Royal Shakespeare Company Awarded £90k

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has been awarded unprecedented funding for its young people’s programmes of work by John Lyon’s Charity. The RSC’s Learning department leads regular programmes for young people to help realise the Company’s aim of “ensuring all young people have a positive experience of Shakespeare”.

This aim is already realised in Warwickshire and Coventry through key programmes that are directed towards Secondary and SEN schools. The Company now plans to roll these programmes out across London through funding from John Lyon’s Charity, to enable schools in Brent, Ealing and Chelsea to benefit from this work.

The projects will run alongside the RSC’s annual London Season (December – March), and are as follows:

Playback – a performance project for young people from 8 schools and youth groups in Brent and Ealing. This 10 week project is designed to develop the students’ Drama and English skills. It will culminate in a 20 minute performance of their theatrical responses to The Tempest on a West End stage with full technical support from the RSC.

Rough Magic – based on the same format as Playback, this has been adapted for students with severe educational needs in one school in Kensington and Chelsea. This 6 week project is designed to develop the students’ ability to play a full and active role in society. An experienced company of ex-RSC actors will work with the students to create their own response to The Tempest.

PRU Project (Pupil Reintegration Units) – this project will be developed during 2007 and will be designed to make a positive impact on the young people’s ability to reintegrate into formal education.

David Robins, Director of the Trust says; “Education is at the core of the RSC, and John Lyon’s Charity is delighted to support their pioneering programme for London’s schoolchildren.”

Fiona Ingram of RSC Learning who is heading up the programmes says; “The RSC is intent on enabling young people to have positive experiences of Shakespeare by connecting them practically to his language and stories, and giving them chances to perform on our stages.”

Find out more at RSC.org.uk.