The Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance Launch Event
- Location
- Online - a zoom link will be sent to you following registration
- Dates
- Wednesday 9 June (12:00) - Friday 11 June 2021 (20:00)
Choose to drop in to sessions across our three-day online event to celebrate the launch of the Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance, a new initiative which brings together Shakespeare practitioners, directors, government representatives, scholars, and institutions with the aim of fostering dialogue, collaboration and mutual learning across national, social and disciplinary borders.
This global event is free and features participants from the Shakespeare Institute’s international partnerships and representatives from theatre companies, charities, prison networks, publishing houses, tourist and curatorial industries, arts organisations, academic institutions, government bodies and many more!
Register and tune in, and together we can co-create a Shakespeare network without limits!!
Register just once, and you can pick and choose which of our exciting sessions you wish to attend (you aren't committed to attending the whole event).
See the schedule below for confirmed speakers, and you can access biographies for all here.
Chairs of the Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance (in alphabetical order):
Wednesday 9 June 2021 – Beyond National Borders
- 12:00 Introduction – Welcome to the Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance: What’s it all about? (Professor Michael Dobson, Dr Chris Laoutaris, and Dr Rowan Mackenzie)
- 12:20 Session 1 – International Shakespeares: Representatives from the Shakespeare Institute’s global partnerships discuss what makes a good collaboration (Professor Michael Dobson in conversation with representatives from the Shakespeare Institute’s collaborations in China, Japan, Singapore, Russia and Romania)
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- Professor Sorin Cazacu, Lecturer in Literature, Vice-Dean for International Relations of the Faculty of Letters, University of Craiova
- Professor Cong Cong, Nanjing University and the Birmingham-Nanjing-Phoenix Shakespeare Centre
- Professor Vladimir Makarov, St Tikhon's Orthodox University, Moscow, and the Russian Shakespeare Centre
- Professor Nori Morita, Vice President for International Affairs, Waseda University
- Professor Tetsuhito Motoyama, School of Law and Associate Dean for the Center for International Education, Waseda University
- Professor Li Lan Yong, National University of Singapore and Director and Editor-in-Chief at the Asian Shakespeare Intercultural Archive
- 13:00-13:15 Break
- 13:15 Session 2 – Crossing Borders, Re-Building Communities: Developing the Shakespeare in Cyprus Collaboration (Dr Chris Laoutaris in discussion with representatives from the Cyprus High Commission, UK; Home for Cooperation, Cyprus; and Target Fresh Theatre Ensemble)
- Dr Eleni Pilla (session co-host), Shakespeare Institute Alumnus and Co-Creator of the Shakespeare in Cyprus Collaboration
- Paris Erotokritou, Theatre Director and Artistic Director of Target Fresh Theatre Ensemble
- Mr Stephen Lillie CMG, British High Commissioner to Cyprus; formerly Director, Asia Pacific (2013-2017), British Ambassador to the Philippines (2009-2013), and British Consul-General at Guangzhou, China (1999-2003)
- Dr Marios Psaras, Cyprus High Commission, UK
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Nihal Soğancı, Co-creative Director of the Buffer Fringe Performing Arts Festival and Administrative Officer of the Home for Cooperation, Cyprus (Intercommunal Arts and Heritage Centre)
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Maria Varnakkidou, Theatre Director, Film-maker and Co-creative Director of the Buffer Fringe Performing Arts Festival
- 13:55-14:10 Break
- 14:10 Session 3 – International Networks and Communities: Applied Shakespeare in the Criminal Justice System (Dr Rowan Mackenzie in conversation with representatives from the Shakespeare in Prisons Network, Shakespeare Prison Project, Detroit Public Theatre and other institutions)
- Stratis Panourios, Theatre and Cinema Director, Greece
- Dr Jonathan Shailor, University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Director of Shakespeare Prison Project
- Frannie Shepherd-Bates, Director of Shakespeare in Prison, Detroit Public Theatre
- Michael Shortt, Alumnus of Shakespeare Prison Project
- Haisan Williams, Alumnus of Shakespeare Prison Project
- 14:50-15:05 Break
- 15:05 Session 4 – Beyond National Borders Roundtable: Is Shakespeare ‘Soft Power’? (Professor Michael Dobson, Dr Chris Laoutaris, and Dr Rowan Mackenzie in conversation with representatives from government bodies, theatre projects, curatorial and arts institutions, and the Royal Shakespeare Company)
- Dr Paul Edmondson, Head of Research and Knowledge and Director of the Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry Festival, The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
- Kelly Hunter MBE, Director, Actor and Writer, Artistic Director of Flute Theatre, and Creator of the Hunter Heartbeat Method
- James Morris, MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis
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Professor Claudia Olk, Chair of English and Comparative Literature and Director of the Shakespeare Library, Ludwig Maximilian’s University, Munich; and President of the Deutsche Shakespeare Gesellschaft (German Shakespeare Society)
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Shihui Weng, Creative Producer, Cultural Advisor (UK-China), RSC Shakespeare Folio Translation Project Manager, Director of Tempest Projects Limited
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Sir Sebastian Wood KCMG, former British Ambassador to Germany (2015-2020) and British Ambassador to China (2010-2015)
- 15:45 Close
Evening session
- 18:00 – Remembering Professor Jerzy Limon (Professor Michael Dobson leads a tribute to the late Professor Jerzy Limon, O.B.E., former President of Theatrum Gendanense Foundation, Managing Director of the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre, Artistic Director of the Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival, and co-founder of the European Shakespeare Festivals Network).
- Dr Aleksandra Sakowska (session co-host), Shakespearean scholar and Executive Director of the Gdańsk Theatre Trust, UK
Thursday 10 June 2021 – Beyond Social Borders
- 12:00 Welcome Back (Professor Michael Dobson, Dr Chris Laoutaris, and Dr Rowan Mackenzie)
- 12:10 Session 1 – Bridging Divides: Creating Communities through Applied Shakespeare (Dr Mackenzie in conversation with representatives from Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Services; Prisoners’ Education Trust; Blue Apple Theatre; and Dramatherapy)
- 12:50-13:05 Break
- 13:05 Session 2 – Amateur Shakespeare: Crossing Professional Borders, Empowering Communities (Professor Dobson in conversation with Amateur Shakespeare and Community Theatre practitioners and the Royal Shakespeare Company)
- 13:45-14:00 Break
- 14:00 Session 3 – Introducing EQUALityShakespeare (EQUALS): How can Shakespeare help us create a more equal society? (Dr Chris Laoutaris in conversation with academics and practitioners involved with research into Shakespeare, race, gender, sexuality and disability studies)
- Dr Yasmin Arshad (session co-host), Honorary Research Fellow of University College London
- Wendy Lennon, Doctoral Candidate at the Shakespeare Institute and Founder and Director of Shakespeare, Race and Pedagogy
- Professor Ania Loomba, Catherine Bryson Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania
- Professor Valerie Traub, Adrienne Rich Distinguished University Professor of English & Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Michigan
- Professor Katherine Schaap Williams, Department of English, University of Toronto
- 14:40-14:55 Break
- 14:55 Session 4 – Transcending Social Borders Roundtable (Professor Michael Dobson, Dr Chris Laoutaris, and Dr Rowan Mackenzie in conversation with representatives from Butterfly Theatre; Intermission Youth Theatre; and Shakespeare in Yosemite)
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Dr Katie Steele Brokaw, Associate Professor, University of California Merced, and Shakespeare in Yosemite
- Aileen Gonsalves, Founder and Artistic Director of Butterfly Theatre
- Professor Paul Prescott, University of California Merced, and Shakespeare in Yosemite
- Darren Raymond, Intermission Youth Theatre
- 15:35 Close
Evening session
18:00 – The Tempest
“We wanted The Blue Apple ‘Tempest+’ to be unlike any other production audiences might have seen before. We mercilessly added to the classic version in order to give our large cast of very mixed-ability performers something meaningful to do on stage and we wanted to reflect the times; this was just after the vote to leave the European Union. The nature of ‘home’, ‘independence’, ‘national character’ and ‘others’ were all hot topics and we hope we prodded them for both entertainment and reflection.
The main tale of reconciliation stayed in place though in Shakespeare’s own (if reduced in number) words. Our founder once said to me ‘these stories belong to every one’ and we make a quiet political point when our actors take to the stage claiming their right to re-tell the classics.”
Friday 11 June 2021 – Beyond the Borders of Media, Curating and Publishing
- 12:00 Welcome Back (Professor Michael Dobson, Dr Chris Laoutaris, Dr Rowan Mackenzie)
- 12:10 Session 1 – Curating Shakespeare (Dr Chris Laoutaris in conversation with representatives from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Open University, and the Shakespeare Institute)
- Dr Paul Edmondson, Head of Research and Knowledge and Director of the Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry Festival, The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
- Professor Nicola Watson, Professor of English Literature, The Open University
- Guy Young, Doctoral Candidate at the Shakespeare Institute and Tour Guide
- 12:50-13:05 Break
- 13:05 Session 2 – Everything to Everybody: Bringing the Birmingham Shakespeare Memorial Library to the World (Professor Michael Dobson in Conversation with Professor Ewan Fernie about the £1.7 million project ‘Everything to Everybody’ which is reviving Birmingham’s Shakespeare heritage with the support of the National Lottery, History West Midlands, Library of Birmingham, and The Shakespeare Institute/University of Birmingham)
- 13:45-14:00 Break
- 14:00 Session 3 – Digital Shakespeares/Global Shakespeares (Dr Rowan Mackenzie co-hosts with Dr Erin Sullivan, Senior Lecturer of the Shakespeare Institute; with scholars and practitioners of Digital Theatre)
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Dr Erin Sullivan (session co-host), Senior Lecturer, The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham
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Michael Joel Bartelle, Doctoral Candidate at the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham
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Professor Sonia Massai, Professor of Shakespeare and Early Modern Studies, King's College London
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Professor Alfredo Michel Modenessi, Professor of English Literature, Drama and Translation, Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México
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Rob Myles, Actor, Writer, Director, and Founder of The Show Must Go Online
- 14:40-14:55 Break
- 14:55 Session 4 – Arden Shakespeare Roundtable: The Future of Shakespeare in Print and Online (Professor Michael Dobson, Dr Chris Laoutaris, and Dr Rowan Mackenzie in conversation with representatives from Arden Shakespeare/Bloomsbury Publishers)
- Margaret Bartley, Editorial Director, Bloomsbury Academic, Bloomsbury Publishing
- Mark Dudgeon, Publisher, Theatre and Shakespeare Studies, Arden Shakespeare and Methuen Drama, Bloomsbury Publishing
- Lara Bateman, Assistant Editor, Arden Shakespeare and Methuen Drama, Bloomsbury Publishing
- 15:35 Summing Up – The Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance into the Future (Professor Michael Dobson, Dr Chris Laoutaris, and Dr Rowan Mackenzie)
- 15:50 Close
Evening session
- 18:00 Screening of Timon of Athens (The Show Must Go Online)
The Show Must Go Online was created by Robert Myles and Sarah Peachey in 2020 in response to the pandemic. They staged the complete First Folio plays in chronological order, one a week every week for 36 weeks. The work received 6,500 subscribers and 250,000 views from 60 countries, worked with over 500 actors and creatives from 6 of the 7 continents and won three awards. The movement raised over £12,000 for actors in hardship in its first year, and continues to provide a platform for emerging and early-career theatremakers from under-represented backgrounds. Timon of Athens starred Ben Crystal and Sir Simon Russell Beale alongside a global cast from South Africa to California.
The Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance - A Shakespeare Network Without Limits
Choose to drop in to sessions across our three-day online event to celebrate the launch of the Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance.