Well this is a slightly belated blog post, and perhaps about apt considering my possibly belated love and appreciation for the bard.
Love or hate the idea, bringing a shakespeare play to life can bring joy to all involved. Why? Well you don't stop at simply getting some old fashioned words out.
Making interpretations, adaptations, modernisations and even mocking variations are all just the first step. Making a play your own is such a creative process and albeit a first step, its one that never stops even when you've put it on a stage in front of people. And its not only the script writers that can adapt and interpret. Designers create new settings, actors put a slant on their character, the director uses staging to completely change the perception of the piece without changing words.
I believe that this applies to all art forms and walks of life, think outside the box and consider how you might bring a new flavour to your project.
Shakespeare can be woven in to all areas of a Gold Arts Award; whether you're writing an opinion piece arguing that Shakespeare should be taught compulsorily, or running a Unit 2 event which is a production of Hamlet. Think about how you apply your own love and passion for arts, and make your own awards enjoyable by focussing on what will really help you.
Personally, I've performed in A Midsummer Night's Dream, been Romeo in a modern adaptation of Romeo & Juliet and had the pleasure of being involved with events like the Shakespreare Schools Festival. My year with the festival involved us using the word 'Shakespeare' as our primary set pieces, and designing the lighting for such a show was a big deal because that was one of the few tools we had to convey a scenario.
The presence of such a festival that schools can get involved in, that brings young people from different areas together, and encourages modern thinking I feel is so valuable. Some come on all, get gold with the joy of Shakespeare!
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