RSC Education

Are you studying Shakepeare for A or AS Level? Then our FREE 4 week Massive Open Online Course is for you!

Othello: In Performance is completely free, and you don’t have to write essays or hand in work to be marked - you just work through all the fantastic video and audio made available each week and join in online discussions with other learners across the UK and the world.

Helping you along the way are academics, directors and actors from the RSC, the University of Birmingham and Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Together you will go on a journey from Othello’s original performances in Shakespeare’s lifetime to the latest RSC production, looking at different themes each week.

Taking place from 22 February to 18 March, Othello: In Performance is hosted by FutureLearn and registration is now open. 

Register now

To mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, we are inviting every UK school to join RSC Dream Team 2016 and take part in a nationwide celebration of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Whether you weave lines from the play into a lesson, create an Athenian wood in your playground or put on a full production, every school can get involved.

Join RSC Dream Team today and download FREE resources including:

60 and 30 minute edits of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for use by secondary, primary and special schools

A specially-composed score suitable for all ages and abilities

A range of other supporting resources including guidance on staging the play

There will also be opportunities for you and your students to perform in Stratford-upon-Avon or work with an RSC actor.

Download the resources before 31 October 2015 and tell us how you would like to celebrate A Midsummer Night’s Dream in your school for a chance to receive one of 400 commemorative hard copies of the Playmaking Pack.

Aged 18-25?  Dive head first into Shakespeare this summer with our immersive Student Summer School from Monday 24 - Friday 28 August.

Spend 5 days in Stratford-upon-Avon, using the plays from the Summer 2015 season as a starting point to explore the text from all angles with insights from actors, practitioners, academics and creative teams. Perfect for undergraduates, gap year students or those interested in an in-depth exploration of the plays in performance

Cost: £250 including tickets to see Volpone and Othello.  Excludes accommodation and meals.

For more information call the RSC Ticket Hotline on 01789 403434. 

The Head that Wears a Crown is a fantastic celebration of the achievements of children and young people involved in The Learning and Performance Network, the RSC's long term programme where we work  in partnership with schools and theatres across England.

100 young people from 47 schools will come together to present scenes from Henry IV Parts I & II and Henry V in this special performance. Book now and join them as they tell the thrilling story of wayward bad boy Prince Hal and his transformation into a courageous and noble king.

Wednesday 8 July, 2pm, £3 Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Ever wondered what happens in a rehearsal room? Take a sneaky peek behind the scenes of The Famous Victories of Henry V, now touring schools and venues across England.

Get ready to practice your war cry if you’re coming to see #RSCVictories today!

Our new production The Famous Victories of Henry V opens this week in Shipston-on-Stour, Leamington Spa and the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon - find out more here: http://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/the-famous-victories-of-henry-v/

Our Schools’ Broadcast Series, where in partnership with Ravensbourne College we  stream our productions from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre to schools across the country, started in November 2013 with our production of Richard II with David Tennant. Since then we have live streamed The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing (Love’s Labour’s Won). Over 60,000 young people have joined us so far. 

Daria is a student at Ravensbourne College.

 While watching your favourite television programme you have probably never thought about what goes on months back before it gets on your television at home. Let me start off by saying that to create a programme, especially one that goes out live, takes a very long time in the pre-production offices with many hours of discussion and planning with key, important people: commissioner or client producer, writer and director.

My name is Daria and I am the Executive Producer for the RSC’s Live Schools’ Broadcasts at Ravensbourne. My role is crucial to the success of our show to make sure those watching feel thought about and understand the plays. I am responsible for guiding the producer of the show and I also make sure that we create a crew who are talented, passionate and willing to achieve our mission.

While working as a producer on The Two Gentlemen of Verona broadcast I have gained experiences, which have helped me decide on my future career path. I have a full insight of what the real world of TV is and how to position myself in it. I have learnt valuable lessons such as decision making and voicing my opinion or needs to a group of people. I have also learnt how to work with professional talent and how to create a strong crew. Dedicating many hours into a broadcast proved to be worth it. I feel extremely lucky to be a part of such a wonderful project and I am glad that I have received invaluable experience in return, which I know will help me in my dream job.

During pre-production we hold many meetings with the RSC team alongside the in-house team to make sure that everyone in our ‘big team’ is aware of what is happening and what will be the final result.  The meetings vary in length but are very detailed giving enough time to ask questions. Throughout this process, I have learnt to listen and accommodate the needs of a real-time client as well as being able to voice my opinion and give guidance as to what is possible with our crew and facilities. During this process we also make sure that the timings and running order are correct, as it is essential to a successful broadcast.

So after many months of preparation for the broadcast, similarly to a theatre performance, we hold a dress rehearsal. This is where as the executive producer I have to make sure that any issues with regards to time, talent, set and crew are tackled.  The rehearsal helps us to see how the live broadcast will go and by the end of the day – we know we are prepared.

The broadcast day is an exciting period for everyone involved because it brings in all the hard work from every corner of the team together. The atmosphere in the gallery and studio is great.