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Inspiration, Imagination, Enjoyment, Compelling and Creative Learning.

World-class Publishers  pick up our work

Routledge, part of one of the world’s biggest educational publishing groups, have this year published our director’s first book based upon the schemes that sit at the heart of our Children’s Shakespeare Festivals. John is thrilled to have been able to make this work more widely available. “I recently found myself at a Shakespeare Conference in Cambridge and it was wonderful to see so many teachers and practitioners from across the globe as passionate as we are about opening up the world’s of Shakespeare’s plays to children. With the book, we are proud to have opened up our own little corner of the global Shakespeare phenomena.”

We have received several positive reviews already. For details click here.

You can order your copy straight from Routledge here. It is also available from Amazon or indeed…. why not ask your local bookseller for a copy?

And there’s more…..

Routledge’s presses will soon  be running again on a second book by John Doona. This time a collection of  schemes of work for the primary school which will take you through a whole school year. The new book - to be released this summer - is called “Drama Lessons for the Primary School Year” contains 25 extensive and original sets of lessons - many of which we are currently teaching in classrooms across the northwest of England.

The schemes include work on a diverse of themes from The Great Fire of London, World Food Day, Olympic Day and Mandela Day. It covers themes and texts from the Romans, the Victorians, WW2, Alice in Wonderland, Kensuke’s Kingdom and The Suitcase Kid.

Details of the book are already available on Routledge’s website. Click here to see more.

Michael Rosen INSET

Following a chance meal-time chat at the Cambridge Shakespeare Conference  and a subsequent meeting of minds, poet, author and former Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen and John Doona have hatched a plan to work together to offer some inspiring INSET for primary school teachers which will bring together Shakespeare’s and children’s original poetry.

The full day INSET called GROWING POETRY IN SHAKESPEARE’S WORLD will take place in both London and Manchester; at the Centre for Literacy and Primary Education and at the Royal Exchange Theatre.

For more information or to download a booking form click here.

Shakespeare Festivals go from strength to strength

Last summer saw three performances of our Children’s Shakespeare Festivals - two at the Royal Exchange in Manchester and another at the Oldham Coliseum Theatre. Together the festival saw nearly six hundred children revelling in the world of Romeo and Juliet. Three beautiful and inspiring events.

This year, the festivals have continued to grow with brand new projects in partnership with Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic Theatre and a new project with a cluster of south Manchester primaries as the Chorlton and Withington CSF. We have also been talking to the Lowry and Bolton Octagon theatres (and others) about the possibilities of new festivals in new areas. Keep your eyes on our news page for further news.

Click here for general information about the Festivals.

The Children and Shakespeare Conference

Building upon our extensive work with Shakespeare in the primary school we shall this summer offer a one-day weekend conference to bring together the staff (and perhaps some of the children) of this year’s Festivals alongside other teachers and practitioners with an interest in using drama and exploring Shakespeare with children and young people.

The Festival will take place at the Oldham Library, in partnership with the Oldham Coliseum Theatre on Saturday June 30th. For further details click here.

Bookings now open

The Olympics

As we approach the London Olympics this summer we have been inundated with requests for our unique and illuminating Drama Days on the Olympics of Ancient Greece.

Our programme of work, which includes the evocation of an Olympic Training Ground, The Battle of Marathon and a touch of Greek Theatre, has been proving very popular.

To find out more click here.

Get Your Tickets!

We would like to invite all interested visitors to this year’s performances of  The Children’s Shakespeare Festivals.

Come and experience the wonderful theatrical experiences that represent the culmination of months of classroom work by our children and staff.

Perhaps you’re a teacher or head-teacher… if so, beware…. You may just HAVE to join next year’s project!

The dates and venues are as follows:

Tuesday March 13th, 2.00pm

New Vic Theatre

Macbeth

Friday March 16th, 1.30pm

Royal Exchange

Macbeth

Friday June 1st, 2.00pm

Royal Exchange

HAMLET

Friday June 15th, 2.00pm

Royal Exchange

HAMLET

Thursday July 5th, 2pm and 6 pm

Middleton Arena

HAMLET

(Our Oldham Coliseum project)

Email us with your ticket request here.

Tickets will be free.

Inspiring Learning Through Drama and Performance