WOMEN will be at the forefront of celebrations for Shakespeare’s 460th birthday.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is putting on a host of events to celebrate the Bard’s big day on Saturday April 20.
It will be joining forces with four multi-disciplinary female artists from Mothers Who Make Coventry to explore women who influenced William Shakespeare including his mother Mary Arden.
The Warwickshire-based artists, who are all mothers and child carers, will use art to explore the roles of mothers across the generations at a series of workshops held outside Shakespeare’s Birthplace between 12pm and 4pm.
SBT spokesperson Jennifer Shufflebotham said: “’Our aim was to create a new and exciting way for visitors of all ages to connect with the Shakespeare family through the lens of the Women Who Made Shakespeare. These workshops not only invite us to honour the wider impact of mothers, but it provides visitors with a unique way to delve into the lives of those nearest to William Shakespeare—women who played pivotal roles in shaping him into the remarkable man he became as we celebrate his birthday.
‘’I’ve truly enjoyed collaborating with the talented artists Ania Bas, Janet Tryner, Rosie Bolton and Natalie Zervou-Kerruish to co-curate this event and I can’t wait to see what people create during the day.’’
Guests are also invited to Stratford on Friday April 19 to take part in a special one-day public conference where an esteemed panel of academics will explore the impact of women on the continued legacy of William Shakespeare.
The day will culminate in the ever-popular Shakespeare Birthday Lecture from 4pm to 5pm where all the speakers will be in conversation, chaired by Professor Charlotte Scott, director of knowledge at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
And in honour of two of the greatest European writers, Dr Jasmin Behrouzi-Rühl and Dr Joachim Seng from Goethe Haus will exchange birthday wreaths with representatives from the SBT on Saturday April 20 from 9.30am to 10.30am,
Since 1864, the SBT and the Frankfurter Goethe-Haus – the birthplace of German writer Johann Wolfgang Goethe, who had strong ties to and was heavily influenced by Shakespeare – have celebrated the anniversaries of the birth of each other’s respective authors by exchanging wreaths.
During the ceremony, the first ever wreath presented by the Goethe Haus to the town in 1864 will be put on display along with other collections materials at Shakespeare’s Birthplace for visitors to see in person.
For more information visit https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/whats-on/shakespeares-birthday-celebrations/
