Curtain up on national celebration of Britain’s best Bard

With less than two weeks to go until the arrival of Shakespeare Week (16 – 22 March 2015), museums, libraries, galleries and heritage attractions across the UK are getting ready to welcome primary schools and families for a whole host of free Shakespeare-inspired events and activities.

Organised by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Shakespeare Week is a national campaign to bring to life the magic of Shakespeare’s life and stories for the next generation.

This year it will be celebrated by more than 1 million 5-11 year olds, who will be joining in the fun as Shakespeare pops up in unexpected places around the country, from Wesminter Abbey to the Forest of Arden.

Public libraries will be joining in with a line-up of family events, including exclusive screenings of a brand new short film about a young William Shakespeare, produced especially for the Week and titled ‘Unwillingly to School’.

Here’s a flavor of what else is in store:

• At the heart of the celebrations in Stratford-upon-Avon, help to create a Forest of Arden in the gardens of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.
• Embark on a trail around the galleries at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery to search for paintings of Shakespeare’s contemporaries.
• Look out for some of Shakespeare’s best-loved characters as they live out their famous stories at Tudor House & Garden in Southampton.
• Discover the world of the Tudors by taking part in costume and prop making activities at The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
• At Westminster Abbey, explore Shakespeare’s history plays in the place where two of Shakespeare’s kings are buried.
• Watch a hilarious musical adaptation of Twelfth Night, performed by children from Overchurch Primary School at Cheshire’s Tatton Park.
• Experience a Macbeth-themed mock trial in a real courtroom at Galleries of Justice Museum in Nottingham.

Jacqueline Green, Head of Learning and Participation at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust says, “We can’t wait to see how over 1 million children around the country will be getting to know Shakespeare, his characters and his stories. We’ve been thrilled to welcome on board a whole range of cultural attractions, which are helping us to ignite in children alife long enjoyment of Shakespeare with a fantastically creative line-up ofevents for schools and families.”

Shakespeare Week events and activities are free (entry to family attractions may apply). 

To find out more about these events and what’s happening in primary schools and cultural attractions in your area, visit www.shakespeareweek.org.uk