Shakespeare’s Globe announces new co-directors of education
Hattie Fisk
Friday, June 4, 2021
Professor Farah Karim-Cooper and Lucy Cuthbertson have been confirmed as the new co-directors of education at Shakespeare’s Globe, after working as interim leaders throughout the past year of the venue's closure.
Shakespeare’s Globe has appointed Professor Farah Karim-Cooper and Lucy Cuthbertson as co-directors of education, after they have collaboratively created over 600 events and courses for Globe Education over the past year as interim leaders.
These events have included live and interactive storytelling sessions, study workshops, anti-racist approaches to Shakespeare and a digital festival of work. Their events have reached 31 different countries and around 3,000 families.
The duo will be taking the reins from Patrick Spottiswoode, who served as the director and founder of Globe Education for 37 years prior to resigning last summer.
Professor Karim-Cooper is a professor of Shakespeare studies at KCL and has previously worked as head of higher education & research at Shakespeare's Globe. Cuthbertson has stood as head of learning at the Globe since 2019, with 20 years of experience in state schools as head of drama, lead practitioner, teacher and trainer.
They've been wearing these (quite marvellous) hats for a little while now, but we're thrilled to officially share that @ProfFarahKC and @lucycuth8 have taken the helm as Co-Directors for our world-leading Education department – huzzah! 🎉https://t.co/4TkDvVw2xm
— Shakespeare's Globe (@The_Globe) June 4, 2021
Professor Karim-Cooper, said: ’Having been part of this organisation and this department for the last 17 years, it’s an honour to be able to step up to co-direct education. I know the important legacy of this department and its ground-breaking projects and programmes. I am committed to ensuring education at Shakespeare’s Globe continues being a leader in generating lifelong learning through Shakespeare and his theatres and I look forward to co-steering it in new directions with community engagement, performance, scholarship, anti-racism and social justice as its guiding principles.’
Cuthbertson, said: ‘Having joined the Globe only a few months before lockdown, this last year has been something of a rollercoaster adapting to an online world alongside brilliant colleagues and freelancers. Much of my career has been based on a passion for working with students & teachers through Shakespeare and drama with a focus on integrating equality, diversity & inclusion principles into all we do. The Globe is the most exciting theatre I know, so I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to continue developing and promoting these powerful ways of learning, in such a unique role as co-director of education.’
Neil Constable, CEO of Shakespeare’s Globe, said: ‘As we reopen the Globe theatre after over a year of closure, it is fantastic to announce our new co-directors of education, both of which have led the department through our hardest year increasing engagement in Shakespeare in so many new ways across the world. The Globe is so fortunate to have Lucy and Farah’s outstanding combined experience at the helm of our much admired and appreciated education department and supporting the Globe's longer term creative and artistic planning.’
To access resources from Shakespeare’s Globe visit their website.