Latest news with #CoramShakespeareSchoolsTheatreFestival
BBC News
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Shakespeare drama is 'immense' help for Send pupil's confidence
Pupils with a severe lack of confidence and the inability to speak five years ago have made "immense" improvement after taking part in drama, a teacher from Greenfields School, in Kettering, and Northgate School, in Northampton, perform modern-day interpretations of Shakespeare with Coram Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival (CSSF).CSSF encouraged children to use the arts to develop social and emotional skills, and broaden their curriculum. Robert Valentine, drama teacher at Northgate School, which caters for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send) said: "Drama is so important for their self esteem, their confidence and being able to hold a conversation." He added that social and communication skills, taught through drama, were vital for their future when they left of Mr Valentine's pupils have been there from Year 7 to Year 11. "The change I have seen in them over the past five years has been immense and really rewarding," he told the BBC."Some didn't want to take part in drama, some wouldn't even speak and had very minimal communication and severe lack of confidence."It is lovely to see their faces light up on the stage and [see] their confidence." For 25 years, CSSF has invited a range of schools and pupils - from primary to secondary - to take part in abridged Shakespearean than 350,000 young people have taken part in the festival, including pupils with special educational needs and pupils in Pupil Referral Units. Lauren Brewer, programmes coordinator at the CSSF, said this year, it was prioritising reimagining and reinterpreting Shakespeare to interest new audiences. "What is so amazing about this project is that it has such a wide reach," she said. "We work with people who are really enthusiastic about performing arts, but also young people that have never ever performed on stage before." Tony Hughes, a teacher from Greenfields School said: "You can see the children grow, particularly in confidence."They change in a matter of weeks and months." The school has been part of CSSF for the past eight years and had their most recent performance at The Deco Theatre in Northampton in students began rehearsing for the performance six months ago, and have shown commitment throughout, according to their teacher. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Festival to celebrate its 25th anniversary in Pembrokeshire next week
A festival is holding a performance in Pembrokeshire this coming week. The Coram Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival, the world's largest annual youth drama programme, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The festival, which began in Pembrokeshire in 2000, features thousands of children performing Shakespeare plays in professional theatres across the UK. This year, the spring term of the festival is part of a programme of activities celebrating the charity's silver jubilee. There will be a performance with local schools at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven on February 18. The spring leg of the festival began on February 4 at Greenwich Theatre in London, with more than 80 performances planned across the country. Around 10,000 children and young people participate in the festival every year, gaining vital access to the arts and developing essential skills. The festival reaches pupils at primary and secondary schools, pupils with special educational needs (SEND), and children in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). The festival gives children the opportunity to work together to create modern-day interpretations of Shakespeare. Mike Tucker, head of CSSF, said: "We are delighted to see thousands more children and young people take to the stage this term, at the start of a special year for CSSF, giving audiences a chance to enjoy their fresh, creative interpretations of some of Shakespeare's best-loved stories. "For 25 years, the festival has welcomed all kinds of schools and pupils, providing an inclusive platform to access the arts. "It has been fantastic to hear the stories of children and young people who have taken part over the years."
