Wild Shakespeare Day 2024
Our innovative Wild Shakespeare Day returned for a second year, with KS2 pupils from four local primary schools attending for a day of exploration of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Based outdoors on the lawn of one of Monkton’s boarding houses, Monkton teachers and pupils first led the children in interactive Drama and English workshops, aimed at delving deeper into Shakespeare’s work, before they were then treated to a performance of The Tempest by Monkton Year 12 pupils.
Aims
A day to inspire the next generation of English and Drama students…
The aim of this day is to provide local primary pupils with an opportunity to explore Shakespeare in a new and fun way, making it more accessible to them. The interactive sessions are designed to build confidence in both understanding and performing Shakespeare’s work, by giving pupils the opportunity to look at the narrative of the play, explore themes, character journeys and unlock key language. It is anticipated that this will then benefit the pupils as they study Shakespeare throughout their school careers and inspire a life-long appreciation of the Bard's work.
Background
Our first Wild Shakespeare Day was held in 2023 with great success, so our English department was keen to hold another event in 2024.
The opportunity was identified by Monkton’s English department, and local primary schools were invited through our ongoing partnership connections.
Resources
The event was held at Monkton, using our facilities, and snacks and drinks were provided by our catering team for all visiting staff and pupils.
Two Monkton teachers and four Year 12 pupils led the interactive workshops, before a larger group of Year 12 pupils gave the performance.
This was a free event for local primary schools.
Impact
The visiting pupils were inspired by the day and benefited from being able to explore Shakespeare in a new way. It is hoped that they will be encouraged to continue to study and value his work.
Feedback from visiting teachers was that the day was engaging and provided some ‘amazing experiences’. Visiting pupils particularly benefited from interaction with the older Monkton pupils.
Our pupils who helped on the day benefited from developing their communication skills, and enjoyed the interaction with the younger pupils.
Pupil Involvement
50 pupils from Years 4-6 attended from local primary schools. Each school brought one or two teachers and parents.
4 Monkton Year 12 pupils assisted teachers with the workshops. A wider cast of Year 12 pupils performed The Tempest.
Frequency
This was the second year of running this event, and it is hoped this will continue for years to come.
