In partnership with the Foyle Foundation
Leading actors support groundbreaking RSC Shakespeare Curriculum launch
Actors from stage and screen including Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren, Alfred Enoch and Adjoa Andoh joined the RSC and the Foyle Foundation to launch the new RSC Shakespeare Curriculum.
The first teaching and learning platform of its kind dedicated to Shakespeare’s plays, with user interfaces for both teachers and students, the Shakespeare Curriculum is set to revolutionise the way Shakespeare is taught and learnt about in secondary schools.
Free to all state funded secondary schools and SEND schools, the platform distils the RSC’s award-winning teaching approaches into a digital framework based on the way our actors and directors work together in rehearsals.
The Shakespeare Curriculum gives teachers all the tools they need to unlock Shakespeare’s language, character and themes while building vital skills for school, life and work. It draws on thousands of unique archive resources, including videos and photos from the RSC's world-renowned productions that feature leading actors in defining performances.
Ian McKellen, RSC Associate Artist says: "Ever since I was at school, reading a troublesome text around the classroom, I have wondered how professional theatre people might help English teachers who too often feel inadequate to the task. Now the Royal Shakespeare Company has come up with an answer: a practical way for teachers to lead students to an appreciation of the plays, not just as written texts but as a starting place to explore the excitement of live theatre."
Developed in collaboration with technology partner, Charanga, alongside teachers and young people and with major investment from the Foyle Foundation, the aim is that by 2028/9 it will be used by 80% of all UK state secondary schools.
The RSC Shakespeare Curriculum has launched with a full learning programme around Macbeth. The next play to be added will be Romeo and Juliet in 2026, with a view to turn Shakespeare’s 10 most studied plays into a 24-part creative learning adventure.
Getting started
If you're looking for where you should start, head to our Support section where we have user guides detailing all the basics such as setting up your school and inviting other teachers, creating your class, assigning them work and how to use the Curriculum in your classrooms and studio spaces.
Get in touch
We’d love to hear how you find your first few weeks using the Shakespeare Curriculum. If you have any feedback, suggestions, pain points or want to share your most helpful resources then we’re all ears! Send us an email to schools.curriculum@rsc.org.uk or complete our feedback survey [link]