Shakespeare Schools Festival facts for kids

Please note: Shakespeare Schools Festival became Shakespeare Schools Foundation in 2016. The Festival is the charity's flagship project.

The Shakespeare Schools Festival is the world's largest youth drama festival. Schools who participate perform half-hour abridged versions of Shakespeare's plays in local, professional theatres all over the United Kingdom. Since its inception in 2000, it has worked with 250,000 young people and their teachers.

Parent charity Shakespeare Schools Foundation (SSF) aims to engage children through an active way of learning. The charity strives to bridge "the attainment gap" by boosting articulacy and confidence, as well as imparting key employability skills such as teamwork, peer leadership and critical thinking. In preparing and performing the plays participants also learn about Shakespeare's language, themes and characters. All schools are able to take part in the Festival.

Patrons

• Lord Puttnam
• Dame Judi Dench
• Sir Tom Stoppard
• Sir Nicholas Hytner
• Kwame Kwei-Armah
• Cherie Booth QC
• Philip Pullman
• Sir Arnold Wesker
• Jamila Gavin
• Jenny Agutter
• Francesca Martinez
• Dame Harriet Walter
• Michael Rosen
• Ralph Fiennes