It’s a windy Friday afternoon on a Blackpool school playground but the children are still hyper focussed.
Eight Year 6s are performing Act 1, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and 40 other children, most of them just seven-years-old, plus a handful of parents, are engrossed.
This is a fairly typical day at Our Lady of the Assumption Primary School. The children have been reading some of William Shakespeare’s most complex works since Year 4 – Hamlet, King Lear, and the Tempest, no less.
Today they’re hosting a ‘Sharing Shakespeare’ event, welcoming children from four other schools to perform for one another and take part in workshops.
St John Vianney Primary School’s Year 6s perform next, before 12 pupils from Red Marsh Special School play out the final act of Hamlet - complete with the sword-fight, no less. Children and teenagers from Stanley Primary and Montgomery Academy join later for drama workshops and games.
“Performing Shakespeare is what these children love most,” says Celine Wyatt, Head of Creative Learning and Development at Blackpool Grand Theatre. “So we set up this event for them to perform for and learn from one another.
“We don’t shy away from the trickier texts – the children revel in playing with the original text and interpreting Shakespeare's words. The themes are just as relevant today and allow children to explore different emotions or experiences. In Hamlet they learn about family, grief, personal identity and mental health, for example.
“We’ve given teachers training on how to approach and teach Shakespeare in class and today’s performances show that it’s really been a hit with the children.”
The Sharing Shakespeare event was organised as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Associate Schools Programme. This is a long-term partnership between the RSC, The Grand Theatre, and schools from across the Fylde coast.
Our Lady pupils Olivia, Eleena and Martha, all 11, love performing and learning from Shakespeare’s stories. They reel off the names of characters with as much as ease as naming Disney characters.
“There’s a lot of emotions in the stories,” says Olivia. “So it’s fun to perform, because you’ve got to go a bit OTT. And when you perform, it helps you to get less nervous about other things.”
“The stories can teach us things too,” adds Eleena. “They can help us learn about emotions and maybe think about things that have happened in our lives and how to be resilient about them. But most of the time they’re there to entertain.”
Adam Knight, Chief Executive at Blackpool Grand Theatre, added:
“The Grand has been a proud theatre partner with the Royal Shakespeare Company since 2012 and is fully committed to widening access to high-quality culture and learning for thousands of local children and young people.”
The Grand also hosts a bi-annual Playmaking Festival as part of the programme. In October, partner school St Mary’s Academy will be hosting an exclusive, one-off performance of Julius Caesar, featuring household name actors from the RSC.
Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council and cabinet member for tourism, arts and culture, said:
“As we’ve been busy preparing our City of Culture bid, schools’ ‘Sharing Shakespeare’ shows how arts and culture extends far beyond just the big venues and big events in Blackpool. It lives and thrives in schools, community spaces, and homes too.
“We want every child to have access to the very best cultural and educational opportunities. Learning about Shakespeare teaches young people about English history and cultural heritage, and is also a way to develop confidence, creativity and critical thinking skills.
“The RSC Associate Schools Programme has given hundreds of children opportunities. We’re grateful to all the teachers and professionals who bring the Programme to life year after year.”