Shakespeare Schools Festival Initiative in South Africa: 11/11/10 (CT)
This year the performance, in Cape Town, of the International
Shakespeare Schools Festival will mark the beginning of a new era for
the Festival in South Africa.
On November 11, 2010, the Wynberg Boys’ Acting Association will perform a”thirty minute” abridged version of the Shakespearean play, ‘Macbeth’. This will be one of many short Shakespearean plays being performed around the world as part of the International Shakespeare Schools Festival, 2010.
This Festival is organised by the Shakespeare Schools Festival, UK (SSF UK) and is the largest Youth Drama Festival of its kind in the United Kingdom. Wynberg School participated last year as well but, this time it will be different. As an initiative of EduCape which is a Youth Drama Organisation led by their teacher, Mrs. Kseniya Filinova-Bruton, the Wynberg Boys’ performance of “Macbeth” will signify the beginning of South Africa’s very own Shakespeare School Festival.
The Shakespeare Schools Festival, UK (SSF UK) has been running very successfully in that Country since 2000 and, each year encourages five hundred schools or more to perform abridged “thirty minute” versions of Shakespearean plays in their local theatres throughout the country. The Festival is a non-competitive, supportive and celebratory opportunity for young people to showcase their acting talents and allows teachers to develop drama skills and explore new ways of teaching through acting. It also gives schools a unique and novel way to raise their profile within the community.
The Shakespeare Schools Festival, UK (SSF UK) has, based on it’s own successful model, given EduCape South Africa sole and exclusive rights to organise the Shakespeare Schools Festival in South Africa. (SSF SA) The launching of the Shakespeare Schools Festival, South Africa (SSF SA) is planned in several stages, the first being a pilot project due to begin in 2011. Initially, this will involve five to ten schools in Cape Town and, if successful, will provide the platform from which EduCape South Africa will expand the Shakespeare Schools Festival, South Africa (SSF SA) on a wider, possibly national level.
If you are a Theatre Manager, a Drama or English Teacher, or someone who feels passionate about Dramatic Arts and would like to contribute to the future of South African Theatre, then we cordially invite you to join our presentation on the 11thNovember, 2010, at Wynberg Boys’ High School. Please contact Mrs. Kseniya Filinova-Bruton (Director, EduCape South Africa) if you wish to receive an invitation for the presentation or for any further information on how you can become positively involved. Her contact details are as follows:-
Telephone Number 021 - 6745968……………………………………………………………………..
Cell phone Number …0722332074……………………….
Email Address ……kseniya@educape.co.za………………………………….
Notes to Editors:
1. Contact Details: Mrs. Kseniya Filinova-Bruton email: kseniya@educape.co.za Tel: 021-6745968.
2. EduCape South Africa is an organization dedicated to the education of young people through acting and performance. It was established in 2007 and aims to organise educational events for children and young adults. EduCape specialises in Drama workshops, particularly in the Stanislavsky Acting Method. Since 2007 EduCape has worked in various Educational Institutions, such as New Africa theatre, AMAC and in a number of High Schools, including Wynberg Boys’ High School.
3. See www.ssf.uk.com for further information about SSF UK.
4. SSF UK is the UK’s largest Youth Drama Project. In the year 2010 alone, it is envisaged that over 13,000 students from 658 schools will perform half hour abridged versions of Shakespearean plays in 80 professional theatres across the Country.
5. Since the start of the Millennium, various charities have provided the logistical and financial support needed to enable 90,000 young people from 4,428 schools to perform in 250 theatres across the Country.
6. The Festival, which started in 2000, was the brainchild of Chris Grace( MBE), the former Director of Animation at S4C, using scripts from the Emmy-Award winning S4C/BBC series Shakespeare – The Animated Tales. The plays have since been re-abridged for the stage by BAFTA award-winning script-writers Penelope Middelboe and Martin Lamb. Sir Tom Stoppard (The Merchant of Venice), Sir Arnold Wesker (Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing) and Jamila Gavin (Measure for Measure) have added further abridged plays, thereby bringing the total number of abridged plays on offer to 18.
On November 11, 2010, the Wynberg Boys’ Acting Association will perform a”thirty minute” abridged version of the Shakespearean play, ‘Macbeth’. This will be one of many short Shakespearean plays being performed around the world as part of the International Shakespeare Schools Festival, 2010.
This Festival is organised by the Shakespeare Schools Festival, UK (SSF UK) and is the largest Youth Drama Festival of its kind in the United Kingdom. Wynberg School participated last year as well but, this time it will be different. As an initiative of EduCape which is a Youth Drama Organisation led by their teacher, Mrs. Kseniya Filinova-Bruton, the Wynberg Boys’ performance of “Macbeth” will signify the beginning of South Africa’s very own Shakespeare School Festival.
The Shakespeare Schools Festival, UK (SSF UK) has been running very successfully in that Country since 2000 and, each year encourages five hundred schools or more to perform abridged “thirty minute” versions of Shakespearean plays in their local theatres throughout the country. The Festival is a non-competitive, supportive and celebratory opportunity for young people to showcase their acting talents and allows teachers to develop drama skills and explore new ways of teaching through acting. It also gives schools a unique and novel way to raise their profile within the community.
The Shakespeare Schools Festival, UK (SSF UK) has, based on it’s own successful model, given EduCape South Africa sole and exclusive rights to organise the Shakespeare Schools Festival in South Africa. (SSF SA) The launching of the Shakespeare Schools Festival, South Africa (SSF SA) is planned in several stages, the first being a pilot project due to begin in 2011. Initially, this will involve five to ten schools in Cape Town and, if successful, will provide the platform from which EduCape South Africa will expand the Shakespeare Schools Festival, South Africa (SSF SA) on a wider, possibly national level.
If you are a Theatre Manager, a Drama or English Teacher, or someone who feels passionate about Dramatic Arts and would like to contribute to the future of South African Theatre, then we cordially invite you to join our presentation on the 11thNovember, 2010, at Wynberg Boys’ High School. Please contact Mrs. Kseniya Filinova-Bruton (Director, EduCape South Africa) if you wish to receive an invitation for the presentation or for any further information on how you can become positively involved. Her contact details are as follows:-
Telephone Number 021 - 6745968……………………………………………………………………..
Cell phone Number …0722332074……………………….
Email Address ……kseniya@educape.co.za………………………………….
Notes to Editors:
1. Contact Details: Mrs. Kseniya Filinova-Bruton email: kseniya@educape.co.za Tel: 021-6745968.
2. EduCape South Africa is an organization dedicated to the education of young people through acting and performance. It was established in 2007 and aims to organise educational events for children and young adults. EduCape specialises in Drama workshops, particularly in the Stanislavsky Acting Method. Since 2007 EduCape has worked in various Educational Institutions, such as New Africa theatre, AMAC and in a number of High Schools, including Wynberg Boys’ High School.
3. See www.ssf.uk.com for further information about SSF UK.
4. SSF UK is the UK’s largest Youth Drama Project. In the year 2010 alone, it is envisaged that over 13,000 students from 658 schools will perform half hour abridged versions of Shakespearean plays in 80 professional theatres across the Country.
5. Since the start of the Millennium, various charities have provided the logistical and financial support needed to enable 90,000 young people from 4,428 schools to perform in 250 theatres across the Country.
6. The Festival, which started in 2000, was the brainchild of Chris Grace( MBE), the former Director of Animation at S4C, using scripts from the Emmy-Award winning S4C/BBC series Shakespeare – The Animated Tales. The plays have since been re-abridged for the stage by BAFTA award-winning script-writers Penelope Middelboe and Martin Lamb. Sir Tom Stoppard (The Merchant of Venice), Sir Arnold Wesker (Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing) and Jamila Gavin (Measure for Measure) have added further abridged plays, thereby bringing the total number of abridged plays on offer to 18.