Warwickshire &amp; West Midlands

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="853" height="1280" src="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130640.207.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41447" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130640.207.jpg 853w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130640.207-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130640.207-333x500.jpg 333w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130640.207-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130640.207-350x525.jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px" /><figcaption>Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen, recently recovered from Covid, will be sharing his book Barking for Bagels.</figcaption></figure>



Top authors including Michael Rosen have recorded special events for Stratford Lit Fest&#8217;s brilliant new&nbsp;Authors for Schools&nbsp;project;&nbsp;while the RSC has the likes of Michael Morpurgo, David Tennant,&nbsp;Niamh Cusack and Paapa Essiedu helping kids with their drama and English home learning &#8211; for free! 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stratford Literary Festival: Authors for Schools </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="800" height="600" src="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130652.640-Copy.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41449" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130652.640-Copy.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130652.640-Copy-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130652.640-Copy-667x500.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130652.640-Copy-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130652.640-Copy-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure>



Lockdown and school closures mean that many children have experienced a worrying gap in their education at a critical point in their lives, says Stratford Literary Festival Director Annie Ashworth. 



Authors for Schools is aiming to help fill this important gap with a series of heart-warming events for primary and secondary schools throughout our region, particularly engage reluctant readers. Eight online events can be downloaded in school or at home for children and young people to enjoy.



Award-winning UK authors, including Michael Rosen, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Tanya Landman and Sita Brahmachari, have recorded events for Stratford Literary Festival&#8217;s Authors for Schools project designed to inspire children being home-schooled during lockdown.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="883" height="1280" src="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130646.244-Copy.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41448" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130646.244-Copy.jpg 883w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130646.244-Copy-207x300.jpg 207w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130646.244-Copy-345x500.jpg 345w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130646.244-Copy-768x1113.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130646.244-Copy-362x525.jpg 362w" sizes="(max-width: 883px) 100vw, 883px" /><figcaption>Screenwriter and novelist Frank Cottrell-Boyce </figcaption></figure>



Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen, recently recovered from Covid, will share his book Barking for Bagels, and CILIP Carnegie Medal winner Tanya Landman will explore storytelling with her latest book, a traditional tale called The Song of the Nightingale. Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies and author of This is Shakespeare will help GCSE and A Level students of English through themes in the Bard’s texts, and acclaimed writer Tony Bradman will bring the story of Macbeth to life for younger readers.



Chitra Soundar, the internationally published author of over 50 books for children, opens up the world of Indian folktales with her book Sona Sharma: Very Best Big Sister. Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, Sita Brahmachari, will consider the themes of belonging, community, and migration addressed in When Secrets Set Sail.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="854" height="1280" src="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130633.860.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41446" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130633.860.jpg 854w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130633.860-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130633.860-334x500.jpg 334w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130633.860-768x1151.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/01/unnamed-2021-02-02T130633.860-350x525.jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 854px) 100vw, 854px" /><figcaption> Award-winning Derby-born YA and children&#8217;s author Sita Brahmachari, who now lives in London</figcaption></figure>



Screenwriter and novelist, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, brings hilarity to the mix with Cosmic and the Runaway Robot, and Brilliant Book Award winner, Christopher Edge, who specialises in teaching children to write creatively, will talk about The Longest Night of Charlie Noon shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.



 These events, plus links to resources and activity ideas to help them stay engaged with the authors’ books have been made possible by donations through the LocalGiving Community Match Challenge. The Festival will also be providing local schools with copies of books by featured authors. 



Stratford Literary Festival stages two festivals a year, and brings the benefits of books to schools, the community and prisons. Because of ongoing Covid restrictions, its Spring Festival will run a reduced programme online, or live if permitted, from May 8-16th in line with latest Covid guidelines. A longer festival is planned for Nov 9-14.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RSC: Online Drama &amp; English home schooling help for 6 to 18-year-olds</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/02/240269_Next-Generation-ACT-Rehearsals-September-2017_2017-1-scaled-e1612276338925.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41457" /><figcaption> Image RSC: Next-Generation ACT Rehearsals </figcaption></figure>



The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is offering a large number of fabulous free Shakespeare-related resources to students currently learning at home, and to teachers looking to create lesson plans to deliver online. All resources are accessible via the Education section of the&nbsp;RSC&nbsp;website <a href="http://www.rsc.org.uk/education/about-rsc-education/home-learning-with-the-rsc">here</a>. They include:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Michael Morpurgo’s&nbsp;Tales from Shakespeare</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/11/308757_Michael-Morpurgo_2020-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-39803" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/11/308757_Michael-Morpurgo_2020-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/11/308757_Michael-Morpurgo_2020-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/11/308757_Michael-Morpurgo_2020-1-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/11/308757_Michael-Morpurgo_2020-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/11/308757_Michael-Morpurgo_2020-1-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption> Michael Morpurgo </figcaption></figure>



Celebrated War Horse author Michael Morpurgo has relocated six of Shakespeare’s plays and their characters to contemporary settings in Tales from Shakespeare,&nbsp;aimed for young people aged 6 to 16.&nbsp;They are free for UK schools, with a new tale being available on demand at 10am every Friday ending this week (Feb 5). But each tale is available for three months from date of its initial release. To access the videos schools need to register&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://tracking.vuelio.co.uk/tracking/click?d=SHK9gyxBvDqoS_xDOXMaDN4pk3cL-nCjFAIHPbGqysYJAVbSioWniJeiOjMjc_4m8qXLK3Flks27pMGrmmZ1fRnA3tA8ijN-BoFfJOeB05gnmC9OWvlNRMT9KucEhbNpkXmzUT2dRYHsgz-WHF9qy84xRH7M9IDphowyNbJAL7hu0" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp; 



The six stories &#8211;&nbsp;Twelfth Night,&nbsp;Macbeth,&nbsp;Romeo and Juliet,&nbsp;A Midsummer Night&#8217;s Dream, The Winter’s Tale&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Tempest&nbsp;&#8211; are told by both Michael himself and members of the&nbsp;RSC&nbsp;acting company.&nbsp;They will be supported by a series of new literacy resources for Key Stages 1-3, released in February 2021.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RSC&nbsp;Activity Toolkits</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="900" height="525" src="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/04/Hamlet-tour_-2018_-Paapa-Essiedu-as-Hamlet_2018_Photo-by-Manuel-Harlan-_c_-RSC_239431.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-34612" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/04/Hamlet-tour_-2018_-Paapa-Essiedu-as-Hamlet_2018_Photo-by-Manuel-Harlan-_c_-RSC_239431.jpg 900w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/04/Hamlet-tour_-2018_-Paapa-Essiedu-as-Hamlet_2018_Photo-by-Manuel-Harlan-_c_-RSC_239431-300x175.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/04/Hamlet-tour_-2018_-Paapa-Essiedu-as-Hamlet_2018_Photo-by-Manuel-Harlan-_c_-RSC_239431-720x420.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/04/Hamlet-tour_-2018_-Paapa-Essiedu-as-Hamlet_2018_Photo-by-Manuel-Harlan-_c_-RSC_239431-768x448.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><figcaption> I May Destroy You actor Paapa Essiedu as the RSC&#8217;s critically-acclaimed Hamlet, 2018. Photo by Manuel Harlan </figcaption></figure>



Focussing on six of Shakespeare’s most studied plays. The toolkits have been designed specifically for home learning, with short 15-minute tasks that can be completed by students at home, or set as part of a remote lesson.&nbsp; With supporting videos from&nbsp;RSC&nbsp;actors, the toolkits will take students deeper into the world of each play.&nbsp; Actors, including Niamh Cusack, Paapa Essiedu and David Tennant have also created video responses to questions sent in from students as part of&nbsp;Homework Help.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Homework help</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="RSC Homework Help | Avita Jay on getting an unexpected role | 2020" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/80yUHchHTsE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption>Here&#8217;s RSCThe Comedy of Errors star Avita Jay (You may have also seen her in films The Rezort (2015), Bring on the Bollywood (2021) and Twenty8K, plus on stage in Birmingham Rep&#8217;s Lovely Bones and Billionaire Boy NST Theatre/UK tour)</figcaption></figure>



In 2020 the&nbsp;RSC&nbsp;asked students to send the&nbsp;RSC&nbsp;their Shakespeare questions through the brilliantly entertaining <a href="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/arts-culture/theatre/stars-launch-rsc-homework-help/">#RSCHomeworkHelp</a>. Hundreds of questions were received, and students can now access video responses from actors including&nbsp;David Bradley, Niamh Cusack, Paapa Essiedu, David Tennant and David Threlfall, along with the&nbsp;RSC’s Artistic Director Gregory Doran. <a href="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/arts-culture/to-be-or-not-to-be-david/">Here&#8217;s the former Dr Who and Staged star in action.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">&#8216;Live&#8217; Lessons</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="668" src="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/02/236642_Romeo-and-Juliet-press-photos_2018-e1612273867174.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41452" /><figcaption>Image: RSC. Coventry actor Bally Gill and Karen Fishwick &#8211; the stars of 2019&#8217;s Romeo and Juliet.</figcaption></figure>



In 2019 and 2020 the&nbsp;RSC&nbsp;broadcast live lessons into schools about&nbsp;Romeo and Juliet&nbsp;and&nbsp;Macbeth.&nbsp; These lessons are now available for students to view at any time. &nbsp;Each lesson features contributions from&nbsp;RSC&nbsp;directors and actors, including&nbsp;RSC&nbsp;Deputy Artistic Director, Erica Whyman, who directed&nbsp;Romeo and Juliet&nbsp;in 2019; Niamh Cusack, who played Lady Macbeth in 2019; and Karen Fishwick, who played Juliet in 2019.&nbsp; The lessons explore the characters, themes and language of each play.&nbsp;You can read our interview with Karen <a href="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/arts-culture/interviews/meet-rscs-new-juliet/">here</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">More&#8230;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://warks.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/02/257030_Nelson-Mandela-School-Playmaking-Festival-Workshop_2018-1-scaled-e1612274436521.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-41461" /><figcaption>RSC playmaking festival workshop</figcaption></figure>



Other resources available include&nbsp;Shakespeare Unlocked, where students can watch videos exploring key moments, relationships and speeches from&nbsp;Macbeth,&nbsp;Romeo and Juliet&nbsp;and&nbsp;A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The&nbsp;Shakespeare Learning Zone&nbsp;contains an informative and interactive catalogue of games, videos and galleries, arranged by play title, giving students the chance to find more about each play or revise ones they know well.



Teachers can search the&nbsp;RSC’s&nbsp;Teacher Resources&nbsp;database, full of activities and inspiration to help them plan online lessons for 30 of Shakespeare plays.



 All resources are accessible via the Education section of the&nbsp;RSC&nbsp;website <a href="https://www.rsc.org.uk/education/about-rsc-education/home-learning-with-the-rsc">here</a>

Home schooling help: Stratford Lit Fest & the RSC

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