Teaching and Learning Shakespeare through Theatre-based Practice

How can the study of Shakespeare contribute to equipping young people for the challenges of an uncertain future? This book argues for the necessity of a Shakespeare education that: finds meaning in the texts through inviting in the prior knowledge, experiences and ideas of students; combines intellectual, social and emotional learning; and develops a critical perspective on what a cultural inheritance is all about. It offers a comprehensive exploration of the educational principles underpinning theatre-based practice and explains how and why this practice can open up the possibilities of Shakespeare study in the classroom. It empowers Shakespeare educators working with young people aged 5-18 to interact critically, creatively and collaboratively with Shakespeare as a living artist. Drawing on the authors’ research and experience with organizations including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Folger and Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation, Part One consolidates recent developments in the field and engages in lively dialogue with core questions of Shakespeare’s place in the classroom. Part Two curates a series of interviews with leaders and practitioners from the above and other Shakespeare institutions, exploring their core principles and practices. Part Three presents chapters from and about classroom teachers, who share their experiences of successfully embedding theatre-based approaches to Shakespeare in their own diverse contexts.

Table of Contents:
Notes on Contributors Foreword, James Stredder Acknowledgements Note on the Text Introduction Part 1: Perspectives from Multidisciplinary Research Chapter 1: The Pedagogy Question Chapter 2: The Cultural Capital Question Chapter 3: The Literature Question Chapter 4: The Language Question Part 2: Perspectives from Organizations and Practitioners Chapter 5: Perspectives from Organizations and Practitioners: Introduction Chapter 6: Aims, Scope and Areas of Focus Chapter 7: On Teaching, Schools, and Culture Chapter 8: Why Shakespeare? Part 3: Perspectives from the Classroom Chapter 9: Perspectives from the Classroom: Introduction Chapter 10: Dirty Shakespeare: Outdoor Learning with Primary Pupils, Mary Carey (Primary School Teacher, Channel Islands) Chapter 11: How Relevant is Shakespeare in an International School Context?, Judith Berends O’Brien (Secondary School Teacher, international) Chapter 12: Macbeth: Utilising Students’ Code-Switching as a Tool for Engaging with Shakespeare at Secondary Level, Kirsty Emmerson (Secondary School Teacher, UK) Chapter 13: Salvaging the Bard: A Success Story of Theatre-based Practice for Neurodiverse Learners, Eleni Kmeic (International Theatre & Dance Project, Greece and ICON—School for the Arts, USA) Chapter 14: Transference and Integration: Using Shakespeare to Teach Composition, Carol Parker (Pikes Peak State College, USA) Chapter 15: Theatre-based Pedagogy in a 'Knowledge-based' Curriculum: Perspectives from Initial Teacher Education, Karen McGivern (Teacher Educator) Chapter 16: Much Ado about Decolonizing Shakespeare, Nobulali Dangazeli (ShakeXperience, South Africa) Epilogue References Index

About the Author :
Tracy Irish is an associate learning practitioner with the RSC and a visiting lecturer at the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, UK. She is a theatre practitioner, education researcher and teacher with a specialism in Shakespeare and communication. Jennifer Kitchen is an honorary research fellow at The University of Warwick and also teaches at The University of Glasgow, UK. She is a theatre education practitioner and researcher with a focus on Shakespeare and social justice.

Review :
This timely, important publication reinforces the continuing significance of Shakespeare in the school and university curriculum. It reminds students and teachers that active, creative and diverse approaches to the plays are rewarding and relevant. Even as theatre companies scramble for financial footing and beloved plays become contested ground, Irish and Kitchen present a multidisciplinary case for active or embodied Shakespeare teaching. This book provides a dynamic survey of experiential, joyful and community-building theatre work for classrooms that should convince artists and teachers not to cede a curricular inch to standardized testing - or to rely exclusively on written analytic work – and instead to explore, with students, the benefits of social meaning-making with Shakespeare texts. The editors incorporate insights from social science, neuroscience and educational theorists. They profile directors of established and innovative global theatre education programs and highlight the voices of expert practitioners. Weaving together these perspectives, Irish and Kitchen create a compelling argument for theatre-based Shakespeare teaching: fundamentally intercultural and democratic by respecting students’ lives, providing academic and socio-emotional learning and encouraging critical questions of culture. This is a brilliant book and a must read for all artists, educators and researchers with an interest in the teaching of Shakespeare through theatre-based pedagogies. The breadth of its theoretical grounding is remarkable and synthesises beautifully with the diverse accounts of inclusive practice that follow. The passion of the authors, grounded in knowledge and experience, shines through every page, leaving the reader in no doubt about the continuing relevance of Shakespeare to the lives of today’s young people and some of the most pressing social and cultural issues of our time.