On the eve of the 50th birthday year of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), the company celebrates the central importance of amateur theatre in the cultural life of the UK with the launch of RSC Open Stages, an unprecedented collaboration with eight regional/national theatres and organisations representing amateurs from across the UK.
RSC Open Stages invites every UK amateur group to sign up to celebrate Shakespeare and live theatre. Those who do will receive professional support with opportunities for performance and skill sharing, encouraging learning and collaboration to create a genuine legacy for future amateur and professional theatre makers.
From December 2010, every amateur group in the UK will be invited to apply to take part in RSC Open Stages. Each group will be asked to ‘pitch’ for a production within a specific brief – for instance, the production has to be performed by an amateur or community group (not led by professionals) and the production should be a Shakespeare play or adaptation, or have a Shakespeare theme.
The project culminates in a national celebration, when a selection of RSC Open Stages groups are invited to perform their productions on the stage at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon, as part of the World Shakespeare Festival, performing alongside the Company’s own festival productions and those from theatre companies from around the world.
To register interest, download an application form or find out more visit RSC Open Stages at www.rsc.org.uk/openstages.