The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and the Philharmonia Orchestra are joining forces for Alike in Dignity, a unique education project that is the first joint venture of its kind between the two organisations. Working with over 250 children from five local Leicester schools, musicians from the Orchestra and members of the RSC’s Education Department will deliver workshops based around Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, culminating in a performance by all participants at Curve.
Over the course of four full-day workshops spread across four weeks, each school will explore both the text of the play and the pieces of music that have been inspired by it, particularly Prokofiev’s famous suite. They will each create their own modern-day interpretation of the classic work, with all participants using Shakespeare’s language and performing music inspired by their work. The workshops will be led by Luke Crookes from the Philharmonia and Fiona Lindsay from the RSC, and will involve eight musicians from the Orchestra and Gemma Fairlie, an RSC assistant director, whose work with the RSC includes Ian McKellen’s King Lear. All five schools’ interpretations will be performed at Curve on Monday 15 March at 6pm.
Workshops begin on Monday 8 February and will run for four weeks in Humberstone Junior School on Mondays, Wyvern Primary School on Tuesdays, Herrick Primary School on Wednesdays, Northfield House Primary School on Thursdays and Holy Cross Primary School on Fridays. Inset days have already taken place with the teachers involved with the project.
All 250 children will also visit the RSC’s Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon later in the year to see the company’s forthcoming production of Romeo and Juliet.
Julia Williamson, Head of Education at the Philharmonia Orchestra, said, “The Philharmonia is incredibly excited about this new and unique project with the Royal Shakespeare Company: it will be a truly inspirational introduction for the participants into the world of Shakespeare and Prokofiev and will hopefully have a long-term positive influence on their creative skills, confidence and teamwork.”
Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Education at the RSC, said, “This is a very exciting collaboration for us. Finding the rhythm and musicality in Shakespeare’s language is an important part of our work with students and actors at the RSC, but this project gives us the chance to bring music and text together in a completely new way. The combination of Prokofiev’s score and Shakespeare’s play gives primary pupils an inspirational starting point for creating their own work.”
The Philharmonia Orchestra has been Resident Orchestra at De Montfort Hall in Leicester for 12 years, performing approximately 10 concerts per season and bringing the same high quality concerts, conductors and artists to Leicester as audiences experience in London. To support its concert series, the Orchestra runs a very successful education programme that reaches into Leicester schools and communities. Conversely Leicester is a new area for the RSC to be working in. The Company’s education programme includes long term partnership work with schools across the country as well as creative projects with schools near its bases in Stratford, London and Newcastle. This is the first time the RSC has worked with Leicestershire schools and it is hoped that the project will be the start of a longer term relationship with schools in the area.
By working together on this project, both organisations can provide an exciting and completely unique way for children to enjoy the work of Shakespeare and build their confidence and creativity through a team project, as well as introducing them to the work of the Philharmonia and the RSC.
This project is generously supported by The Meyer Foundation.
For further information or to arrange interviews please call Nada Zakula in the RSC Press Office on 01789 412622 or email nada.zakula@rsc.org.uk
Or Vanessa Williams in the Philharmonia Press Office on 020 7921 3933 or email vanessa.williams@philharmonia.co.uk
Source: RSC release
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