Rotary is pleased to announce that it is supporting the Shakespeare Schools Festival (SSF), the UK’s largest youth drama festival, to offer students the opportunity to perform Shakespeare.
SSF provides tools, support and guidance to enable students aged 8-18 to perform Shakespeare plays at their local professional theatre to a paying audience. Since it began in 2000, the festival has worked with over 100,000 young people across the UK.
The project aims to engage pupils in theatre, inspire teachers and create community ties through local theatres and is available to all children regardless of ability or location.
President of Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland, Peter King, said: “We are pleased to be supporting this project for the next three years. Creating opportunities for young people is a key aim of Rotary service. This project gives us a unique opportunity to help schools with fundraising and organising the shows in order that as many young people can take part as possible. Rotarians can also use their vocational skills as well as providing practical assistance such as stewarding.”
It is expected that around 1,200 schools and 35,000 young people across Great Britain and Ireland will perform abridged plays in 130 theatres this Autumn. On any one night up to four schools can each perform a 30 minute play in their local theatre.
The project is part of SHAKESPEARE 400, a project to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death on 23 April 2016.
