BBC offers extensive Shakespeare archive to UK schools and universities
Hattie Fisk
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Almost 1,000 Shakespeare productions, TV shows and interviews are to be made available for free to schools and universities across the UK thanks to the BBC and their new collaboration with the Educational Recording Agency (ERA).
© Manuel Harlan
The Shakespeare footage is available to all schools, colleges and universities that hold a licence with the ERA; this replaces the BBC Shakespeare Resource on the BBC website, giving the archive a fresh new home.
The featured footage stretches to TV programmes, radio shows, interviews and productions spanning more than 70 years. Highlights include 37 classic productions in the BBC Television Shakespeare series, The Hollow Crown and Russel T Davies' production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Peter Rippon, executive editor of BBC Archive, said: ‘The BBC’s Shakespeare collection offers a fabulous insight into how interpretations and performances have evolved. It also gives us a glimpse of early performances by some of today’s most famous actors.’
‘The demand for audio and video content in education is growing sharply and this partnership with the ERA is a brilliant way for the BBC to open its precious archive in new ways.’
ERA chief executive Helena Djurkovic said: ‘We are delighted to be partnering with the BBC to provide access to such a wealth of brilliant resources through our video-streaming platform. Educators and students will be able to easily search a vast range of fantastic and historically important BBC broadcasts to support teaching, learning and research.’
In addition to the BBC Shakespeare Archive, ERA has produced a collection of classroom-ready resources for licensees to use, including 5000+ curated clips linked to key curriculum areas, themed playlists, subject collections and more.
For more information about access, contact shakespeare@era.org.uk