Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation launches 'Off-Grid' project in rural Yorkshire schools
Hattie Fisk
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Supported by the Esmee Fairburn Foundation, the project will take place over two years.
The Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation (CSSF) is bringing their 'Off-Grid' theatre project to rural primary schools in the North Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Dales.
Four schools will have the opportunity to take part in CSSF’s programme, which will enable students to perform Shakespeare productions and further their engagement in the arts.
The participating schools will receive curriculum resources, twilight CPD sessions for staff, a toolkit of exercises for the classroom and regular workshops for the school and local community led by a professional team; with the support of the Esmee Fairburn Foundation, the contributing schools will only have to pay a discounted fee of £400.
Francesca Ellis, head of creative at CSSF, said: ‘Our two-year programme will bring the joy of performing Shakespeare to schools in some of the most rural areas of the UK.
‘Over the last 20 years, we have been working directly with primary, secondary, and SEND schools up and down the country offering bespoke opportunities to learn, create, and work together. In recent years, countryside communities have faced financial shortfalls with a lack of funding reaching rural schools.
Through our 'Off-Grid' project, we will give four schools in rural North Yorkshire a unique chance to explore Shakespeare's timeless stories. They'll gain crucial life skills such as confidence and empathy. They'll develop key language skills they'll need for life. And, through Shakespeare's vibrant worlds and characters, they'll learn more about what it means to be human.’
A number of rural schools in Cumbria and Somerset are now in their second year of the project with one teacher at a Cumbria school saying: ‘Rarely have I seen such noticeable improvements throughout the curriculum following an intervention or project’.
CSSF is an award winning charity that currently produces the world’s largest youth drama festival, the Coram Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival, which sees thousands of students performing in professional theatres across the country.
Any primary schools based in North Yorkshire Moors or Yorkshire Dales are encouraged to contact CSSF at hello@coramshakespeareschools.org.uk or 020 7601 1800 to find out more or to apply. The deadline for applications is the end of January 2022.
