RSC Education News Summer 2016 by Royal Shakespeare Company

EDUCATION NEWS SUMMER 2016

Image of Simon Russell Beale by Imaginarium Studios & RSC

TRANSFORMING YOUNG PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES OF SHAKESPEARE

2016 –2017 ACADEMIC YEAR MORE WAYS TO BRING SHAKESPEARE TO LIFE THAN EVER BEFORE IN THIS ISSUE:

• FREE SCHOOLS’ BROADCASTS OF HAMLET, KING LEAR AND THE TEMPEST • ASSOCIATE SCHOOLS – OUR NEW PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND THEATRES • BESPOKE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – WHY CHOOSE THE RSC FOR CPD • PLUS MUCH MORE

The work of the RSC Education department is generously supported by THE CLORE DUFFIELD FOUNDATION, PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATION, THE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER FOUNDATION and CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION.

RSC EDUCATION HOTLINE 01789 403434 (8.30AM-5PM, MON-FRI DURING UK TERM TIME) WWW.RSC.ORG.UK/EDUCATION

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FR E E SCH OO LS ’ B R O A D C A S T S JOIN THE UK’S

WHAT HAPPENS IN A BROADCAST? Each of our free Schools’ Broadcasts takes place at a set time and date, with schools all over the country logging in to a special website. The broadcasts start with a live introduction from our studio and include activities for students to help them engage with the production and get the most from the experience. The play itself is broken up into three parts, rather than the usual two, with further student activities between each section and live Q&As with actors from the company. Throughout the broadcast, schools can use Twitter or the special message function on the broadcast site to suggest questions for the actors. The broadcast ends with a final Q&A section.

BIGGEST SHAKESPEARE

LESSONS

THURSDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2016

T H E R O Y A L S H A K E S P E A R E C O M PA N Y I N C O L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H I N T E L

T H E

TEMPEST

SHAKESPEARE

THURSDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2017

WILLIAM

Photograph of Antony Sher by Paul Stuart

WILLIAM

SHAKESPEARE

Photograph by Manuel Harlan

WILLIAM

KING LEAR

HOW DO I PREPARE MY STUDENTS? Our research tells us that preparing young people to watch the broadcast greatly increases their engagement and enjoyment. We believe that using rehearsal room approaches to Shakespeare in the classroom can help students of all ages and abilities gain a meaningful connection with his work. Our range of Teacher Packs draw on this approach and allow young people to explore and experience Shakespeare’s language, themes and ideas in practical and exciting ways. The Teacher Pack for Hamlet is now online and those for King Lear and The Tempest will be available once each production has opened in Stratford-upon-Avon. Specific broadcast guides will also be available in the run up to each event. You can find all our Teacher Packs and lots of other resources at www.rsc.org.uk/teacherresources

SHAKESPEARE

In association with THE IMAGINARIUM STUDIOS

THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2017

Image of Simon Russell Beale by Imaginarium Studios & RSC

HAMLET

HOW DO WE WATCH A BROADCAST? Registration is now open for all three broadcasts and it’s easy to sign up – just visit www.rsc.org.uk/schoolsbroadcasts and give us a few details about your school. There is lots of technical information for accessing the broadcast on the website, and prior to each broadcast there will be a testing period where you or your IT team can check your set up.

‘They loved it - I teach a really tricky group of children, and it was amazing to see them all completely captivated, engaged and on the edge of their seats’. Primary Teacher

Here’s what young people and teachers have said about our recent broadcasts: BC English Dept @BC_EnglishDept Apr 21 •

‘Very enthusiastic and it generated a huge amount of discussion which they enjoyed and can use in their exam.’ Secondary Teacher

‘The students really engaged with the broadcast, we have been able to have in-depth discussions about the portrayal of characters, set design, the benefit of seeing the play rather than just reading the text.’ Secondary Teacher

So far up to 120,000 young people have watched an RSC Schools’ Broadcast since Richard II in 2013

#MerchantofVenice reviews from yr8 characterised by the word "brilliant"! Love to see such enjoyment of Shakespeare @RSC_Education Howell's School @HowellsSchool Apr 21 •

Y10 tweets reacting to @RSC_Education Schools' Broadcast of The Merchant of Venice. Brilliant learning experience!

Red Hill Field PS @redhillfield Apr 21 •

Y5/6 captivated by @RSC_Education performance of The Merchant of Venice #RSCMerchant

Up to 1900 schools have watched a broadcast Stephen Perse Drama @SPFdrama Apr 21 •

99% of teachers who watched the RSC Schools’ Broadcast of The Merchant of Venice say it is a good way to introduce young people to Shakespeare in performance

#RSCMerchant @TheRSC @RSC_Education great to be a part of this nationwide experience! Thank u for facilitating @StephenPerse @SPFEnglish

Register now at www.rsc.org.uk/schoolsbroadcasts Live from Stratford-upon-Avon is generously supported by SIDNEY E. FRANK FOUNDATION

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‘THIS IS THE MISSING BIT IN EDUCATION…IT HAS REJUVENATED MY TEACHING PRACTICE, THE BEST THING I’VE EVER DONE’ CLASSROOM TEACHER, LPN EVALUATION REPORT 2016

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE RSC ASSOCIATE SCHOOLS PROGRAMME, a new national project run by regional theatre companies and schools, in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company. It builds on the legacy of the Learning and Performance Network (LPN), our long-term partnership programme with schools which ran from 2006 – 2016. The fundamental ambition remains the same as the LPN; to work with schools and regional theatre partners to transform experiences of Shakespeare and live theatre for young people. During the pilot year in 2016/17 we will work with 9 regional theatre partners and 11 hub schools across the country to develop a programme featuring: • Professional development opportunities with RSC Education practitioners exploring how rehearsal room approaches to Shakespeare can transform attitudes in the classroom • Connection with, and support from, Lead Associate Schools and/or RSC, their Regional Theatre Partner and a national network of schools and theatres • Opportunities for staff and student development

Photography by Rob Freeman

R SC ASSO C IAT E S CH O O L S

OUR NEW PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME WITH SCHOOLS AND THEATRES

‘THE CHILDREN ENJOY IT SO MUCH; THEY ABSOLUTELY PUNCH THE AIR WHEN THEY GO INTO A SHAKESPEARE LESSON, THEY ARE EXCITED, SOMETHING WHICH IS OFTEN MISSING IN SCHOOLS NOWADAYS.’ PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER, COUNTY DURHAM

• Opportunities to participate in a national festival of work by young people • Opportunities to contribute to a national programme of research and publications

100% OF SURVEYED TEACHERS INVOLVED IN A LONG TERM RSC CPD PROGRAMME SAY IT HAS ENHANCED THEIR SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE IN THE TEACHING OF SHAKESPEARE

• Support for Ofsted expectations around Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development

THE GRAND THEATRE | BLACKPOOL

• Opportunities to experience high quality performances of Shakespeare’s work in theatres and in school • The chance to become an Artsmark school

From September 2017 the Associate Schools programme will be rolled out more widely across the country. If you are interested in joining please email associate.schools@rsc.org.uk 4

OUR REGIONAL THEATRE PARTNERS

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www.rsc.org.uk/associateschools RSC EDUCATION HOTLINE 01789 403434 (8.30AM-5PM, MON-FRI DURING UK TERM TIME) WWW.RSC.ORG.UK/EDUCATION

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SHAKESPEARE FOR EVERYONE IN THIS VERY SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY YEAR MARKING 400 YEARS SINCE SHAKESPEARE’S DEATH, WE ASKED YOUNG PEOPLE WORKING WITH US WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT SHAKESPEARE

‘When you act it out, when you have that moment, you have that feeling in you, that whoa, this is amazing’

‘EXCITING’

Images taken from our Shakespeare for Everyone film created by the RSC Video Unit

‘If you watch one of his plays, you’ll want to watch all of them’

‘MAGICAL’ ‘He’s helped me learn because of drama’

‘FABULOUS’

‘INTRIGUING’

‘MYSTERIOUS’ ‘Every single play you can relate to modern day life. That’s why it’s still exciting and why it always will be’

‘DETERMINED’

‘INSPIRING’

Watch these young people talking about why Shakespeare is for everyone at WWW.RSC.ORG.UK/SHAKESPEAREFOREVERYONE

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RSC Dream Team Playmaking Festival

Thank you for making

1,500 young people from more than 50 schools performed in the RSC Dream Team Playmaking Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon from 27 June – 8 July 2016. Here are some of the amazing ways they have interpreted the text:

2016

A 21st century spin to the classic story with Theseus as a club owner, the mechanicals as bouncers and Oberon and Titania as ethereal and punky DJs.

such a special year!

Great Yarmouth College

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Play for the Nation

900 young people from 47 schools in the Learning and Performance Network performed the RSC Dream Team 30 minute edit of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of their festivals of work in Blackpool, Bradford, Canterbury, Leicester, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Uxbridge. 580 young people from schools across the UK have been performing as Titania’s fairy train in our nationwide tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A steampunk interpretation featuring two huge Titania and Oberon puppets, each operated by three student puppeteers.

July 2016 marks the culmination of RSC Dream Team 2016, our nationwide project to celebrate Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The fairy band and comical mechanicals as presented by 25 students aged 6-19 with Special Educational Needs. Centre Academy East Anglia

We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all the young people, teachers and schools who have taken part in the project.

Over 1,500 people have downloaded the RSC Dream Team Playmaking Pack and 1,100 UK schools have taken part, exploring Shakespeare’s best-loved play in so many different ways. 8

Audley Primary Schl @audleyprimary May 2

Year 6 Dean Bank @Year6DeanBank Mar 16

@TheRSC #RSCDreamTeam Completed character masks from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

We're very proud of our Midsummer Night's Dream performance yesterday @RSC_Education #RSCDreamTeam @ShakespeareWeek

RSC EDUCATION HOTLINE 01789 403434 (8.30AM-5PM, MON-FRI DURING UK TERM TIME) WWW.RSC.ORG.UK/EDUCATION

HJAMissHughes @HJAMissHughes Feb 22

Cherry Grove Primary @CherryGrovePS Feb 2

Creative Industries @CreateIndBD Dec 5

Something truly hilarious happened in English today!! #RSCdreamteam #HJAenglish #whathappenedtobottom

@nwdrama We had a great time exploring A Midsummer Night's Dream today! @RSC_Education #RSCDreamTeam @TheRSC

Some of the design work behind #RSCDreamTeam project with @bingleygrammar @BradfordTheatre and @RSC_Education

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Photography by Topher McGrillis

Wymondham High Academy, Norfolk

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Learning and Performance Network: The Dream

•

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FROM AS LITTLE AS £35 PER PERSON Bespoke course content tailored to the specific needs of your group of teachers

High quality resources for every participant

Our bespoke professional development opportunities give teachers the chance to discover techniques from the rehearsal room which are directly transferable to the classroom. We can build a course based on any Shakespeare play of your choice and tailor the content to suit the needs of your group of teachers, so that every participant leaves feeling confident in the new strategies they have learnt.

Venue of your choice

Photography by Steve Tasnner

Explore practical techniques and strategies directly transferable from course to classroom

‘THIS WAS TRULY INSPIRATIONAL, MEMORABLE AND WILL HAVE A LONG-LASTING IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOL. A MASTERCLASS IN TEACHING.’

Through rehearsal room approaches, students develop a collective ownership of Shakespeare. By collaborating and building a shared understanding of the play, they can begin to see Shakespeare as a playwright who still speaks to young people from all cultures and backgrounds.

HOW DO I BOOK A BESPOKE CPD COURSE? Call RSC Education on 01789 272527 today or email education@rsc.org.uk to discuss your individual needs with our CPD team. All we need to know is your preferred dates and location, the Shakespeare text(s) you would like to cover and range of ages taught by the participants. A full day course costs £875 (£850 for RSC Education members) for up to 25 teachers and typically runs from 9.30am-3.30pm. This can work out as little as £35 per person.

97% OF ALL TEACHERS WHO EXPERIENCE RSC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES RATE THEM AS ‘EXCELLENT’ RSC EDUCATION HOTLINE 01789 403434 (8.30AM-5PM, MON-FRI DURING UK TERM TIME) WWW.RSC.ORG.UK/EDUCATION

HOW DO REHEARSAL ROOM APPROACHES BENEFIT YOUNG PEOPLE? We believe that the use of rehearsal room approaches in the classroom means that children of all abilities and backgrounds can access the language and find a meaningful connection with it. These techniques acknowledge the importance of kinaesthetic learning. By engaging directly and physically with the words and rhythms of the text, complex thoughts and language start to make sense to young people and invite instinctive, personal responses.

‘MY TEACHING BENEFITED ENORMOUSLY FROM THIS COURSE AND THE CHILDREN NOT ONLY MET THEIR TARGETS BUT ENGAGED THEIR MINDS.’ YR 3 TEACHER, BEDFORD

KS3 TEACHER, HULL

WHAT MAKES THE RSC APPROACH TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIFFERENT? We believe that the best experience we can offer young people in a classroom is one which allows them to approach a Shakespeare play as actors do – as an ensemble, using active, exploratory, problemsolving methods to develop a greater understanding and enjoyment of the plays.

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Image of Simon Russell Beale by Imaginarium Studios & RSC

BESPOKE SHAKESPEARE CPD IN YOUR SCHOOL

CPD COURSES ON THE TEMPEST IN STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

Each participant will receive a set of high quality resources featuring all the strategies and texts used during the day to support their planning and teaching.

Find out more at www.rsc.org.uk/cpd

TEACHING THE TEMPEST AT KEY STAGE 1 & 2 A one-day course focusing on The Tempest exploring how active approaches to the text can make Shakespeare's plays accessible and enjoyable at Key Stage 1 & 2. Looking at the themes, characters and language of The Tempest, participants will gain practical experience of rehearsal room techniques which are directly transferable to a primary classroom. IDEAL FOR VENUE DATE COST

All teachers at Key Stage 1 & 2 CLORE Learning Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon Friday 18 November 2016 £150 (RSC Education Members), £165 (non-Members), including a ticket to see the evening performance of The Tempest

MASTERCLASS: VOICE AND TEXT RSC Masterclasses offer you the opportunity to learn from leading professionals in the field. This two day course with Alison Bomber, former Senior Text and Voice Coach at the RSC, offers an immersive experience of the processes actors undertake to understand and own Shakespeare’s language. Focusing on The Tempest, participants will explore the language physically and vocally, uncovering the structures, sounds, rhythms and rhetoric that help actors unlock its meaning. Drama, Performing Arts and English teachers looking to extend and challenge their students VENUE CLORE Learning Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon DATE Friday 25 & Saturday 26 November 2016 COST £260 (RSC Education Members), £285 (non-Members),including ticket to see The Tempest on 25 November IDEAL FOR

To book for either of these courses call the RSC Education Ticket Hotline on 01789 403434

RSC EDUCATION HOTLINE 01789 403434 (8.30AM-5PM, MON-FRI DURING UK TERM TIME) WWW.RSC.ORG.UK/EDUCATION

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EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS

FOR STUDENTS AUTUMN 2016

SIXTH FORM CONFERENCE: KING LEAR 5 October, 10am – 4pm

LIMITED AVAILABILITY

Students can take part in a practical and academic investigation King Lear with these one-day courses designed to explore the language, structure and interpretive choices of each production. £30 per student (RSC Education Members), £35 per student (non-Members) including ticket to the evening performance of King Lear.

STUDENT INSIGHT SESSIONS

KING LEAR 22 September LIMITED AVAILABILITY CYMBELINE 29 September THE TEMPEST 8 December and 5 January 2016

LIMITED AVAILABILITY

Pre-show sessions in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre looking at the interpretive choices made in the current production. £3 per student (RSC Education Members), £4 per student (non-Members)

MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE:

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

19 SEPTEMBER – 14 OCTOBER 2016 We are delighted to be running our free online course exploring Much Ado About Nothing, created in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, for the second time. Ideal for 16 - 19 year olds, this innovative four week course is free to anyone and features an exclusive range of video and audio content. Perfect for studying in the classroom, at home or as part of a group, the course explores how the play would have been staged in Shakespeare’s time, how it has been interpreted throughout the 20th and 21st centuries and how our most recent production of Much Ado About Nothing (Love’s Labour’s Won) brings the play to life for a modern audience. This acclaimed production will be revived at Chichester Festival Theatre from 24 September – 29 October 2016, before transferring to The Opera House, Manchester from 23 November – 3 December 2016 and Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, from 9 December 2016 – 18 March 2017. The DVD of this production is also available to buy online at www.rsc.org.uk/shop

Photograph by Ellie Kurttz

Photograph of Antony Sher by Paul Stuart

STUDENT WORKSHOPS

Image of Simon Russell Beale by Imaginarium Studios & RSC

We offer full and half day practical workshops which explore the creative choices behind current RSC productions or any Shakespeare play of your choice.

Photograph by Ellie Kurttz

We can tailor them to meet your learning objectives, whether they are to help young people prepare for an exam, work as a group or simply feel more confident prior to seeing the play in performance. Workshops are led by RSC Education Associate Practitioners, most of whom are RSC actors or directors. All of them have first-hand experience of our rehearsal room approaches.

HOW TO BOOK

HALF DAY WORKSHOP MAX 30 STUDENTS From 10am–12noon, 1–3pm or 4–6pm RSC Education Member £187.50, Non-member £200, Overseas groups £287.50 FULL DAY WORKSHOP MAX 30 STUDENTS From 10am–3.30pm or 1–6pm RSC Education Member £325, Non-member £350, Overseas groups £450

Call the Education Ticket Hotline on 01789 403434. This line is answered by a specialist education team available from 8.30am–5pm, Monday to Friday during UK term time.

RSC EDUCATION HOTLINE 01789 403434 (8.30AM-5PM, MON-FRI DURING UK TERM TIME) WWW.RSC.ORG.UK/EDUCATION

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