Right across the UK, 118 theatres host Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival and become part of the world’s largest youth drama festival

Our network of theatres enable young people to perform on their local professional stage – a transformative process for students which develops confidence, articulacy and teamwork.

Coram SSF host theatres welcome 50,000 audience members to see the Festival each autumn. Working with Coram SSF enables theatres to unite people in their local community and anchor their venue at its heart, building long-lasting relationships with new audiences and participating schools. Partner theatres can benefit from media opportunities and new key local contacts, featuring in Coram SSF’s nationwide and local press – last year, many theatres were also visited by their local MP and councillors during the Festival.

Theatres in every region of the UK host Coram SSF and benefit from the opportunity to:

• engage with up to 120 local students per night, their teachers and wider school communities;
• engage a new audience demographic - 40% of audiences at Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival evenings had not visited their theatre before, and 83% said that they were likely to come back¹
• meet new artistic associates - Coram SSF hires over 100 regional artists throughout the UK to deliver the running of the Festival workshops and performance days;
• increase the diversity of performers on your stage. We inspire children from disadvantaged, minority ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and also rural communities, to get involved: the numbers of Coram SSF performers from these demographics are above the national averages²
• publicise their venues through media and press coverage of Coram SSF nationwide
• become part of a national network of Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival Partner Theatres

To find out more about hosting the Festival please contact festival@shakespeareschools.org.

¹According to our 2015 survey of SSF audience members
²According to our 2016 survey of students participating in the Festival