeo And Juliet masterclass I ran with her year nine boys. She grabbed me and hugged me and said she had been unable to gain their interest in the subject all year and now they thought it was ‘cool’ her job was half done. The highlight of our year is certainly the regional and remote residencies, which afford us two weeks in one school. I was lucky enough to be placed at Mossman State

High School in the far north of Queensland. This school renewed my faith once again in the passion and talent of remote teachers and the untapped talent of students in remote communities. This region gains little support and so our achievements and input were fully appreciated. In two weeks we developed an entire production of Romeo And Juliet with the Year 9 students, helped the Year 11s with exams, worked directly with students with social and learning difficulties and were even afforded time to run a workshop aiding teachers with their voice and presentation skills. It is certainly beneficial to have the time to build this relationship with a community, as Bell Shakespeare will sustain this with Mossman for years to come. This extraordinary experience of meeting so many young Australians, seeing more of the country than most Australians ever do and being welcomed into so many communities is unforgettable. What I learnt most of all is that you cannot judge a school by its wealth, socio-economic position or location. The student’s enthusiasm, aptitude and heart most often is a reflection of their teacher’s and it was a privilege to be able to help hundreds of these teachers and thus thousands of students nationwide.

Teresa Jakovich Bell Shakespeare Players 2011 & 2012

I N TH EATRE S RO M EO A ND J ULIE T b y W illiam S hakespeare D irect O R D amien Ryan C o - presented in S y dne y with S ydney O pera H ouse D E S I G N E R L ucilla S mith L I G H T I N G D E S I G N E R M att C ox C O M P O S E R D rew L ivingston S O U N D D E S I G N E R C aitlin P orter M O V E M E N T D I R E C T O R Patricia R owling F I G H T D I R E C T O R S cott W itt With J ulia B illington , T eresa J akovich , F elix J ozeps , E d M U N D L embke - H ogan , H uw M c K innon , S uzanne P ereira , M atilda R idgway & A nthony Taufa This year saw the return of Damien Ryan’s Romeo And Juliet at Sydney Opera House and The National Theatre in Melbourne, playing to a combined audience of 17,032 from 213 schools. The red desert dirt was back, with Verona depicted as a small, isolated, drought-ridden Australian community. The Players performed all roles, this time with a female Mercutio (Julia Billington), and a revised adaptation and production elements making for a spectacular, energised and moving performance.

For the first time, schools were able to book pre-show digital workshops by video-conference, with Resident Artist in Education James Evans beamed into classrooms directly from Sydney Opera House’s Playhouse stage. The 22 May performance at Sydney Opera House was livestreamed to an audience of 550 students at the Glasshouse in Port Macquarie as part of the Open House Project. Following this a 45-minute Q&A session with Damien Ryan and the cast was streamed via the Bell Shakespeare website, with students and teachers enthusiastically submitting questions to be answered live via chat.

ROMEO AND JULIET School Matinee attendance

Venue

Dates

Student Attendance

Schools

Performances

Sydney Opera House, Playhouse

30 April — 25 May

12,710

157

The National Theatre, 23 July — 27 July Melbourne

3,772

Glasshouse, Port Macquarie (live stream)

550

1 (included in SOH figure)

17,032

213

TOTALS

22 May

Romeo And Juliet, 2012

I N TH EATRE S M A C BETH b y W illiam S hakespeare D irec T O R P E T E R E VA N S D E S I G N E R A nna C ordingley L I G H T I N G D E S I G N E R D amien C ooper C O M P O S E R K elly Ryall M O V E M E N T / F I G H T D I R E C T O R N igel P oulton D R A M AT U R G K ate M ulvany V O C A L C O A C H B ill P epper A S S I S TA N T D I R E C T O R J ohn K achoyan With J ason C hong , I van D onato , K atie - J ean H arding , R obert J ago , C olin M oody, K ate M ulvany, G areth R eeves , Paul R eichstein , Lizzie Schebesta, Hazem Shammas & Dan Spielman The Macbeths are the picture of privileged nobility â&#x20AC;&#x201C; happy, successful, going places. Then Macbeth happens upon three witches who predict he will soon be King â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a prophecy he distrusts but by which his wife becomes utterly seduced. With this production, Peter Evans fulfilled a long awaited ambition to collaborate with Dan Spielman in the title role and Kate Mulvany who played his wife. This Macbeth revealed what the lure of power can do to a man, and the devastation it can wreak on a marriage and a nation.

MACBETH School Matinee attendance Venue

Dates

Student Attendance

Schools

Sydney Opera House, Drama Theatre

11 April, 18 April, 25 April, 2 May, 9 May

989

Canberra Theatre Centre, The Playhouse

23 May, 30 May

1,073

Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse

13 June, 20 June

823

2,885

TOTALS

* Please note these figures do not include school attendance at evening performances.

Macbeth, 2012

I N TH EATRE S T H E D UC HE SS O F MALFI b y J ohn W ebster A dapted b y H ugh C olman & A i L sa P iper D irec T O R J ohn B ell D E S I G N E R S tephen C urtis L I G H T I N G D E S I G N E R H artley T A K emp C O M P O S E R A lan J ohn S ound designer steve francis M O V E M E N T / F I G H T D I R E C T O R N igel P oulton A S S I S TA N T D I R E C T O R J ohn K achoyan W ith L ucy B ell , L ucia M astrantone , M atthew M oore , S ean O ’ S hea , D avid W hitney & B en W ood Young, beautiful and widowed, the Duchess of Malfi is a tragic figure of nobility and integrity. Yet she exists in a world of corruption where the true horror of her life is yet to unfold. Her two brothers control her fortune – and her body – and they want to keep it that way. When they discover she has not only married in secret but has also borne a child, a string of murders is set in motion. John Bell directed this white-hot adaptation of John Webster’s finest play, working with daughter Lucy Bell in the title role, for the first time in twenty years.

THE DUCHESS OF MALFI School Matinee attendance Venue

Dates

Student Attendance

Schools

Sydney Opera House, Playhouse

18 July, 25 July, 1 August

62*

TOTALS

* Please note these figures do not include school attendance at evening performances.

The Duchess Of Malfi, 2012

I N TH EATRE S T H E SC HO OL F O R WI VES b y M oli è re A dapted b y J ustin F leming D irect O R L ee L ewis D E S I G N E R M arg H orwell L I G H T I N G D E S I G N E R N iklas Pajanti C O M P O S E R K elly Ryall M O V E M E N T D I R E C T O R P enny B aron V O I C E C O A C H A nna M c C rossin - O wen A S S I S TA N T D I R E C T O R J ohn K achoyan W ith J ohn A dam , A lexandra A ldrich , H arriet D yer , J onathan E lsom , A ndrew J ohnston , M ark J ones , D amien R ichardson & M eyne W yatt Falling in love is never easy. Take our hero for instance. Now here’s a guy who wants desperately to get married but is afraid that a smart woman will cheat on him. His ingenious solution? Enlist the help of a local convent to raise a girl so stupidly innocent that she won’t know the first thing about cheating – let alone the last. In his mind she will be ever-faithful. The perfect wife. Or is she?

Following on from her success with Twelfth Night, Lee Lewis directed Justin Fleming’s fresh new translation of Molière’s comedic train-wreck of a love story that tangles innocence with arrogance – and the other way around. This production toured to 27 venues across Australia.

THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES School Matinee attendance Venue

Dates

Student Attendance

Schools

Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio

13 June, 20 June

118

Canberra Theatre Centre, The Playhouse

3 October

Sydney Opera House, Playhouse

31 October, 7 November, 14 November, 21 November

Regional venues in NSW, QLD, NT, TAS, VIC, WA

26 June — 20 October

305

Unknown

496*

12**

TOTALS

* Please note these figures do not include school attendance at evening performances. ** Does not include regional school numbers.

The School For Wives, 2012

The School For Wives also toured to the following venues: Warrnambool Entertainment Centre, VIC 26–27 June 2012 Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat, VIC 28–29 June 2012 Albany Entertainment Centre, WA 3 July 2012 Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, WA 6 July 2012 State Theatre Centre, Perth, WA 11–14 July 2012 Queens Park Theatre, Geraldton, WA 17 July 2012 Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT 21 July 2012 Darwin Entertainment Centre, NT 24–25 July 2012 Cairns Civic Theatre, QLD 28 July 2012 Riverway Arts Centre, Townsville, QLD 31 July 2012 Mackay Entertainment Centre, QLD 2 August 2012 The Events Centre, Caloundra, QLD 4 August 2012 NORPA, Lismore, NSW 8 August 2012 Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith, NSW 10–11 August 2012 Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, NSW 15 August 2012 Dubbo Regional Theatre, NSW 17–18 August 2012 Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, NSW 21–22 August 2012 Orange Civic Theatre, NSW 24–25 August 2012 Theatre Royal, Hobart, TAS 29 August – 1 September 2012 Theatre North, Princess Theatre, Launceston, TAS 3–4 September 2012 Frankston Arts Centre, VIC 7 September 2012 Glasshouse Theatre, Port Macquarie, NSW 9–10 October 2012 Newcastle Civic Theatre, NSW 11–13 October 2012 IPAC, Wollongong, NSW 16–20 October 2012

R E GION A L A CC ESS PR O G RAMM E In advance of the national tour of The School For Wives, Arts Educators visited regional venues with complimentary 75-minute workshops preparing students for the production, as part of the Regional Access Programme. Workshops were highly practical and covered the playâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s synopsis, key character journeys, scene work and set and costume designs by Marg Horwell. Students loved the comedic aspects of the play and workshop, and enjoyed performing as the characters including the manipulative Arnolde, the cheeky Horace and the naive but determined Agnes. We presented 32 workshops to a total of 888 students from 40 schools across New South Wales,Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Northern Territory and Western Australia. Presenting Arts Educators were Belinda Hoare, George Banders, Caitlin Beresford-Ord, Kerreen ElyHarper, Paul Reichstein and Christopher Tomkinson.

Venue

Dates

NSW

We took two carloads of kids on the 10-hour return drive to Lismore yesterday to see the matinee of The School For Wives. The kids loved it! I now have a new favourite Bell Shakespeare show! So strong. Year 9 Koori kids and senior drama queens alike loved it. Well done! Ben Daley, Teacher, Macintyre High School, Inverell NSW

WORKSHOPS

STUDENTS

Schools

IPAC Wollongong (2), Newcastle Civic Theatre 11 (2), Glasshouse Port Macquarie (2), Orange Civic Theatre, Dubbo Regional Theatre, Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre Penrith, NORPA Lismore

312

VIC

Her Majestyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre Ballarat

QLD

Riverway Arts Centre Townsville (2), Mackay Entertainment Centre (2), The Events Centre Caloundra

125

TAS

Theatre Royal Hobart (2), Theatre North Princess Theatre Launceston (3)

163

Araluen Arts Centre Alice Springs (2), Darwin Entertainment Centre (3)

109

Albany Entertainment Centre (2), Queens Park Theatre Geraldton (2), Mandurah Performing Arts Centre (1)

161

TOTALS

888

The School For Wives, 2012

I N TH EATRE S S H A KESP E AR E S E M I N ARS F OR S E N I OR ST UDE NT S For the third year, HSC and VCE students and teachers in New South Wales and Victoria took part in our Shakespeare Seminars for Senior Students, designed for the final lead-up to Year 12 exams. 2012 saw the programme expand to offer half-day sessions on As You Like It and Julius Caesar, as well as the most popular text for Year 12 study, Hamlet. Each session featured interactive lectures on the plays, specifically tailored to suit exam requirements, and dynamic

performances of key scenes by The Players. Students were able to view The Players performing each scene in several different ways, depending on interpretation and character motivation. Participants were also able to take part in optional practical masterclasses on each play, presented by The Players, where they could investigate the play’s plot, themes and character intentions with script in hand, in an intensive, intimate, yet enjoyable workshop.

Feedback from the students It was really beneficial. I had a few moments where I understood dialogue that didn’t make sense to me before that I can now use as evidence in my essays. It was helpful and fun, the best way to learn. I loved the actors’ ability to make the scenes come alive and engage us with big ideas. It opened up ideas I hadn’t considered and introduced me to new language techniques. It made Hamlet seem more approachable + understandable.

It was great to see the scenes interpreted, as school has been a bit “dry” and exam-focussed and I was hoping it would look at the theatrical side, so it was excellent! :) I have been to a lot of these sorts of school-related lectures, but this is certainly the most interesting, educational and well-made of them all. It was particularly interesting watching each of the different actors playing Hamlet.

STATE

VENUE

Date

SEMINAR

STUDENTS

NSW

The Concourse Concert Hall, Chatswood

12 July

HSC Hamlet

116

NSW

The Concourse Concert Hall, Chatswood

12 July

HSC As You Like It

NSW

The Concourse Concert Hall, Chatswood

13 July

HSC Julius Caesar

VIC

The National Theatre, Melbourne

11 August

VCE Hamlet

186

TOTAL

345

I N SC H OOL S A C TO RS AT WORK Bell Shakespeare’s flagship programme, Actors At Work, was once again received enthusiastically by schools across Australia in 2012, with 389 performances to an audience of 48,814 students from 296 schools. The Players split into two teams of four and between them toured across Australia with two shows – a return of last year’s Midsummer Madness (suitable for upper primary and junior secondary) and the brand new Macbeth: Undone (suitable for upper secondary). The Players also presented 10 performances to non-schools audiences totalling 730 people, including community performances in regional towns and at retirement villages. This year we extended our reach into primary schools with performances in capital cities and regional areas of New South Wales. The response has been incredibly positive and we look forward to expanding the tour in 2013 and beyond. Actors At Work shows run for 50 minutes with a 10-minute Q&A with the actors to follow. The performances are deliberately stripped back in terms of production, with actors using five banners, two roadcases and a handful of cleverly used props to transport students anywhere from the Scottish heath of Macbeth to the magical forest of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Performed in school halls, gyms and classrooms, the shows prove to students that they don’t need a theatre, lighting rigs or elaborate costumes to create the illusion, magic and drama of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. The Players’ combined audience for Actors At Work in 2012 was 49,544 across 399 performances. 103 of these performances were discounted for disadvantaged schools or provided free of charge through corporate sponsorship and philanthropic funding.

Actors At Work shows in 2012 were: Midsummer Madness SCRIPTED BY Matt Edgerton & Joanna Erskine DIRECTOR James Evans A return season of 2011’s popular new show. Ideal for junior students, Midsummer Madness is the perfect introduction to Shakespeare, charting the course of Shakespeare’s hilarious romantic comedy from start to finish, whilst giving insight into the conventions of Shakespeare’s theatre. In 50 minutes, The Players transport students to the interconnecting worlds of the lovers, the fairies and the mechanicals, combining key scenes with modern commentary. Macbeth: Undone SCRIPTED BY Matt Edgerton & Joanna Erskine DIRECTOR Matt Edgerton A brand new show for 2012. A man and wife, partners in love and ambition. Add one supernatural prophecy and one crucial decision, and Shakespeare’s Scottish play is born. Macbeth: Undone follows the journey of Shakespeare’s great power couple from aspiration to demise. A truly theatrical experience exposing bloody deeds, guilty consciences and the essential link between action and consequence. A thrilling, atmospheric and dramatic ride, the show focuses on directorial and performance choices when approaching key characters and the play itself, as well as insights into the actor’s craft.

The students LOVED IT! Several at risk students contributed with questions and a group of students had their preconceived notions of Shakespeare absolutely shattered! Absolutely enthralling. Other teachers didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to leave the performance for other duties. Students who are disengaged with school and learning in general were talking about the performance all week! Tara Lightfoot, Peak Hill Central School, NSW 29

A C TO RS AT W OR K FEEDBACK FROM S E C O N D A RY S C H O O L S

Outstanding! Vibrant, relevant, accessible and thoroughly engaging. What a wonderful team of Players bringing such vitality to Macbeth. Students absolutely loved it. Hooked from the very start. The hour flew. Moreover, it really enhanced what we are doing in class.

Bell Shakespeare this morning was an outstanding experience for all concerned. The presentation by The Players afforded a best-ever enrichment opportunity… It was amazing. One young man even volunteered that he ‘would have paid to see that’!!! The Players have made all the difference to the understanding of our students of what can be thought of by them as beyond their interest and comprehension. I can speak of many individual students whom I observed to be totally engaged, and whom otherwise struggle with their learning. I can speak of students who expressed ‘light bulb’ outcomes as a result of seeing the play ‘unpacked’. I can also speak of students who stayed back to speak to the Players out of interest and enthusiasm. And I can speak of students whom I have heard spoke to teachers later in the day of their positive experience this morning at ‘Macbeth Undone’. So again, I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks.

Andrew McHugh, Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, North Sydney NSW

Bronwyn Stow, St Patrick’s College, Launceston TAS

There is something delightful about watching students laugh and fully engage with a Shakespearean text when they have little prior knowledge. The students are captivated through the aesthetics and energy of the actors and the hilarity of the play (and it certainly makes our lives as teachers very easy!) They are all itching to perform and get involved in both Drama and English. Huzzah! Michelle Thompson, Frederick Irwin Anglican School, Mandurah WA

FEEDBACK FROM P R I M A RY S C H O O L S It was absolutely brilliant! This was without a doubt one of the best outside performances we have had in our school. It was hard to return to ‘normal’ classroom work, we were on such a postperformance, dramatic high. The students loved it. They talked about it a lot. They were very impressed by the enthusiasm and talent of the presenters and highly involved in workshop performances. Sharon Behl-Shanks Jamberoo Public School NSW

The students all felt completely privileged to have these guys perform for them in our small school in the countryside. All of them recognised the high quality of the performance and it has sparked a love of Shakespeare in many. Even those few kids who aren’t much interested in anything, were enthralled with the performance and loved the workshop. It has definitely opened their eyes to Shakespeare in the best possible way. Meg Manson, Canobolas Public School, Orange NSW

Absolutely brilliant. Fast paced, but very relevant to the students, especially by setting up the background and knowledge needed and then giving the students an opportunity to actively participate at their own level. Thank you for giving our students the opportunity to experience this amazing play and quality live performance. Many would never have seen anything like this before and they are keen to see more. Donna McLaughlan, Canowindra Public School NSW

Lots of fun, laughs, more understanding of Shakespeare and it made us realise that Shakespeare is not boring after all! Please continue to bring fabulous theatre to our young people! Carla Mackay, Newcastle Grammar School, NSW

Thoroughly impressed. All staff and actors were incredibly professional and pleasant. I was very proud to have organised this for the students and this was purely due to the success of the actors. Chantell Fuller, Blacktown Boys High School, NSW

Thanks again for such positive and valuable experiences for our students. They are so lucky to have access to these types of experiences and I am so glad that Bell can animate Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in this way, not just for my students but the diverse range of schools that you visit. Suzanne Mealing, Monte Santâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Angelo Mercy College, North Sydney, NSW

Actors At Work attendance by state – SECONDARY State

Metro Schools

Metro students

Regional Schools

Regional Students

NSW

104

20,575

4,904

VIC

5,146

QLD

1,440

545

TAS

1,238

3,996

320

3,202

1,040

ACT

2,139

0**

TOTALS

198

36,498

8,125

Total secondary students – 44,623 Total secondary schools – 262

Actors At Work attendance by sECTOR – SECONDARY State

Government Metro

Government Regional

Independent Metro

Independent Regional

Catholic Metro

Catholic Regional

NSW

6,752

3,157

6,535

1,204

7,288

543

VIC

2,412

1,456

1,278

QLD

1,215

335

225

150

TAS

213

225

800

667

320

1,595

1,734

757

955

1,088

1,357

ACT

280

0**

696

0**

1,163

0**

5,058

11,370

1,489

13,045

1,578

TOTALS 12,083

Total secondary Government attendance – 17,141 Total secondary Independent attendance – 12,859 Total secondary Catholic attendance – 14,623 Total secondary regional attendance – 8,125 Total secondary metropolitan attendance – 36,498

Actors At Work PERFORMANCES by sECTOR – SECONDARY State

Government Metro

Government Regional

Independent Metro

Independent Regional

Catholic Metro

Catholic Regional

NSW

VIC

QLD

TAS

ACT

0**

TOTALS 88

Total secondary regional performances – 83 Total secondary metropolitan performances – 270

*All Tasmanian schools are classed as regional as per ARIA coding. ** All Australian Capital Territory schools are classed as metropolitan as per ARIA coding.

Actors At Work attendance by state – PRIMARY State

Metro Schools

Metro students

Regional Schools Regional Students

NSW

2,354

311

VIC

145

QLD

992

TAS

290

ACT

0**

TOTALS

2,499

1,692

Total primary students – 4,191 Total primary schools – 34

Actors At Work attendance by SECTOR – PRIMARY State

Government Government Independent Independent Catholic Metro Regional Metro Regional Metro

Catholic Regional

NSW

1,057

221

590

707

VIC

145

QLD

832

160

TAS

200

ACT

0**

TOTALS

1,057

1,272

590

852

330

Total primary Government attendance – 2,329 Total primary Independent attendance – 680 Total primary Catholic attendance – 1,182 Total primary regional attendance – 1,692 Total primary metropolitan attendance – 2,499

Actors At Work attendance by SECTOR – PRIMARY State

Government Government Independent Independent Catholic Metro Regional Metro Regional Metro

Catholic Regional

NSW

VIC

QLD

TAS

ACT

0**

TOTALS

1,057

1,272

590

852

330

Total primary regional performances – 15 Total primary metropolitan performances – 21 Total non-schools audience – 730 Total non-schools shows – 10

Total schools – 296

Total performances – 399

Total audience – 49,544

I N SC H OOL S

A C TO RS AT WORK S PEC I AL PROJ EC T S

T our of flood - affected schools in Q L D Thanks to Deutsche Bank, The Players completed two weeks of Actors At Work and Student Masterclasses in flood-affected schools in Brisbane and Toowoomba. They were joined by Arts Educator Paul Reichstein who assisted with teaching and presented after-school Professional Learning sessions for teachers. The tour was very well publicised in newspapers and on ABC television, and by offering complimentary performances, we were able to reach many schools who had never experienced Bell Shakespeare before, including Milpera State High School, a special purpose school for students from refugee and newly arrived immigrant backgrounds. The reach for the two-week tour was 18 schools, with 18 Actors At Work performances for 2,290 students, 22 Student Masterclasses to 1,047 students, and one Teacher Professional Learning session in Toowoomba for 18 teachers. This morning’s workshop and performance was fantastic. Our students loved every minute of both! It was appropriately targeted at the age and experience level of the students, engaging, informative and entertaining. The students have been excited by it ever since and are still talking about it. Some students went into the performance with a certain amount of reluctance (gritted teeth – ‘do we have to’), but within minutes they were absorbed and interested. When the programme was offered we enthusiastically accepted, to give students the opportunities listed above. So, thank you to everyone involved… you’ve done Shakespeare (and your company) a great service!!! Linda Mackay, Teacher, Sandgate District State High School, Deagon QLD

I just want to pass on our sincerest thanks for a fantastic day yesterday. Our students have been raving about how much they enjoyed the shows and workshop yesterday! The students thought it was terrific and that the acting was sensational. Thank you for all the hard work you did yourself in managing the event and for flying here especially. Please would you pass on my congratulations to the actors. Karin Kuno, Teacher, Brisbane State High School QLD

We love having professional artists work with our students and we were so pleased at your capacity to come to our location, as we are a small regional school who has to travel 3 hours to see shows in Brisbane. Our community faces socio-economic hardships and many are still recovering from the flooding of 2011, so to have such an opportunity for our students was wonderful. Jess Wilson, Teacher, Oakey State High School QLD

The students were enthralled; one of them said “I don’t get Shakespeare, but I got that.” Kathleen Hannant, Teacher, Centenary Heights State High School QLD

Far W est N S W T our 2012 marked the tenth consecutive year of touring to the Far West of New South Wales. With now well-established relationships with these important regional and remote schools, the Players visited Broken Hill High School, Willyama High School, Wilcannia Central School and Cobar High School. The Players performed 7 Actors At Work shows for 365 students in Years K- 12, and presented 4 Student Masterclasses for 71 students, ranging from Hamlet revision for senior students to Macbeth for Year 11. Any live production is always a positive for a remote area such as ours. This production was particularly enjoyable as the actors were able to bring the Bard to life through their use of language and the elements of his plays that are still relevant in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society. The students ALL loved it. A new appreciation for Shakespeare and his works has blossomed in the minds of students in the far west of NSW. Every year I wait to hear when Bell Shakespeare is coming. I would hate to ever miss a visit from them. They are wonderful role models. Thank you once again for exposing our students to Shakespeare and for them to understand his texts and language better. Cheryl Glover, Teacher, Willyama High School, Broken Hill, NSW 40

The programme was absolutely fantastic. It was a great opportunity for me, as a teacher, to engage with quality performances and view the actors deconstruct one of Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plays, Hamlet. Their insights into the text brought a new perspective to what I had not considered in my own interpretation. The students who participated in the masterclasses of Macbeth and Hamlet spoke very highly of the learning opportunities it provided for them. Students who viewed the performances of Midsummer Madness and Macbeth: Undone were awestruck. Many students are excited to embark upon their Shakespearean drama learning journey. Thank you for visiting our school. It is such a privilege for our students to see and interact with those who are so passionate about Shakespeare. Louise Hulbert, Teacher, Broken Hill High School NSW

A ustralian U nity P erformances Once again, the Players performed to residents and their families at a variety of Australian Unity retirement and aged-care villages. Locations visited included Willandra Village and Bungalows in Cromer NSW, Constitution Hill Village in Northmead NSW, Lifestyle Manor in Bondi NSW, Morven Manor in Mornington VIC, Elderslee Retirement Village in Bateau Bay NSW and Walmsley Friendship Village in Kilsyth VIC. These performances are always a joy for performers and audiences, and the lively Q&A that follows is often filled with stories from residents about their own experiences with Shakespeare, either as a performer or long-time admirer. The Players performed 6 Actors At Work shows for a total audience of 380 residents and their families.

I N SC H OOL S S T UD EN T M A STERCL A SSE S

An ever-popular in-school programme, 257 Student Masterclasses were presented around Australia in 2012, by both arts educators and The Players, to a total of 8,292 students in 118 schools. Secondary masterclasses focused on the introduction of plays and Shakespeare’s language for junior students and intensive exploration and thematic study for senior students. In primary schools we presented preparatory A Midsummer Night’s Dream workshops before all performances of Midsummer Madness. 5,649 secondary students participated in 172 masterclasses from 88 schools, and 2,643 primary students participated in 85 masterclasses from 30 schools. Student Masterclasses run 60-120 minutes in duration and focus on one or more of Shakespeare’s plays. One or two Bell Shakespeare presenters will work with up to 40 students at a time, supporting the teacher’s own work by giving the students a practical and intensive experience of the text. All masterclasses are tailored specifically for the class, whether it is a revision of Hamlet before the HSC or an introduction to Shakespeare using A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a sample text. Teachers may also book masterclasses to be presented prior to or following an Actors At Work performance to supplement or extend the themes explored.

What an awesome workshop run by two awesome actors! Thoroughly enjoyable and very educational with lots of ways to bring Shakespeare alive in the classroom. I never had anything like this at school. It was great to see how they engaged the children and it was really inspiring, especially their knowledge of this field of drama. George Diek, Teacher, John Calvin School, Launceston TAS

Specialist masterclasses were also presented for organisations including State Library of New South Wales and Australian Catholic University. Masterclasses were presented on the following plays/ topics: Introduction to Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Romeo And Juliet, The Comedy Of Errors,The Merchant Of Venice,The Tempest, Twelfth Night.

STUDENT MASTERCLASS PARTICIPATION BY STATE State

Metro Schools

Metro students

Regional Schools

Regional Students

NSW

4,824

934

VIC

564

QLD

311

638

TAS

407

384

ACT

0**

TOTALS

6,120

2,172

Total students – 8,292 Total schools – 118

STUDENT MASTERCLASS participation BY SECTOR State

Government Government Independent Metro Regional Metro

Independent Regional

Catholic Metro

Catholic Regional

NSW

2,862

668

1,062

266

900

VIC

227

294

QLD

289

638

TAS

236

160

340

ACT

0**

TOTALS

3,378

1,613

1,696

309

1,046

250

Total Government participation – 4,991 Total Independent participation – 2,005 Total Catholic participation – 1,296 Total regional participation – 2,172 Total metropolitan participation – 6,120

STUDENT MASTERCLASS BY SECTOR State

Government Government Independent Independent Catholic Metro Regional Metro Regional Metro

Catholic Regional

NSW

VIC

QLD

TAS

ACT

0**

TOTALS

101

Total Government masterclasses – 154 Total Independent masterclasses – 59 Total Catholic masterclasses – 44 Total regional masterclasses – 70 Total metropolitan masterclasses – 187 *All Tasmanian schools are classed as regional as per ARIA coding. ** All Australian Capital Territory schools are classed as metropolitan as per ARIA coding.

I N SC H OOL S A RT I ST I N RE S I D EN CE For the first time in 2012, schools were also able to take up the opportunity of booking an in-school Artist in Residence, with a Bell Shakespeare Arts Educator spending one week in a school community working with staff and students on a tailored Shakespeare programme. Three residencies were presented and each programme was specifically designed in consultation with teachers, to suit student needs. Across the three residencies, 510 students participated in practical masterclasses and intensive, engaging Shakespeare study. Arts Educator Christopher Tomkinson spent one week at Loreto Normanhurst in New South Wales working with Year 10 students on an intensive exploration of Macbeth, culminating in an atmospheric site-specific performances in and around the school grounds. George Banders visited Binnaway Central School in New South Wales and worked with all year levels in an immersive Shakespeare programme, designed to inspire students and kick-start lifelong appreciation and love of Shakespeare’s plays. In Western Australia, Caitlin Beresford-Ord delivered a week of masterclasses at St Stephen’s School, Duncraig, specially tailored for English students to generate enthusiasm and understanding of the dramatic qualities of Shakespeare.

The Artist in Residence programme is fantastic! Students were totally engaged and our Arts Educator was enthusiastic and professional. A really good program for all ages in all schools. Matt Hammond, Binnaway Central School, NSW

The students at Binnaway CS couldn’t get enough of Shakespeare’s stories, and once we’d covered the set plays, they asked to know about more. So I told them a range of stories ranging from the gory battles to the wicked and devilish tales like Titus Andronicus, but the bell rang and our final story was cut short. As I was leaving the school for the week, they came to find me and begged me to finish the story! George Banders, arts educator

T E AC H ER PROFESSIONAL L E A RN I N G Teacher Professional Learning was presented in every state and territory, throughout 2012. We met with a host of English, Drama and primary school teachers across a range of events, including at several national and state-based teacher conferences.

SHAKESPEARE FEVER This year’s National Regional Teacher Forum was Shakespeare Fever, specifically designed to introduce practical methods for teaching Shakespeare to teachers with little experience, or with an aversion to or ‘fear’ of Shakespeare. The full-day workshop commenced with a morning session of teacher discussion, warm ups, Shakespeare’s insult exercises and a demonstration of a Moved Synopsis. The second and third sessions consisted

of exploratory and further practical work including character journeys, word association/disassociation, sonnet analysis, verse and prose and scene work, and extension work. 83 teachers attended the Shakespeare Fever Forums from 44 regional schools. The Forums were presented by James Evans, Christopher Tomkinson, Paul Reichstein, Caitlin Beresford-Ord and Michael McCall.

Shakespeare Fever Teacher Forum dates and locations

Region

Date

Venue

Attendees

Schools

Canberra ACT

13 Nov

Canberra Theatre Centre

Coffs Harbour NSW

14 Nov

Bishop Druitt College

Albany WA

15 Nov

Albany Entertainment Centre

Kingston TAS

19 Nov

Kingston High School

Cairns QLD

20 Nov

Cairns Civic Theatre

Warrnambool VIC

21 Nov

Lighthouse Theatre

Darwin NT

21 Nov

Darwin Entertainment Centre

Nuriootpa SA

Nov

Nuriootpa High School

TOTALS

Specialised Professional Learning was also presented in capital cities, offering regional teachers travel incentive prices to attend. Shakespeare Weekender offered teachers a longform Professional Learning experience in Sydney at Bell Shakespeare’s rehearsal room, spending two full days on three key texts. Full day sessions focused on demystifying three key plays – Romeo And Juliet, Macbeth and Hamlet – exploring plot, character, language and themes in depth, as well as key insights into Shakespeare’s life, theatre and creative influences. As part of the Shakespeare Weekender, teachers attended Bell Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet and Macbeth at Sydney Opera House, with a complimentary glass of champagne. 2012 saw the return of the popular Staging Shakespeare, presented in Sydney and Melbourne for Drama teachers and industry practitioners. Specialised senior text

masterclasses on Teaching As You Like It, Julius Caesar, Hamlet and Introduction to Teaching Shakespeare were also presented in Sydney and Melbourne. 50 teachers attended Bell Shakespeare sessions at national and state-based conferences. Specialised Professional Learning sessions were: SYDNEY Teaching As You Like It: Thursday 16 February Teaching Julius Caesar: Friday 17 February Teaching Hamlet: Saturday 18 February Shakespeare Weekender: Friday 11 – Sunday 13 May Introduction to Teaching Shakespeare: Saturday 26 May Staging Shakespeare: Saturday 27 October MELBOURNE Teaching Hamlet: Saturday 18 February Teaching Romeo And Juliet: Saturday 28 April Staging Shakespeare: Saturday 27 October

Fantastic! So many great ideas to bring Shakespeare into the classroom. The interactive strategies were brilliant. Students will definitely develop a positive reaction to Shakespeare through the use of these methods...especially the insults!! Loved every minute! The workshop leaders were very relaxed, easy to talk to, full of great ideas, willing to listen, help and explain. Thanks!

I gained so much from the program; a new love for Shakespeare, a deeper understanding, some great practical techniques and enjoyed watching the magic of physical and emotional involvement reinvigorate the teachers.

Sue Plug, Teacher, John Calvin School, Albany WA

The forum was wonderful, challenging, exhausting and incredibly informative. Chris (Arts Educator) was very well versed in the Bard, and empathetic to my senior years (60’s) without being patronising. In fact, after this workshop, I’m probably good for another sixty years. Well maybe not sixty but at least another ten or twenty. Chris was so versatile and encouraging. At the same time, he made us feel our own classroom practices and ideas were as valid and useful as his own more professional experience. No room for reverence; all Shakespeareans are equal (with apologies to George Orwell). Please send him back to Cairns next year.

The Shakespeare Fever programme was a wonderful, fun and informative session that allowed teachers of varying levels of Shakespeare awareness to hone and start their studies. Bell Shakespeare has always developed strong programmes and the delivery of their programmes is one of the best ways to become enthralled by the Bard. Ben Machowiak, Teacher, Great Southern Grammar, Albany WA

Lynne Robertson, Teacher, Coffs Harbour Senior College NSW

Richard Ward, Teacher, Freshwater Christian College, Cairns QLD Teacher attendance at specialised Professional Learning sessions State

Metro Teachers

Metro Schools

Regional Teachers

Regional Schools

NSW

VIC

ACT

0**

QLD

TAS

121

TOTALS 107

*All Tasmanian schools are classed as regional as per ARIA coding. ** All Australian Capital Territory schools are classed as metropolitan as per ARIA coding.

R ESID EN CIE S R EG I O nal and remote residencies Five regional and remote residencies were presented in 2012. The first residency was the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth visit to Tennant Creek NT and included visits to the surrounding towns and communities of Canteen Creek, Renner Springs, Elliot and Ali Curung.Two-week residencies were also presented in Mossman in far north Queensland, Sea Lake in wheat-belt Victoria, Balranald in the Murray River region of New South

Wales and Burnie on the north-west coast of Tasmania. Four of the five residency schools were those who had staff members that were recipients of Bell Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Regional Teacher Scholarship, further integrating our programmes and ensuring long-term impact and deep relationships with regional and remote schools. A total of 920 students participated in 5 regional and remote residencies in 2012.

One of the best things about this residency was talking to a group of Year 3, 4 and 5 students about history plays and Shakespeare’s manipulation of history and having them ask some of the most incredible questions. A Year 7 girl who has severe learning difficulties, asked to do extra scenes and we worked with her on the Helena and Demetrius scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A highlight for all! Matilda Ridgway, The Players

T ennant C reek and surrounds , N T 2 0 – 3 1 A ugust 2 0 1 2 P resented b y M att E dgerton and B elinda H oare P lay covered : T he T empest

This residency was based in Tennant Creek NT, and included visits to the surrounding towns and communities of Canteen Creek, Renner Springs, Elliot and Ali Curung. The residency was based on The Tempest, with students and teachers combining Shakespeare’s text with local dreamtime stories about water, for performance. Arts educators Belinda Hoare and Matt Edgerton returned to the region after previously delivering residences there with Kristi Johansen (2007 Regional Teacher Scholarship recipient) from Tennant Creek High School. As with each previous visit, the residency involved cultural exchange, with students giving Matt and Belinda lessons and sharing local knowledge, including learning to count to 10 in Walpiri, and a bush tucker lesson. 201 students from Years K–12 participated in the Tennant Creek residency.

I appreciate working with such knowledgeable and experienced artists as Matt and Belinda and observing them and their approaches has been tucked away in my developing repertoire. I was so encouraged by the engagement and renewed vigour of a drama teacher out at Elliot school after the experience. I think that artists coming to these schools receive just as much as the students. In so many ways it is giving both artists and students exposure to each other and their cultures and Shakespeare is a great vehicle to do this because the themes are so universal. Kristi Johansen, Project Officer, Teaching Multilingual Learners, Barkly Education — Northern Territory Government 49

M ossman S tate H igh S chool , Q L D 2 6 N ovember – 7 D ecember 2 0 1 2 P resented b y T eresa J akovich and A nthon y Taufa Plays/topics covered: Romeo And Juliet , Macbeth , History of Shakespeare Mossman is located in the Daintree region of far north Queensland, just north of Port Douglas. Although the school is located in a high tourism area, it is remote in terms of access to educational opportunities. Arts Educators Anthony Taufa and Teresa Jakovich visited the school and worked with English and Drama staff and students over two weeks, with Years 8–11 students. The school had never had this type of opportunity before, and under the influence of Head Teacher James Wall, our work was enthusiastically received by students but also staff who valued the opportunity for Professional Development, observing classes and undertaking specific teacher sessions after schools. 360 students from Years 8–11 participated in the Mossman residency. I think the most beneficial part of the residency was that the presenters were real, live actors from diverse backgrounds – a country girl (Teresa) and a big strong football playing male (Anthony). Gave our students the idea that they can also be actors. They were thoroughly professional, bursting with energy, open and engaging. The most appropriate representatives of your most wonderful organisation – and truly representative of the vision of John Bell – to make Shakespeare accessible to all Australian children. This is a wonderful program. Andrew Paterson, Teacher, Mossman State High School QLD

TYRRELL COLLEGE, SEA LAKE VIC 2 6 N ovember – 7 D ecember 2 0 1 2 P resented b y M atilda R idgway and F eli x J o z eps P lay s covered : A M idsummer N ight ’ s D ream , R omeo A nd J uliet , M acbeth , K ing L ear Sea Lake is located in the heart of wheat-belt Victoria. Christina Lloyd was a Regional Teacher Scholarship recipient in 2011. Arts Educators Matilda Ridgway and Felix Jozeps worked with Years K–11 on a range of texts, culminating in a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by junior students (K–5) for the entire school community.Years 8 and 9 focused on Romeo And Juliet,Year 10 focused on King Lear, and Year 11 refined their knowledge of Macbeth for deeper learning in advance of their exams. 162 students from Years K–12 participated in the Sea Lake residency. Our students were provided with a learning experience that they would not otherwise have access to. Some of our most disengaged students were stars of the workshops! Honestly, our whole experience was fabulous. I cannot fault the presenters, nor the lack of communication from our Bell Shakespeare contact. Matilda and Felix were energetic, kind, enthusiastic, very approachable and related very well to the vast range of students in the groups. Christina Lloyd, Teacher, Tyrrell College, Sea Lake VIC 50

I was introducing the Balranald students to sonnets and explaining how they were structured with such detail, that they really were quite difficult to write. So difficult, that I told the students that if any of them could write a sonnet, I would give them $50. The next day when we were in the playground, a student from the class came up to us and handed over his sonnet! We had to mumble something about how great it was and congratulate him and make a quick exit before he demanded the cash! HUW MCKINNON, The Players

B alranald C entral S chool , B alranald N S W 26 November – 7 December 2012 Presented by Huw McKinnon and Suzanne Pereira Plays covered: Romeo And Juliet, Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Balranald is located just over the border of Victoria, in the Murray River region of New South Wales. We had previously visited the school with a residency in 2010. Arts Educators Huw McKinnon and Suzanne Pereira worked with students from Balranald Central School as well as St Joseph’s Primary School, across the road. 180 students from Years K–12 participated in the Balranald residency. Our residency at Balranald Central School was an extremely valuable experience for students and staff. By the end of the two weeks, there were students (particularly boys) who had, over the course of the residency, become interested, engaged and even excited by the prospect of working with us and beginning to tell the stories of William Shakespeare. One boy even took up the challenge to write his own sonnet – his teacher afterwards telling us that she struggled to get him to participate in class at all, and who had not handed in a single assignment all year. These small steps towards engagement with English and Drama were huge leaps for some of these students, and I am so glad I was able to be a part of this very important work. Suzanne Pereira, THE PLAYERS

Tasmanian P olytechnic , B urnie TA S 26 November – 7 December 2012 Presented by EdMUND Lembke-Hogan and Julia Billington Plays covered: Hamlet , Twelfth Night

Burnie is located on the north-west coast of Tasmania. Regional Teacher Scholarship recipient Justan Wagner is a teacher at the school.This residency was quite specific in focus as the school population is comprised of Year 11 and 12 students who had experience with Shakespeare and could handle a detailed and intensive schedule of study and performance.Two texts were chosen as the focus – Hamlet and Twelfth Night. Arts Educators Julia Billington and Edmund Lembke-Hogan were able to spend lengthy sessions with smaller groups of students, and the enthusiasm of the students meant that some very detailed work was achieved. Students asked to work after school on the plays, and most returned for the second week of the residency even though they were on school holidays and not required to be in attendance. Scene work and monologues were performed, and Julia and Edmund were able to impart their acting knowledge, in particular how to approach Shakespeare from a performer’s perspective. 17 students from Years 11 and 12 participated in the Burnie residency. The residency gave me the confidence to walk into any classroom, gauge where the students are at and go from there. I saw why teenagers are just joyous people who are keen to learn, provided you frame the info correctly. I never thought I’d hear, ‘I want to do more please!’ Julia Billington, THE PLAYERS We were so lucky to work with the same students consistently. Their commitment meant we could work with high detail. 52

EdMUND Lembke-Hogan, THE PLAYERS

R E S ID EN CIE S U R B AN residencies COLLINGWOOD ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL This was the first residency in a three-year project presented at Collingwood English Language School, where the student body is comprised of new refugees, students who have recently immigrated to Australia and those needing intensive English training.This first residency was based on Shakespeare’s storytelling in Romeo And Juliet and was presented over five weeks by Melbourne-based Arts Educator Kerreen Ely-Harper who is also a trained ESL teacher. Bell Shakespeare provided the school with 70 complimentary tickets to Romeo And Juliet at The National Theatre, Melbourne. Students were therefore able to experience the live-theatre version of the play before they commenced the residency, which aided understanding of the plot and characters and prepared them for the themes of the play. The residency involved 71 students and 15 teachers, over five weeks. Students performed their own devised stories in response to Romeo And Juliet on the final day of the residency showing improved comprehension and literacy skills, public speaking and confidence. Head of Education Joanna Erskine attended the showings and spoke at length with staff who all conveyed incredible learning stories and examples of students growing in confidence and skills throughout the residency. These included one Somalian student who had been in Australia only six weeks and who took a starring role speaking clearly and confidently, and another student who had barely said a word while at the school and surprised all the teachers with her performance.

There are many learning stories that I could share and it was amazing to see growth in students in a very short period of time. In my group, all of the students have had no prior schooling and theatre/ drama was very new for them. One such student who has difficulty speaking in class and in front of others found confidence within the Bell Shakespeare programme. In one of the earlier sessions, having been inspired by seeing the performance of Romeo And Juliet and through Kerreen’s encouragement she took on the role of the Prince and spoke in the centre or between the two feuding families. Although she only said a few words, this was a brave step for her and she felt proud of her achievement. She enjoyed learning about Romeo And Juliet and gave drama a go. She also transferred this into the classroom. A very positive learning experience for her. Teacher, Collingwood English Language School VIC One female student from Vietnam is a quietly spoken student who has difficulties pronouncing some of the sounds of English. Through the residency she had the opportunity to demonstrate her leadership skills, and her abilities in using non-verbal language – gesture, mime – to communicate. She suggested ‘moves’ and ‘actions’ to her group and sculpted different moments, to include three levels (ground level, middle level and upper level). She also practised key words and phrases and improved her pronunciation and stress/intonation, and volume. She confidently performed to an audience of 80 peers and teachers and said she enjoyed the performance and wants to do it again! Teacher, Collingwood English Language School VIC

A student with a lot of settlement issues â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one who is part of the community detention programme â&#x20AC;&#x201C; emerged as a leader and a very positive, engaged, enthusiastic and pro-active member of the group, through to full participation in all aspects of the classes, story sharing and writing, magnificent illustrations for scenes from Romeo And Juliet, taking a leading role in prop making and in performance. She really wanted the lessons to continue. Teacher, Collingwood English Language School VIC

R EG I O N AL S C H O LARSHIP S R Egional teacher scholarship We received a record number of applications for the 2012 Regional Teacher Scholarship, with 75 submissions received from around Australia. The sixth year of the Regional Teacher Scholarship was a great success with 12 eager teachers joining the Company in Sydney, 4–7 May, for four days of intensive Professional Learning, networking, live theatre and unit planning.The teachers met with both John Bell and Peter Evans, and saw Bell Shakespeare productions of Macbeth and Romeo And Juliet at Sydney Opera House. Many of the recipients’ schools have already benefitted from Actors At Work visits, student masterclasses and subsidised tickets to in-theatre productions.

The 2012 Regional Teacher Scholarship recipients were:

Sensational, I didn’t feel judged. I felt supported and the connections between the activities and the classroom were clear. I have learned how to communicate with my body. I learned how to say lines with meaning. I understand how a drama approach is valuable to learning. I loved it. I feel more confident within myself.

Zia Macey, Capella State High School, Capella QLD

Jason Underwood, Boddington District High School, WA

Elizabeth Ball, Lowood State High School, Lowood QLD Anne Cheel, Naracoorte High School, Naracoorte SA Nicole Dohler, Living Waters Lutheran Primary School, Alice Springs NT Tilly Harman, John Willcock College, Geraldton WA Kym Johnson, Triabunna District High School,Taroona TAS Tara Lightfoot, Peak Hill Central School, Peak Hill NSW Terry Lockwood, Marian College, Myrtleford VIC

Caitlin Morrison, Bombala High School, Bombala NSW John Norberry, Barham High School, Barham NSW Lauren Swan, Donald High School, Donald VIC Jason Underwood, Boddington District High School, Boddington WA

Resident Artist in Education James Evans and Arts Educator Chris Tomkinson presented the first three days of sessions. Friday’s activities included a welcome morning tea attended by John Bell, an overview of the Scholarship’s history and of Learning programmes by Head of Education Joanna Erskine, a session on Shakespeare history by James Evans and viewing of Romeo And Juliet at Sydney Opera House, followed by a debrief session. Saturday and Sunday’s sessions covered the texts Macbeth and Hamlet, packed with practical and innovative classroom strategies, and a viewing of Macbeth on Saturday night.

My experience during the RTS has changed my attitude to teaching. After five years of English teaching I had become a product of a very traditional school. I was very much a teacher who read things and focused on learning through reading. Now I know that learning through doing is so much more powerful. I plan to use many of the activities for a range of texts - not only Shakespeare and I believe they will have a much more meaningful learning experience. I have also been reminded of the importance of theatre, acting, drama and Shakespeare. I have learnt to fight for these things in schools because if I don’t, no one will.

The final day was run by Joanna Erskine, with teachers using strategies learned to teach each other, putting knowledge into practice and action. Debrief sessions were run after each activity, discussing difficulties, challenges and ideas about how to implement the strategies successfully to a range of different students. During the afternoon, CoArtistic Director and director of Macbeth, Peter Evans, was able to spend a session with the teachers answering their questions about the production. The final session was spent planning the teachers’ Shakespeare unit plans and pitching the units to fellow Scholarship recipients, who played the roles of school colleagues, principals and disinterested students, to prepare for future challenges. To conclude the 2012 Regional Teacher Scholarship week, a farewell dinner was held at the Studio Café at Sydney Opera House.

Lauren Swan, Donald High School, VIC I fell in love with Shakespeare all over again! You reminded me that a passion for his work comes from an active involvement in his texts - getting your hands dirty, bringing the text to life yourself and interacting with it. I am now well armed with great teaching tools relevant to all of Shakespeare’s writings and am impatient to get into my teaching units so I can pass the passion on. Nicole Dohler, Living Waters Lutheran Primary School, Alice Springs NT

R Egional performance scholarship I n memory of N ell H ourn The 2011 Regional Performance Scholarship winners were Ava Campbell from Newstead College in Riverside TAS, Sorcha Harrop from Armidale High School NSW, and Antonio Robin from Casuarina Senior College in Darwin NT. They were selected from a total of 137 auditions by students in regional areas across Australia, which were conducted during 2011. They joined the Company in Sydney at Bell Shakespeare HQ for one week, 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;24 February 2012, during the first week of Macbeth rehearsals. Ava, Sorcha and Antonio observed rehearsals each day and even participated in challenging Meyerhold training with the cast, under the direction of Nigel Poulton. They undertook a specialist movement masterclass with Julia Cotton (ex-Head of Movement at NIDA) and were mentored by Bell Shakespeare actor and Arts Educator Sarah Woods, who presented Shakespeare acting masterclasses working on monologues and scene work. The three recipients were able to tour backstage at NIDA, Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Opera House, and see Peter Evansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Pygmalion at Sydney Theatre, where they were treated to a backstage tour and chat with the cast after the show. The highlight of the week was performing their winning monologues

for the cast and crew of Macbeth. Ava performed a steadfast Constance from King John, Antonio a detailed rendition of Enobarbus from Antony And Cleopatra, and Sorcha an amusing Phebe from As You Like It. During 2012, 99 students from 53 regional schools were auditioned for the 2012 Regional Performance Scholarship. Each auditionee participated in a one-on-one audition masterclass with a Bell Shakespeare Arts Educator. The winners will visit Bell Shakespeare for their Scholarship week in early 2013. Observing the professionalism, technical fluency, creativity and sociability of Bell Shakespeare has ultimately given me the drive to push forward with my own journey to become an actor. Ava Campbell, RPS recipient, Newstead College, Launceston TAS

THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES WORK E X P E R I E N C E WA Once again Bell Shakespeare had two Perth students behind-the-scenes at a Bell Shakespeare production at the State Theatre Centre of WA. Chelsea Johnston from Ursula Frayne Catholic College and Kirra Webb from Duncraig Senior High School spent two days assisting with the production of The School For Wives at the State Theatre Centre of WA and gained valuable production work experience and practical skills towards their pursuit of a career in theatre. Assisting Bell Shakespeare’s stage management team as they bumped in and got ready for opening night, the students watched and walked through the lighting plot, experienced the wardrobe department and watched a full rehearsal. I love the feel of the theatre and the buzz you get. I think that form of art is really beautiful because it involves every part of art, literature for the person who wrote the script, its acting for the people who are performing, its designing for people who do the costumes and set so that’s what I really love about it. – Chelsea Johnston I am doing drama at school and enjoy acting, but I wanted to find out about jobs behind the scenes. I think the best thing about the experience was that everyone got along really well and it was a really friendly environment. – Kirra Webb

S TA G E F O R L I F E Stage For Life is an exclusive work experience opportunity for two students, designed to provide young people from regional areas interested in pursuing a career in the arts with a broad introduction to all aspects of theatre production and management. In its eighth year, two driven young girls were awarded this opportunity. Raine Paul from Elizabeth College in Hobart TAS and Cassandra Palmer-Field from Pioneer State High School in Shoal Point QLD were selected from over 100 applicants on the strength of their written submissions. Raine and Cassandra travelled to Sydney to work with members of the Company in an immersive week-long programme in the lead up to the opening night of Bell Shakespeare’s The School For Wives. They learned about stage management, production, marketing, event planning and media calls, culminating in attending the opening night at the iconic Sydney Opera House as VIP guests. They also went behind the scenes with Foxtel at their Sydney television studios.

It’s hard to concisely say how amazing this past week has been. Sometimes it doesn’t quite sink in how lucky I am. Raine Paul, SFL recipient, Elizabeth College, Hobart TAS

DIGITAL INNOVATION and online interaction ROMEO AND JULIET LIVE-STREAMED PERFORMANCE AND Q&A

As part of the Sydney Opera House Romeo And Juliet season, the 22 May performance was live-streamed to an audience of 600 students at the Glasshouse, Port Macquarie. The Players were micâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ed, and a live cut was expertly performed from the Sydney Opera House media studio assisted by director Damien Ryan. The performance looked spectacular on the cinema-sized screen, with colours vibrant and with close-ups enabled. At 4.30pm following the performance, the cast of Romeo And Juliet joined director Damien Ryan on stage for a 45-minute Q&A session, live-streamed via the Bell Shakespeare website. Schools around Australia were asked in advance to submit questions for Damien and the cast to answer. Cameras were set up to film the entire Q&A, with a Twitter and website feed allowing viewers to also post questions live. There was a total of 126 unique online viewers, with many classrooms of students logged on for the session, including Bombala and Wauchope High Schools. Participants asked 109 questions / comments in total, with the cast and Damien answering as many as possible in the time allocated, in some instances using

physical demonstrations to answer questions, including a demonstration of fight choreography to show how the actors avoid actual injuries. The Q&A has been uploaded to the Bell Shakespeare website so that those schools who could not access the Q&A live can view it, and teachers may use it as a classroom resource.

A selection of feedback from the live chat: Thanks for doing this, was really insightful and interesting! Thank you guys for sharing your time and experience with us! Thank you Bell Shakespeare! Thanks this was wonderful! Brilliant!

D I G I TA L W O R K S H O P S VIA SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Prior to the Sydney season of Romeo And Juliet, schools had the opportunity to participate in specialised workshops via video-conference. Resident Artist in Education, James Evans, presented 4 workshops for 8 schools with 210 students participating, beamed from the Playhouse stage at Sydney Opera House directly into classrooms. The workshops were incredibly successful, and it was a joy to see three schools on the one screen enacting the Capulet ball scene live in three completely different interpretations, and hear three different Juliets utter ‘O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?’ one after another.

Bell Shakespeare played a key role at the launch of the NBN-Enabled Education and Skills Services Program in August. James Evans demonstrated the technology’s ability to connect with regional schools by presenting an excerpt of The Tempest workshop live for the audience with students from Willunga High School in South Australia. He was ably assisted by Federal Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth Peter Garrett, who delivered a booming performance of the powerful Prospero, in a Moved Synopsis.

SOCIAL MEDIA While on the road, The Players continued to connect with their audiences via social media, including their Meet The Players blog (www.bellshakespeare.com.au/ meettheplayers) which had 5,338 unique views in 2012. Through the blog they shared photos from the tour and the unique locations they visited, answered questions received from students, and shared experiences from an actor’s perspective, including forgetting lines right through to advice on projecting your voice in different performance spaces. The Players’ popular facebook page saw 1,902 students interacting with the team and other students across Australia, posting questions and comments regularly. Armed with iPads and iPhones, the Players used these online spaces to share their experiences and continue conversations about Shakespeare with students in regional and metropolitan areas, long after they had left their schools.

Some of the feedback from STUDENTS ON The Players’ facebook page in 2012 I LOVED YOU GUYS TODAY!! Thanks soooo much for performing Midsummer Madness (A Midsummer Night’s Dream: 40 references to eyes ;) and Macbeth. I really hope I get to watch one of your shows again! I really like the way you made everything contemporary and I’m sorry but Huw did the speech better than Anthony :P “is this a dagger which I see before me?” “NO that’s not how you do it!” hahahah :) Thanks so so much :) Just wanted to thank Anthony, Huw, Matilda & Julia for coming & performing at Mount Saint Joseph Milperra today. Personally I don’t like Shakespearean stuff but I really enjoyed today. Absolutely LOVED your performance of Midsummer Madness at Lucas Heights :) It was amazing and it was great to see the acting techniques that you used during the play. Best bell Shakespeare yet!

Loved the performance. You guys are legends. Wishing all the more success for you in the future to come. Thanks again for taking time out to come to SCHS. You guys came on Wednesday to Capella State High and I just wanted to say that you were amazing and brilliant actors. Thank you so much for coming : You guys are amazing!! Thank you for visiting and making yesterday an unforgettable day. (: What’s up Players! I would really like to thank Ed and Julz on their fantastic work with Hellyeah College (Hellyer College) in the last two weeks. I’ve learnt so much with you guys! And I would really like to thank Julz for everything she has done for me, because all her work has finally paid off! Because I got into theatre program!! I’m going to acting school Ed and Julz! :D

INTERNATIONAL WORLDS TOGETHER SHAKESPEARE I N E D U C AT I O N CONFERENCE, UNITED KINGDOM Held 6–8 September 2012, Worlds Together was a collaborative conference between Tate Modern, the British Museum, the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). The conference drew together different disciplines in order to ask what is at stake for children’s cultural lives today and brought the worlds of arts education together across time, place and practice. Hosted at the Tate Modern on London’s Southbank, the conference brought together a unique ensemble of voices, experiences and insights from world leading artists, academics, directors and teachers. All participants shared a deep commitment to making Shakespeare accessible and vibrant for young people across the world. The three-day event was focused around a Shakespeare strand specifically exploring the world-wide influence of Shakespeare in education. Bell Shakespeare was invited to present on our work with Shakespeare in marginalised Australian communities, in particular our work with Indigenous communities. James Evans, Resident Artist in Education, delivered a presentation titled Dreaming, Power, Shame: Shakespeare on the Margins of Australian Society.

James wrote the following about his experience: I was very fortunate to travel to London and represent Bell Shakespeare at the Worlds Together Conference – the final major event of the London 2012 World Shakespeare Festival. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet and discuss Shakespeare with like-minded artists from around the world. Delegates from 21 countries, including Singapore, the US, Malta, Brazil, South Africa and the Czech Republic gathered at the Tate Modern to dissect the question: Why does Shakespeare matter? There were presentations from leading writers, like James Shapiro from Columbia University, and voice and text experts, like Cicely Berry from the Royal Shakespeare Company. My talk centred on the work Bell Shakespeare does in marginalised communities around Australia – regional and remote areas, Aboriginal communities and juvenile detention centres. I spoke about long-term projects, engaging entire communities and the cultural exchange that we are privileged to be a part of. The response to the talk was overwhelming, and I had to do it twice so that everyone who wanted to could hear it! I came away from the conference energised by meeting so many interesting people, but also excited by the knowledge that our company is a world leader not only on stage, but also in the classroom and in the community.

A D U LT EDUCATION A C TOR T R A INING 2012 marked the commencement of our adult education programme, with a five-week Actor Training course for recent acting school graduates and early career actors. 24 actors were selected for the inaugural course, led by Resident Artist in Education James Evans. Sessions covered language and text analysis, voice, classical text, movement and characterisation. A variety of approaches, physical and language-based, were taught to help students access Shakespeare’s verse and characters. The participants applied their newly learnt practical skills to a deep exploration of a single scene which they worked on with Bell Shakespeare’s Artistic Directors John Bell and Peter Evans. Guest sessions were also presented by movement expert Scott Witt and former Head of Voice at NIDA, Bill Pepper. The course culminated with a showing of scene work for an audience of family and friends. 64

I feel privileged to have been part of the exercise, I feel energised by what I learned and find myself wanting more! I think I fell in love with Shakespearean verse and understanding it with the voice, body and heart. It’s a bit like chanting psalms in a high end monastery, [it] takes you to another level of human experience or insight or of being. I was challenged right out of my comfort zone but think I have more courage or more equanimity than I did at 21.’ Johanna Pigott, participant, Actor Training – Graduate Stream

TERTI ARY T R AINING — AC PA AND NIDA Bell Shakespeare aims to make Shakespeare an exciting and viable option for Australia’s most talented young actors, and in 2012, we formed partnerships with the country’s leading training institutions. The Company has delivered the Shakespeare component of the full-time Acting course at NIDA since 2011. In 2012, James Evans and Damien Ryan delivered an intensive three-week Classical Immersion course for 12 second-year actors at NIDA. James and Damien commenced with detailed workshops on verse and text analysis, before helping students interpret some of Shakespeare’s greatest scenes and monologues, up on the floor. They worked to challenge the students’ preconceptions about Shakespeare acting, pushing them

to break habits of voice and movement, and find the imaginative high stakes of each scene. The course ended with a presentation of scenes from Macbeth for NIDA staff and students. 2012 saw the commencement of the Company’s relationship with Brisbane’s Aboriginal Centre for Performing Arts (ACPA) with James Evans presenting two days of introductory workshops on Romeo And Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.Working with 30 students from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, James delivered workshops on rhythm and text, acting and scene performance.The main purpose of the workshops was demystifying Shakespeare and discovering the joy and abandon of performing these extraordinary classic characters.

R ESEARCH E D UC ATI O NAL T RA N SFOR M AT IONS E VA LUATION In order for our Learning Programme to achieve maximum impact from available resources, Bell Shakespeare recognised the need to commission an external evaluation that would ascertain aspects of the Programme’s effectiveness and help prioritise areas of focus going forward. Educational Transformations was commissioned to conduct the evaluation, which commenced in 2012. Three key programmes were identified to be studied – Actors At Work, Residencies and the Regional Teacher Scholarship. The Educational Transformations research team comprises Dr Tanya Vaughan and Professor Brian Caldwell. The evaluation will systematically and rigorously analyse and examine qualitative and quantitative data gathered from Learning Programme participants, across a selection of the Programme strands. Alongside input into Bell Shakespeare Learning planning, the evaluation will provide invaluable data and analysis that will help illustrate and inform future funding applications. Significant progress has been made against all the aspects of the evaluation project to date, and the completed report will be delivered by mid-2013. Results so far suggest that the three strands of the programme have a significant positive impact on all participants and that the longer the engagement, the more substantial the

impact. Additionally, the evaluation is already beginning to show results that will lead to improvements to the various strands, making the Learning Programme even stronger and more impactful. Educational Transformations have an excellent track record in reporting the impact of Arts programmes on students’ outcomes in various settings. ‘Bridging the Gap in School Achievement through the Arts’ (Vaughan, Harris & Caldwell, 2011) was launched at Parliament House Canberra on 22 March 2011 by Hon Peter Garrett, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. Brian Caldwell and Tanya Vaughan co-authored Transforming Education through the Arts which was published in 2012 for the international market by Routledge (London and New York). Educational Transformations have evaluated The Song Room’s Creative Arts for Indigenous Parental Engagement (CAIPE) in 2011 which showed important benefits for the engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and students in the arts. In the beginning of 2012, Educational Transformations evaluated Ping: Remote Music Education Project which was found to build the capacity of rural schools in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and music and encourage improved music outcomes for students.

SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT SUCH SWEET SORROW: ACTORS AT WORK In October 2012, Matt Edgerton and Joanna Erskine entered the rehearsal room to develop their third Actors At Work script together, Such Sweet Sorrow. Charting the plot of Romeo And Juliet, this was intended as an introduction to the classic play and Shakespeare for junior secondary students in Years 7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9. The show will tour Australia in 2013 and will be directed by Francesca Savige. Research, planning and pre-writing occurred over the course of several months before reaching the rehearsal room to write a first draft of the script. They were then joined by the entire team of eight Players to workshop the script in terms of plot, language, message and to detail the four framing characters within the contemporary commentary. This was an extremely fruitful process, as

The Players had performed for this exact age group throughout the year, and were therefore on the pulse in terms of what the students would respond to and what would resonate most strongly with them. Much of the discussion focused on the treatment of fate and suicide within the play, with care taken when dealing with these sensitive issues. Francesca Savige was in the room for the entire development process, allowing her to have ownership and input into the creation of the work, making for a smooth transition to directing the work in 2013. The script was well received at an informal showing for artistic staff, with Matt and Joanna completing the final draft ready for The 2013 Players rehearsal in December 2012. 67

ED U C ATION A D VI SO RY PA N ELS Bell Shakespeare Learning programmes could not maintain such a high quality of programme design and delivery without effective and regular consultation with the education community. We value the time and input of our two advisory panels, who we meet with regularly throughout the year.

2012 Bell Shakespeare National Education Advisory Panel

2012 BELL SHAKESPEARE Primary Teachers Advisory Panel

Rebecca Grant English/Drama Teacher, Emmaville Central, Emmaville NSW

Jennie Gregory Westmead Public School, NSW

Tim Barklay English/Drama Teacher, Moree Secondary College, Moree NSW Kristi Johansen Project Officer, Teaching Multi-Lingual Learners, NT Professor Robyn Ewing Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, NSW Dr. Kerry-Ann O’Sullivan School of Education, Macquarie University, NSW Ben Daley Teacher, Macintyre High School, Inverell NSW Anna Maria Fitzpatrick Academic Head of English, Oakhill College, NSW Lyndy Clarke Head of Theatre, Caulfield Grammar School, Melbourne VIC

Jodie Pearce Westmead Public School, NSW Stephanie Harrison St Michael’s Primary School, Lane Cove NSW Nicole Hansson St Michael’s Primary School, Lane Cove NSW Arpana Pillay Vardy’s Road Public School, NSW Andrea Brock Vardy’s Road Public School, NSW Paula Stefanatos Blessed Sacrament Primary School, Clifton Gardens NSW

R esources Bell Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Online Learning Packs support teachers with classroom resources and behind-the-scenes information linked to each individual Bell Shakespeare production. Each pack contains introductory and background material including synopsis of the play, background of the play, set and costume designs, cast and crew lists, discussion of key themes, character charts and explanations, interviews with key creatives and pre- and post-show classroom activities. Packs are also made available to the general public via the Bell Shakespeare website. The following Online Learning Packs were created for 2012: Romeo And Juliet (Dedicated in-theatre schools production); Macbeth (mainstage); The Duchess Of Malfi (mainstage); The School For Wives (mainstage); Midsummer Madness (Actors At Work in-school performance); Macbeth: Undone (Actors At Work in-school performance). The Bell Shakespeare website also serves as a valuable resource for teachers and the general public, and in 2012 many digital resources were added including interviews with members of the Macbeth cast and creatives. The Bell Shakespeare Learning website was accessed by 64,740 people in 2012.

2012 S TATISTICS O V ERVI EW Programme

Participants

Schools

Actors At Work

49,544

296

Romeo And Juliet in-theatre performance

17,032

213

Mainstage performances**

3,443

Student Masterclasses

8,292

118

HSC/VCE Seminars

345

Residencies

1,501

Regional Access Workshops

888

Regional Teacher Scholarship

Regional Performance Scholarship

Teacher Professional Learning

361

120

Actor Training

Online interaction

72,316

TOTALS

153,899

921

TOTAL 2012 PROGRAMME PARTICIPATION

81,583

TOTAL 2012 ONLINE & DIGITAL INTERACTION

72,916*

* Includes 600 live stream audience for Romeo And Juliet at the Glasshouse, Port Macquarie. ** This figure does not include student attendance at general public evening performances of Macbeth, The Duchess Of Malfi and The School For Wives.

A RTI STI C L EA D ERSHIP John Bell AO, Co-Artistic Director John Bell is Co-Artistic Director of Bell Shakespeare and one of Australia’s most acclaimed theatre personalities. In a career of acting and directing, John has been instrumental in shaping the Australian theatre industry as we know it. After graduating from Sydney University in 1962 John worked for the Old Tote Theatre Company, all of Australia’s state theatre companies and was an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company in the United Kingdom. As co-founder of Sydney’s Nimrod Theatre Company, John presented many productions of landmark Australian plays including David Williamson’s Travelling North, The Club and The Removalists. He also initiated an Australian Shakespeare style with Nimrod productions such as Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth. In 1990 John founded The Bell Shakespeare Company where his productions have included Hamlet, Romeo And Juliet, The Taming Of The Shrew, Richard 3, Pericles, Henry 4, Henry 5, Julius Caesar, Antony And Cleopatra, The Comedy Of Errors, Wars Of The Roses, Measure For Measure, Macbeth and As You Like It, as well as Goldoni’s The Servant Of Two Masters, Gogol’s The Government Inspector, Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist and John Webster’s The Duchess Of Malfi. His Shakespeare roles include Hamlet, Shylock, Henry V, Richard III, Macbeth, Malvolio, Berowne, Petruchio, Leontes, Coriolanus, Prospero, King Lear and Titus Andronicus. He played Professor Serebryakov in Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Uncle Vanya which toured to New York and Washington in the US. He played the title role in two co-productions with Queensland Theatre Company: Richard 3 and Heiner Müller’s Anatomy Titus Fall Of Rome: A Shakespeare Commentary. John has also directed a production of Madame Butterfly for an Oz Opera national tour. John Bell is an Officer of the Order of Australia and the Order of the British Empire. He has an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the Universities of Sydney, New South Wales and Newcastle. In 1997 he was named by the National Trust

of Australia as one of Australia’s Living Treasures. In 2003 the Australia Business Arts Foundation awarded John the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Cultural Leadership Award. His many awards as an actor and director include a Helpmann Award for Best Actor (Richard 3, 2002), a Producers and Directors Guild Award for Lifetime Achievement and the JC Williamson Award (2009) for extraordinary contribution to Australia’s live entertainment industry.

P E T E R E VA N S , C o - A rtistic D irector Peter is Co-Artistic Director of Bell Shakespeare. Peter’s directing credits include The Tempest, The Two Gentleman Of Verona, Julius Caesar, Intimate Letters and two productions of Macbeth for Bell Shakespeare; Life Without Me, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, The Ugly One, God of Carnage, Savage River (co production with Griffin Theatre Company), Realism, The Hypocrite, Blackbird, Don Juan in Soho, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The History Boys, Don’s Party, The Give and Take, Dumbshow, and The Daylight Atheist for Melbourne Theatre Company; Pygmalion, The Grenade, The Great, Fat Pig, and The Give and Take for Sydney Theatre Company; Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, King Lear, Copenhagen, Proof, Muldoon, and The Christian Brothers for New Zealand’s Court Theatre; The Daylight Atheist for Queensland Theatre Company and The Yellow Wallpaper for Malthouse and the Store Room. His other Australian credits include Jesus Hopped the A Train for Red Stitch Actors Theatre; A Poor Student for the Store Room at the Malthouse Theatre; A Lie of the Mind at the New Theatre; Sexual Perversity in Chicago for Theatre Jamb at the Bondi Pavilion; Kiss of the Spiderwoman for Theatre Adami at the Stables and The Dumb Waiter for the Studio Company at Belvoir St Theatre. In 2006 Peter was Associate Director for the Bell Shakespeare Company and from 2007 until 2010 he was Associate Director for the Melbourne Theatre Company. He rejoined Bell Shakespeare in 2011 as Associate Artistic Director and in October 2012 was appointed Co-Artistic Director.

T H A N K Y O U T O O U R 2 0 1 2 PA RT N E R S

LEADING PARTNERS

National Education & Youth Partner

Regional Communities Partner

MAJOR PARTNERS

Official Wellbeing Partner

Leadership Partner

Automotive Partner

Special Projects Partner

Canberra Season Partner

Stage For Life

Special Event Partner

Media Partner

Radio Partner

Accommodation Partner

Legal Partner

Community Partner

Public Affairs Advisors

Creative Partner

Printing Partner

Sydney Catering Partner

Nsw Education Partner

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

WA Season Partner The School For Wives

COMPANY PARTNERS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

The following organisations, trusts and foundations supported our national education and creative development initiatives:

Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation Pratt Foundation Ian Potter Foundation J S Love Trust IOOF Foundation Scully Fund The Trust Company atf E T A Basan Charitable Trust James N Kirby Foundation Collier Charitable Fund

Macquarie Group Foundation

Bell Shakespeare is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW.

Bell Shakespeare Learning initiatives 2012-2015 are supported by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

Bell Shakespeare is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

The Australian Government is proud to be associated with Bell Shakespeare through the national performing arts touring programme, Playing Australia, which gives Australians across the country the opportunity to see some of our best performing arts.

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