MORE audiences across the UK will get to see Shakespeare productions thanks to a £2 million funding boost from Arts Council England to the RSC.
A four-year touring programme has been developed by the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of its ongoing collaboration with 16 Associate Regional Theatres and 280 schools across 100 towns and cities, to help tackle barriers to cultural participation.
The RSC has worked in partnership with schools and communities for over 20 years with its touring programmes – both large and small scale.
This newly announced funding will enable the RSC to pilot a new model of touring to deliver high-quality Shakespeare productions to more disadvantage communities across England. This includes a new week-long residency model in which schools will act as regional touring hubs, working with RSC and regional artists to deliver an integrated programme of live performances, in-school workshops, post-show Q & As and talent-development opportunities.
This four-year commitment responds directly to research published by the Arts Council England this month, showing that the number of plays touring across England has fallen 64 per cent since 2019.
As the RSC’s executive director Andrew Leveson observed in this year’s Future of Theatre Conference keynote speech; “Jennie Lee’s founding proposition – that everyone should have access to arts and culture where they live, not as privilege but as public good – remains unmet. As touring costs rise, fewer productions travel, runs are shorter…The communities losing out are overwhelmingly those already under served.” The RSC’s network of partners was established to address these systemic challenges.
The programme consists of two large-scale Shakespeare tours in 2028 and 2030, programmed in collaboration with the RSC’s eight large-scale Associate Regional Theatres – Blackpool Grand Theatre, Norwich Theatre , Newcastle Theatre Royal, Bradford Theatres, Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall Nottingham, Marlowe Theatre Canterbury, Hall for Cornwall and York Theatre Royal, alongside four annual, twelve-week First Encounters with Shakespeare tours to schools, theatres and communities.
RSC co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey and executive director Andrew Leveson said: “Our 2026-30 touring programme builds on 20 years of working in long-term partnership with over 280 schools and 16 regional theatre partners across the country to address systemic barriers to cultural access & participation across England.
“This newly announced funding will enable the RSC to increase the reach and impact of its touring work, developed through long-term, targeted partnerships between artists, regional theatres, communities and young people, which support audience development in the long-term, and create opportunities for children and young people to unlock their potential, thrive and belong.”
Hannah Lake from Arts Council England added ”This programme continues the RSC’s vital work in finding new ways to share the magic of one of this country’s most iconic playwrights with people of all ages, up and down the country. It comes at a time when our research shows a decline in drama touring in recent years and we hope this significant investment will ensure a regular supply of large-scale and high-quality work with a national footprint.”
