CITY
SHAKESPEARE EDUCATION
At Bard City we are committed to the study of Shakespeare in schools and universities.
Our work focuses on the power of play and exploring Shakespeare with a sense of curiosity, openness and generosity. Moving away from more academic approaches we use physical exercises and games as well as imaginative text exploration to help students unlock the magic of Shakespeare’s plays. We believe the best way to truly understand Shakespeare is to stand up and speak it out loud so our approach is not an academic but a practical and active one; a process that students respond very positively too. We understand that Shakespeare can feel daunting and with that in mind we aim to empower our students to build a personal connection to the language and to find their own voice within it.
During this time of uncertainty, we appreciate that practical and physical learning in schools has become more challenging. With this in mind we have adapted our approach to online teaching and socially distanced classes. We have been delivering online courses throughout the lockdown and have developed a body of work (including games, exercises, rehearsal techniques) which have proved extremely successful.
We offer stand-alone workshops or package deals, depending on your requirements.
Prices vary depending on the request - please contact us for more details.
CLASSES WE OFFER
A BESPOKE WORKSHOP JUST FOR YOU
We curate individual workshops based on your school’s curriculum, interests and needs. The exercises and techniques we use for all of our workshops are the same as those used by professionals at The RSC and Shakespeare’s Globe. Focusing on a play, character or theme of your choice, we will create a specific workshop tailored to your needs. Want an exploration of Ghost Stories and Hamlet? We can do that for you! Want an exploration of Wit and Shakespearean Insults in Much Ado About Nothing? We can do that too! Let us know what you’re working on and leave it to us.
AN INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE
Let us introduce your students to the fundamentals of Shakespeare. This fun and active workshop will get them familiar with: iambic pentameter, imagery, rhetoric, character and more. We will arm them with tools that they can use on any Shakespeare play they encounter in the future. Using extracts from plays across the canon we will help your students foster an understanding of why this work is still relevant today. This workshop is just as advantageous for English students as Drama students.
“DEVISING SHAKESPEARE” WORKSHOPS
This workshop will help to unlock your students’ creativity, teach them to work together as a team and give them the confidence to trust their instincts. Using Shakespeare as a stimulus (a play, an extract of text, character or theme) and techniques used by acclaimed UK devising company Kneehigh Theatre, you will create a brand new piece of theatre from scratch.