School Workshops

The Play’s The Thing

Our Shakespeare programmes prove popular and successful both nationally and internationally – and we’ve been lucky enough to partner with The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the brains behind Shakespeare Week for the last 8 years. Our programmes work with any of the plays in the canon – and can normally be accomplished in as little as a single lesson (although we always prefer longer, of course!)

Workshop Description

Our tried and tested approaches lend themselves to all of the plays in Shakespeare’s canon – and, with notice, we’re able to focus on particular themes of your choice. So, whether you’re looking at Othello’s insecurity, Ophelia’s intitiuon or Orsino’s inertia, we’ve just the workshop for you!

Exploring: character and characterisation, narrative structure, Shakespearean verse and prose, performance skills, staging.

Suitable for: Upper KS2, KS4 / P6/P7 – S4, up to four classes over the course of a single day.

Contact Us

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Year Groups	KS2 – KS4 P5 – S5
Curriculum	Shakespeare
Pupil Numbers	30 pupils per workshop
Duration	minimum of 60 minutes (although we always prefer longer!)
Space	Large Classroom or Hall / Drama Space

Workshop Testimonials

“The workshop was absolutely excellent and surpassed my expectations. The thing that surprised was the breadth of Jo’s experience which resulted in such a rich experience for the children. Thanks so much!”

Shakespeare Workshops, Silverhill School

“That was simply brilliant. Thank you so much for a wonderful morning. It far surpassed my expectations and I know that the children really enjoyed every minute. You managed to captivate the children and truly got the best from them. The activities were perfectly pitched and I would really recommend your workshop for all as your enthusiasm for Shakespeare and great manner made it a true pleasure.”

Streamed Shakespeare Workshop, Reddiford School

“The staff loved watching students who they typically define as disinterested getting more engaged in the ‘human sculptures’ activities than they would a traditional English lesson.The students gained the knowledge that English can be more interesting than it is traditionally presented to them in schools. I found it interesting how easily they were able to decipher the themes and text, guided by Jo. The themes of power and magic are subjects which can continue to be built upon in future years as the students start to study Macbeth at GCSE level, and the workshop was a perfect entry point for that. I have had several students and staff approach me to discuss how successful the workshops were and how we would love to do it again in the future.”

Shakespeare Workshop, Cowley International College

“The students now have a clearer understanding of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’. The level of subject knowledge from Jackson was brilliant. The special facts that he knew blew the children away and made the workshop so much more memorable. Thank you for your fantastic delivery. We really enjoyed having you at Chichester Free School.”

Shakespeare Workshops, Chichester Free School

Workshop FAQs

How many pupils can take part?

This workshop can accommodate up-to 30 pupils at a time, in sessions lasting as little as one hour, meaning it is usually possible to have up-to 150 take part over the course of one day.

How many workshops can we have in one day?

We will work with you to plan a timetable to accommodate the number of classes you would like to include, based around the timings of your school day. It’s usually possible to have up-to 5 workshops per day.

What is the format of the day?

We will work with you to plan a timetable for the workshops, to suit the number of classes you would like to include – and around the specific timings of your school day.

Are there any technical requirements?

There are no technical requirements for this workshop

Which of Shakespeare’s plays can the workshops be based on?

We are happy to work with any of the plays – and equally happy to make our own recommendations, if you’d prefer.