Warwickshire County Council’s libraries service is inviting families to enjoy an exciting range of events and activities starting next week to celebrate Shakespeare Week (24-30 March).
Celebrating its 11th anniversary, Shakespeare Week is an annual national celebration that gives children the opportunity to enjoy new and enriching experiences of Shakespeare. Warwickshire Libraries will be recognising the Bard’s enduring legacy in his home county through innovative partnerships and community engagement.
Children and families will have the opportunity to get involved in an exciting range of free events and activities to learn more about the world of Shakespeare, including:
Shakespeare’s County Performances - In an exciting collaboration with Highly Sprung Performance, young performers from local colleges will be bringing Shakespeare's works to life for children at four primary schools across northern Warwickshire. The abridged performances will be taking place in schools, and at Stockingford and Nuneaton Libraries, to help make Shakespeare accessible and engaging for younger audiences. All are welcome to watch the Nuneaton Library performance inspired by The Tempest on Saturday 29 March at 2pm.
Following the success of last year's First Folio facsimile tour, which garnered over 500 annotations from residents, Warwickshire Libraries is launching a new Interactive First Folio Legacy Project. A special edition of the 2024 award-nominated Shakespeare's First Folio, All The Plays: A Children's Edition, will tour all 18 council-managed libraries throughout 2025. The tour will begin in Shakespeare's birthday month of April, and residents are invited to add their own annotations and memories to this unique volume, which will become part of Warwickshire's permanent collections. To find out when and where the tour will be visiting across the county, check Warwickshire Libraries social media channels for updates.
Lillington Library is delighted to be introducing a new Shakespeare Book Club, suitable for 4 – 11 year olds, with the aim of encouraging early engagement with Shakespeare's works through age-appropriate activities and discussions. Stratford Library, in partnership with Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, will also be delivering a specialised early years programme with Shakespeare-themed Rhyme Time sessions. Visit Lillington and Stratford libraries to speak with library staff for more information.
For adult enthusiasts of Shakespeare’s work, a special Shakespeare Quiz Night will be held on Wednesday 26 March. Tickets for the quiz are £10 per person and this includes being able to watch performances by professional actors and a costumed host. The quiz has been crafted by one of the writers of Shakespeare Trivial Pursuit, promising an evening of authentic Shakespearean challenge and entertainment. To book your place, visit the Shakespeare Quiz Night Eventbrite webpage.
Dr Anjna Chouhan, National Portfolio Organisation Creative Producer at Warwickshire Libraries, said:
“Shakespeare Week is a great opportunity for children and families to discover the world of Shakespeare within our friendly and welcoming library settings, and to ignite new interests in reading, learning and creativity for young people.
“By continuing to offer such diverse and enriching experiences for people of all ages across Warwickshire, we ensure that libraries continue to be important and vibrant hubs of activity for everyone in our local communities across the county.”
Warwickshire Libraries is a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) in Arts Council England’s funding plans for 2023-26, which means it’s receiving funding from Arts Council England’s Investment Programme over three years to deliver free cultural and creative outreach activities.
To keep-up to date with Warwickshire Libraries’ latest information and events, follow the service on Facebook and Instagram, or sign-up to the weekly newsletter.