#HappyChristmas - #HappyHolidays - #BuoneFeste to our great supporters and friends

Sending you much festive cheer and try to avoid catching Omicron or any other varieties of Covid that are out there this Christmas!

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Photos of two of the several projects Shakespeare in Italy has enjoyed leading in 2021.

Apples and Eyes summer school was #ACE funded for 14 - 18 year olds and took place in Racehill Community Orchard in #Brighton overlooking the sea, the racecourse and #Whitehawk with #TrustforDevelopingCommunities and #BrightonPermacultureTrust - Aug 30 to Sept 3rd.

Our first production - A Merchant of Venice, new 6 character version of the original play, adapted and directed by Bill Alexander at The Playground Theatre, W10 - Nov 10 to Dec 4th.

Production photos - © Guy Bell, GBPhotos.com

Other work in 2021 included -

a summer school at The Playground Theatre in June with participants working over 2 days on #MuchAdoAboutNothing with actor / director / teacher Philip Cumbus and 4 days on #TwelfthNight and #TwoMerchantsofModena (a new translation by Mike Poulton of Gl'Ingannati which Shakespeare 'stole' to write Twelfth Night) with acclaimed director Lucy Bailey and RSC voice coach Michael Corbidge.

'Alien's Order' linked to our recent production of 'A Merchant of Venice' with a group called Well Written who are service users from St Charles Mental Health Centre in #W10. This is funded by the #CliffordChanceFoundation who we thank for their generosity. #AssociateDevelopment community engagement specialist Collette Parker has been leading sessions with a playwright and filmmaker on ideas and scripts to do with isolation, alienation and injustice ( themes from the play) which will be read or performed to camera.

workshops at St Marylebone CofE school linked to our first show with year 8 students in Nov / December. The students came to the production and for some it was the first time seeing a live show in a theatre. We thank BMH Associates for making the theatre visits and drama sessions possible.

In May, we were delighted to be the recipients of an award from the #EleanorRathboneFoundation in #Liverpool to do more workshops with women from #TheVenusCentre in #Bootle. Covid permitting, this work will be undertaken in 2022.

We ran an online programme of events in the early part of the year including a highly successful short playwriting competition called 'Lockdown, Taboo and You' - it was won by the #upandcoming young #playwright Mark Daniels with 'Corona Virus, A Great British Farce.'