Impact Report 2025/26

Impact Report 2025-26

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“Amina has always been shy and reserved, but since taking part in the Festival, her confidence has blossomed. She has been sharing ideas and contributing to staging, not being fazed by performing in front of people, and generally giving it her best go.”

Sam Mears, Teacher at Ponteland Primary School

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Transforming lives through the unique power of Shakespeare Coram Shakespeare Schools is a cultural education charity that gives young people of any ability and background the skills they need to succeed in life. At the heart of our work is our annual Festival - the world’s largest youth drama project. Months of preparation culminate in performances in professional theatres nationwide, a journey which builds confidence and self-esteem to last a lifetime.

Letter from the Head Our Year in Numbers Who We Work With Case Study #1 Our Year in Moments The Need for This Work Strategy 2030 Youth Board Trial of Shakespeare Measuring the Impact Case Study #2 Film Festival Case Study #3 Our Trustees Support This Work

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"Lucas was reluctant to take part at the start of the project, unsure whether he could perform on stage.

We encouraged him to begin with a non-speaking role. By the final performance, he had embraced a significant comedic part, delivering it with confidence and delighting the audience."

Zoe Wilson, Teacher-Director at Richard Coates Primary School in Newcastle

Every year, young people remind us that confidence is rarely something we discover all at once. It is built through encouragement, perseverance and the courage to take the next small step.

Lucas did more than perform in a play.

He discovered that he could do something he hadn't believed was possible. That growing sense of confidence, resilience and self-belief is at the heart of everything we do at Coram Shakespeare Schools. Through the shared challenge of creating theatre, young people learn to take risks, overcome setbacks and find their voice on stage and beyond.

This has been a landmark year for our charity. As we celebrated our 25th anniversary, we also began delivering our new 2030 strategy, All the World's Our Stage, setting out an ambitious vision to unlock confidence, opportunity and creativity for children and young people through the transformative power of performing Shakespeare.

Over the past year, more than 14,000 young people took part in our Theatre Festival, school workshops, 4

International Film Festival and targeted programmes across the UK and internationally. Every one of those young people had the opportunity to develop not only performance and oracy skills, but also build the resilience, communication, teamwork and creativity that will stay with them long after they leave the stage.

Alongside our core programmes, we have continued to grow our impact in exciting new ways. New partnerships with universities, theatres and specialist settings are helping to create clearer pathways into further and higher education for young people facing disadvantage. Through innovative technical theatre projects, international film-making and creative learning resources, we are broadening the ways young people can discover where they belong within the creative industries and beyond.

This year has also demonstrated the remarkable strength of the community that surrounds our work. Our 25 Years, 25 Stories campaign, regional anniversary celebration events and the success of Is Shakespeare Funny? The Trial of Shakespeare in the West End

brought together supporters, patrons, artists, alumni and partners in celebration of what has been achieved over the past quartercentury, while helping to secure the resources that will shape the next.

Teachers remain at the heart of everything we do. Through an expanded and enriched professional learning offer, further opportunities to share and develop inclusive practice, and investment in our teacher community, we are continuing to support the educators who make these life-changing experiences possible. Together, we hope to build more creative, confident classrooms and more ambitious futures for young people.

Lucas’ story reminds us that transformation often begins with a single moment of belief: someone saying, "You can do this." Thank you for making those moments possible.

Your support is helping thousands of children and young people discover strengths they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

With warm regards,

You may notice a small change in how we introduce ourselves. Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation is becoming Coram Shakespeare Schools — a clearer name for the same commitment to young people.

We're simplifying our name by dropping the word Foundation. The shorter name better reflects who we are while making it easier for schools, partners and supporters to recognise us.

The important thing is that only our name is changing. Our purpose, programmes and ambition remain exactly the same, and we'll continue to champion the confidence, creativity and opportunities that Shakespeare brings to children and young people across the UK. We’re also as proud as ever to be

Mike Tucker Head of Coram Shakespeare Schools

part of Coram, and this refreshed name marks the next chapter of our work while reflecting the continuity of our work and mission.

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Our Year In Numbers Coram Shakespeare Schools gave thousands of young people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds a chance to shine in 2025-26. Through our Theatre Festival, International Film Festival and workshops, young people have come together to learn, play and create, building key skills they will need for life.

An estimated*

12,846 408

382

pupils supported through Theatre and Film Festivals, and workshops.

primary, secondary, and SEND schools

358

100% 97%

teachers supported to develop their skills through our resources and workshops.

of teachers agreed that, as of a result of the Festival, their students’ oracy improved.

"Taking part in the Festival has brought me out of my shell. I’m a really shy person, but acting and having all these people around me and supporting me has helped. I used to keep things bottled up inside.

If I’ve got something to say, now I just say it.”

Lucie, Age 12, Knowsley Coram Shakespeare Schools is a partner of Skills Builder UK, who are leading an international network of educators, employers, and impact organisations to equip everyone with the essential skills to succeed.

Our Play In A Day workshop was our second programme to be accredited with Skills Builder 6 Impact Level 3.

workshops delivered across schools and theatres in every corner of the UK.

of teachers said their teaching had improved through the Theatre Festival.

Across 2025-26 we worked with young people in England, Scotland and Wales, and in six other countries.

SEND 8% Primary 44%

Secondary 48%

Our Reach

Who we work with

Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of Coram Shakespeare Schools’ ethos. We want to reach more students from ethnic minority backgrounds, more students with EAL (English as an Additional Language) and children who are eligible for free school meals. You can help us achieve this - find out how on page 35.

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Joseph and Rebecca’s Story Servite RC Primary School, London

Servite RC Primary School has always valued the performing arts, with class assemblies and school productions forming an important part of school life. Many of the young people are familiar with performing, but the Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival offered them a completely new challenge. Exploring Shakespeare’s language and performing in a professional theatre pushed the students beyond what they had experienced before. For Teacher-Director Darcey, the Theatre Festival was an opportunity to see students discover abilities they did not realise they had.

The audition process was a real highlight. Darcey explained that some students who had previously only performed small roles stepped forward to deliver Shakespearean monologues with confidence. It was, she said, “a real eye-opener that children don’t need the invisible boundaries we place on them sometimes. Give them a script and a few days and you can watch them shine!”

Joseph and Rebecca, who both took on leading roles in the school’s production of The Comedy of Errors, were two students who particularly stood out. They find the traditional classroom setting a challenge but stepping onto the stage revealed a different side of them.

Darcey described it as “absolutely magical” – as soon as they began performing, they came alive with their natural humour and comedic timing. Their performances brought real energy and joy to the production.

The experience became a turning point for both young people. Darcey reflected that “they realised they had a real talent and it gave them confidence in themselves”.

Since taking part in the Theatre Festival, both students have continued to develop their passion for theatre by joining weekend drama classes. They have

also gone on to take leading roles in Servite’s end-of-year production of Les Miserables.

For Darcey, the impact of the Theatre Festival extended beyond the stage.

The whole cast developed resilience, teamwork and perseverance as they worked together to bring a challenging text to life. Looking back on the journey, Darcey described the Theatre Festival as a reminder that “children all have different ways of shining”. She reflected that some young people can find the classroom a challenge but when they are given a stage, a character and an audience, they can flourish.

Case STudy

“Children don’t need the invisible boundaries we place on them. Give them a script and you can watch them shine!”

Joseph and Rebecca’s journey demonstrates the power of the arts to create moments where young people can be seen, celebrated and inspired to achieve more than they thought possible.

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Our Year in Moments From the start of our programming year in April 2025, through two Festivals, dozens of Professional Learning sessions and hundreds of performances, we were proud to unlock the magic of Shakespeare for thousands of young people.

Here is 2025-26 in a few key moments.

July 25: Launching Playful Spaces

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re t a e h t : Nov 25 l festiva

Sept 25: te acher workshop s

Our Year

ive Dec 25: Big g paign m a C s a m t s Chri

Dec 25: The trial of shakespeare

haring of s e h t : 6 2 n Ja 5 years 25 stories, 2 Scan to watch 25 stories from 25 years of Shakespeare Schools Festival

Jan 26: Best of the fest

Still shot from a fil m submitt Festival by ed to our Colegrave Internatio Primary nal Film School

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The Need for this work Skills Rehearsing and performing a reimagined Shakespeare play requires a broad range of skills including creativity, teamwork, resilience and problem-solving.

The Festival asks young people to generate ideas and alternatives, co-operate as a company, persevere through setbacks as they wrangle with challenging texts, and find innovative solutions to artistic and practical conundrums.

Alan Milburn's report this year on young people in the UK who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or “Just 6% of state school primary teachers have more than 2.5 Training) highlighted a gap hours of Arts timetabled per week, compared to 47% of between the skills young independent primary teachers.” (CLA Annual Report Card, 2026) people with which are currently leaving school, and the skills prized by employers.1 It's vital that students, from all backgrounds, are given the opportunity to step outside the classroom and learn in way that is hands-on, practical and challenging, and arts projects such as those run by Coram Shakespeare Schools give educational settings the perfect chance to make this happen.

Strong skill development for young people requires bold, empowered teaching. Coram Shakespeare Schools programmes also support teachers to develop their creative practice, with the dual benefit of improving outcomes for students and nurturing emerging leaders in a sector which is struggling with a grave retention crisis.2

Oracy When the new curriculum in England is implemented in September 2028, oracy will be at its core. The panel who carried out the Curriculum and Assessment Review were clear this year in their recommendations to the government, which have been accepted, that teaching through and to talk are a valuable tool for improving educational outcomes, especially for the most disadvantaged.3 Research from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) showed that the higher the proportion of disadvantaged young people taking part in an oral language intervention, the more effective the intervention seemed to be.4 14

The Need Our programmes are not just about giving children the opportunity to speak Shakespeare's language on a professional stage. They also allow young people to find their own words to talk about relationships, power or emotions. In the rehearsal room, young people learn the power of Shakespeare's language but they also learn the power of their own. They learn about what happens when you speak up, when you put your point across effectively, when you listen carefully to what the people around you are saying.

Confidence When young people are empowered with the skills they need to achieve and thrive, and can communicate effectively, what emerges is confidence: the confidence to hold their own in a space that originally seemed intimidating to them; the confidence to speak up when they disagree or think that they might have a better idea; the confidence to pursue a passion or take a risk.

Although drama and other arts subjects still have to fight in schools for funding and recognition, their power remains undiminished in terms of giving children a voice, a future and a chance to shine. Education leaders are becoming aware of the paramount importance of building cultures of belonging, and 98% of TeacherDirectors agreed that because of the Theatre Festival, their students had developed a sense of belonging at school – 81% strongly agreed. 93% noted a specific link between taking part in the Festival and improved attendance. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/young-people-and-work-interim-report/young-people-and-work-interim-report https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7222/ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/690b96bbc22e4ed8b051854d/Curriculum_and_Assessment_Review_final_report_-_ Building_a_world-class_curriculum_for_all.pdf 4 https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/oral-language-iterventions 1 2 3

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Strategy 2030 In 2025, we celebrated a quarter-century of the Shakespeare Schools Festival at a special Parliamentary Reception in Portcullis House, where we launched our new Strategy 2030, All the World’s Our Stage.

It was an evening of celebration and reflection hosted by Manuella Perteghella MP, Chair of the Shakespeare All-Party Parliamentary Group. Over 150 supporters, educators, parliamentarians, young people, alumni and friends gathered to mark 25 years of impact, and look ahead to what’s next.

We were lucky to be joined by participants from our Stephan Mangan, Actor, Comedian, and Writer 2024/25 programmes, and members of our inspiring Youth Board. Performances by Argyle Primary pupils and speeches from alumni Alys and Adanna showcased the heart of our work: giving young people the voice, platform and support to grow in confidence and build skills for life.

“The expressive arts deal in emotions—talking about them in a safe space. It teaches us to be more tolerant, more forgiving; those are all things worth knowing.”

“The evidence is clear: drama is not an ‘extra’. It is essential to developing oracy and literacy.

Essential to engagement, especially for those at risk of exclusion. And essential to mental health, wellbeing, and belonging.”

Mike Tucker, Head of Coram Shakespeare Schools

Scan here to watch Strategy 2030: All The World’s Our Stage launch video 16

Participatory programmes for all young people The first pillar of our 2030 strategy, Confidence Unlocked, progressed this year through our three core programmes.

The Theatre Festival, in its 25th anniversary year, brought thousands of young people into professional theatres; it remains our flagship programme with an impact in communities from Edinburgh to Exeter and Swansea to Southwark. In the third year of our 'Season of Reimagining' teachers and students put bold, creative interpretations of Shakespeare's works onstage, and developed crucial life skills in the process. We also expanded our university partnership work: our widening participation programme with Magdalen College Oxford entered its fifth year, and we piloted a new project with the College of St Hild and St Bede at the University of Durham involving seven local schools.

Strategy 2030

Confidence Unlocked

To deliver our International Film Festival we welcomed a range of exciting guests from the industry including John Lightbody, Alfred Enoch, Georgia Kumari Bradburn, Jack Browse and Maisie Adam to support our brilliant community of filmmakers. We celebrated their short films with our Best of the Fest event on Twelfth Night which closed out our year of 25th anniversary celebrations.

Our workshops programme is going from strength-tostrength, and 2025/26 saw our busiest year yet. The Play in a Day workshop has been accredited by the Skills Builder Partnership with Impact Level 3, in recognition of its power to support young people to practice essential skills. We have also widened the impact of the Coram Tomorrow's Achievers programmes by transforming its masterclasses into online resources.

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Support our programmes £100/month

could unlock the future for an entire class of young people, giving up to 35 pupils and their teachers end-to-end support, including scripts, workshops and guidance needed to develop skills for the future.

£50/month

could unlock confidence through a Theatre Festival performance night, giving children the opportunity to shine on stage and to be celebrated by their peers and community.

£20/month

could unlock opportunity for young people from underserved communities, supporting partnerships that increase access to the arts for SEND children and young people facing disadvantage.

£5/month

could unlock creativity in the classroom, supporting teachers with the tools, training and inspiration to nurture their young people’s creative potential.

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Opportunity Unlocked Supporting young people facing disadvantage As we continue to deepen our work with young people facing structural disadvantage, we are developing targeted projects that respond directly to need and create meaningful opportunities through the arts. Working closely with colleagues across the Coram Group and beyond, we are using the expertise built through our core programmes to support young people who may face barriers linked to care experience, Special Educational Needs or regional disadvantage.

Our partnership with Enfield Virtual School enabled care-experienced young people to access high-quality Shakespeare and performance opportunities in a supportive creative environment. The programme began in October with a Play in a Day taster workshop at Coram Campus, led by Coram Shakespeare Schools Associate Artist, Sheryl Malcolm. Through practical ensemble work, participants explored Macbeth, developed their own interpretation of the play, and shared their work with an invited audience at the end of the day.

Building on this work, next year we will expand our support for careexperienced young people. This will include two Play in a Week projects for separate cohorts of Virtual School students from across London, alongside a new multi-year programme connecting our creative theatre practice with skills development and aspirations for further and higher education. Together, this work will deepen our use of creative partnerships to build confidence, broaden horizons and open up new opportunities for young people who may otherwise face barriers to access.

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Curiosity and rigour in teacher development Teacher recruitment, retention and wellbeing remain under significant pressure across the UK. At Coram Shakespeare Schools, we want to help teachers bring more confidence, creativity and joy into the classroom. Drawing on 25 years of theatre-making with schools, we are uniquely placed to connect educators with professional theatre practice and support everyone from trainee teachers to experienced and emerging leaders in developing playful, engaging pedagogy.

After 15 years of a largely unchanged training model for leaders on our programmes, we have reshaped our offer to respond to the changing demands on teachers, the evolving needs of young people and the new curriculum on the horizon in England. TeacherDirectors now receive more tailored practical training, creative guidance and ongoing support, whether they are directing for the first time or building on years of experience.

Strategy 2030

Creativity Unlocked

Focused development sessions and specialist masterclasses led by industry experts, including Alfred Enoch, Lucy Phelps, and Paterson Joseph, will give teachers new tools, ideas and confidence to strengthen their practice and energise their classrooms and rehearsal rooms.

“I wouldn’t say I was a ‘big personality’. It might appear that way, but it masks the real me. I think drama is so important. It enables everyone to be themselves and not hide. I have suffered trauma in my life. I have panic attacks. I was having a panic attack before I went on stage but I did my best to push through it and perform anyway. It felt like a real achievement.”

Kabeera, Age 14, Birmingham

Youth Board The 2025/26 cohort of our Youth Board began the year with a summit day, bringing members together to meet their peers, build connections and shape the agenda and journey ahead. Early conversations focused on how we can create content and resources more effectively to meet young people on their terms and in their language, followed by an inspiration and development afternoon with our team at the V&A Museum.

Throughout the year, members met regularly with the Coram Shakespeare Schools Team and received individual mentoring from professionals across the arts, education and creative industries. They also joined specialist sub-groups exploring comedy in Shakespeare and sustainability in the creative industries.

The sustainability group worked across three sessions to explore how theatremaking can become more environmentally responsible. Drawing on examples from organisations including Contact Theatre, Manchester and the principles of the Theatre Green Book, members considered both our own practice and how we can support schools to make more sustainable choices during the Festival.

Their work produced three practical outcomes: a Sustainability Policy, five SMART goals for Coram Shakespeare Schools and a set of Top Tips for participating schools. These recommendations will now inform our operational planning and help turn young people’s ideas into lasting change.

The Youth Board continues to play an important role in shaping our work. Next year, we will build on this by developing new ways for young people to share their views and influence what we do.

“The amount of consideration given to the Youth Board is genuinely astounding. I have never felt like my perspective matters as much as I have felt it in these meetings.” Iris, Youth Board Member 2025

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The Youth Board attend an Inspiration and Development event with the Coram Shakespeare Members of the Coram Shakespeare SchoolsFoundation Youth Board Schools team at the V&A Mueseum at Parliament alongside Manuela Perteghella MP.

To mark Coram Shakespeare Schools’ 25th anniversary, we hosted a fundraising event that brought our mission to life in a bold and joyful way. Is Shakespeare Funny? revived our popular mock-trial format, inviting a live audience to act as jury in a playful courtroom debate about Shakespeare’s comic legacy.

Staged at the iconic Criterion Theatre, the event brought together leading creative, legal and academic voices alongside much-loved performers. Miles Jupp appeared as Shakespeare, with Lee Mack as Will Kemp and Paterson Joseph as Robert Armin, two of Shakespeare’s famous comedic players. Richard Ayoade and Prof Emma Smith took the stand as our expert witnesses and were joined by leading legal figures including Kate Gallafent, Dinah Rose, Edward Henry and Benet Brandreth KCs, with Dame Joanna Smith presiding as judge.

The evening combined humour, performance and historical interrogation, asking whether Shakespeare’s comedy has stood the test of time and what happened to his comic writing after Kemp left the company. In the final ruling, the judge found in Kemp’s favour, settling once and for all that the Bard is not funny.

The event marked 25 years of our work while celebrating a belief that has shaped us throughout: Shakespeare belongs to every young person, and performing his words can build confidence, communication skills and a lasting sense of possibility.

"I don't think audiences are that worried about not laughing. I mean, welcome to my career."

Richard Ayoade, 2025

Trial of shakespeare

Is shakespeare funny?

The event helped introduce both longstanding supporters and new audiences to the creativity and ambition of our work and importantly, raised over £50,000 to support our programmes, helping more young people experience Shakespeare on stage and develop the skills that come with it.

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Measuring the Impact At the end of each Festival, we ask Teacher-Directors to tell us how they, and their young people, have changed through the project. As a result of the latest Theatre Festival, our teachers told us:

100%

100%

of teachers told us their students are able to empathise with each other.

of teachers reported their students have developed their confidence.

100%

99%

of teachers said students have developed the skill of teamwork.

of teachers said their students are able to find solutions to problems or challenges.

99%

90%

of teachers said their students have developed a sense of belonging at school.

of teachers say their students’ academic attainment has improved through the Festival.

“At our school 60% of students are on Pupil Premium. The Festival gives the chance to access creative opportunities they might not otherwise have.”

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Karen, Secondary School Teacher, Birmingham

Lorna, Primary School Teacher, Northwich

“Nick is a student who struggles with dyslexia and had quite a lot of dialogue came off stage and said they didn’t even feel nervous as they felt like they understood exactly what they were saying.”

Sophie, Secondary School Teacher, Prescot

Theatre Festival

“Before the project, Aaron lacked confidence and was often reserved within the class. He showed limited independence and struggled with his confidence and oracy skills. Throughout the project, however, his ability to shine became evident. He began to take ownership of his work and developed a strong presence on stage. The project clearly inspired him, and in his own words it allowed him to express himself to the world.”

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Talia and Carmen’s Story

Lyons Hall Primary School, Braintree When Lauren, the Teacher-Director at Lyons Hall Primary School in Essex, introduced A Midsummer Night’s Dream to her class by showing them a modern BBC adaptation, two young people, who have English as an Additional Language (EAL), were hooked.

Talia took to the role of Bottom immediately: “She loved the film version and loves stories. She reads a lot and writes beautifully, and the play helped her thrive and really immerse herself in literature. Before she even got the part, she crocheted her own ears and tails to audition for the character.”

Connecting with the character of Bottom helped Talia, as “she is quite a quiet and timid child, but you can’t be fooled! Once you see her onstage, it’s like a completely different person comes out. It came alive for her.”

Rehearsing and learning A Midsummer Night’s Dream allowed Talia to grow in confidence and connect with more advanced literature and language. Over the 28

Another EAL student, Carmen, also took on the leading role of Hermia. Lauren explained that Carmen is very intelligent but a quieter student. Taking part in the play helped her with her confidence. Lauren spoke about her EAL students’ impressive approach to Shakespearean language: “They took the play seriously. Because they speak English as their second language, they’re not scared to have a go at the language and new words. They were just eager to go for it.”

In the countdown to showtime, Talia organised her own props and costume. Her understanding of the character shone through, and she was “so inspired”. Lauren was impressed by Talia’s initiative and passion: “she understood the transition between characters and even arranged the scene where her team of fairies dressed her. They did it all themselves!”

Talia and Carmen embraced Shakespeare and used it to push themselves further in their reading and writing. Lauren talked about the power of storytelling and how stories are the same in every culture. She has noticed now how they they are “less frightened of tricky language.” Lauren said: “They aren’t scared of writing at all. They don’t play it safe; they want to try it out and I’ve encouraged them to be creative and experiment. It has really helped their writing process. Reading is a huge thing in school, but it has reinstated this for them.”

Lauren also reflected on the long-term impact of a project like Shakespeare Schools Festival which celebrates togetherness for her students.

Case Study

course of the rehearsals, “she collected synonyms across the play.

She would then put these notes in her writing. We gave her the language and set her free, and she brought the magic!”

International Film Festival The fifth year of the Film Festival saw 29 schools from England, Scotland, China, Norway and Belgium create their own reimagined Shakespeare films.

We brought our community of international filmmakers together in June 2025 for workshops focused on Directing and Adapting Shakespeare for Film. We also ran, for the first time ever, a masterclass focused specifically on inclusive practice, where Georgia Kumari Bradburn, a BIFA-longlisted filmmaker, came to talk about her experiences as neurodiverse filmmaker.

The Professional Learning Journey continued in the autumn with workshops focused on shooting and editing, and a special industry guest masterclass from Alfred Enoch who spoke about how he approaches Shakespeare and about his experiences as a young actor on a film set.

Our participants submitted their films in November, and we celebrated in January with our annual Best of the Fest showcase, which this year brought to a close our programme of 25th anniversary events.

We have some exciting plans for the Film Festival going into the next academic year and beyond.

Scan here to learn more about our International Film Festival

“At the heart of this film are the children; an incredibly talented group of performers, designers, editors and directors. Their imagination, passion and skill shines throughout the film.”

Steve Pyburn, Portfield School

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Film festival

Changchun American International School 2025

StarBASIS International School Nanjing 2025

Changchun American International School 2025

“Our chosen Romeo was very reluctant to take on this difficult role. In the end, he stunned us all with a very professional performance.”

BASIS International School Nanjing

BASIS International School Nanjing 2025

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Elisa’s story

Eltham Hill School, London Eltham Hill School has taken part in the Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival for over 10 years, with the programme having become a much-loved part of the school’s drama provision. Through the Festival, young people can explore performance, collaborate with others and discover new strengths. Joanna, the Teacher-Director, jokes that many students would be “very unhappy” if they missed out on taking part!

For Elisa, becoming part of the Festival was a journey that took time. She experienced some anxiety in school, particularly around participating in new situations. She would regularly attend rehearsals to spend time with her close friends but was not quite ready to take to the stage herself. Recognising her potential, Joanna continued to encourage her, allowing her the time and space to find the confidence to participate.

In 2025, after two years of watching the rehearsals, Elisa joined the cast for the first time. Joanna spoke about how Coram Shakespeare Schools' scripts and rehearsal techniques are “very ensemble-driven, very supportive”, which created an environment where Elisa could contribute without feeling too much pressure. Through rehearsals, she began to form new friendships, helping her feel more connected with the wider school community, and developed her creativity. As Elisa became more involved, drama developed into a space where she felt able to express herself, take creative risks and explore a side of herself that she had previously kept hidden.

Since taking part in the Festival, Elisa’s confidence has continued to grow. She has chosen to study GCSE Drama and has participated in Eltham Hill’s production of Annie. Reflecting on her progress, Joanna said “she really has been on a journey.”

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Case Study

Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival helped Elisa to find her place within a creative community and discover a passion for performance. What began as a tentative step into a rehearsal room has grown into something much more significant: a space where she feels she belongs.

“As Elisa became more involved, drama developed into a space where she felt able to express herself, take creative risks and explore a side of herself that she had previously kept hidden.”

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Our supporters Coram Shakespeare Schools’ work wouldn’t be possible without the extraordinary generosity of a passionate and committed group of individuals and organisations across the UK. We want to say a huge thank you to all those who help transform lives through the unique power of Shakespeare.

Belacqua Trust Charlotte Aitken Fund Gowling WLG (UK) Charitable Trust J Paul Getty Jr Charitable Trust Maria Björnson Memorial Fund

The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust The Stevenson Family’s Charitable Trust The Boris Karloff Charitable Foundation William Howarth Charitable Trust

Coram Shakespeare Schools Trustees Dr James Dray (Chair)

Jeff Tijssen

Guy Davies (Treasurer)

Jill Pay

Dr Glenda Jones

Juthymas Harntha

Hester Lockley

Vicki Wienand

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Help another child Thrive with Shakespeare Scan the QR code to donate now or go to: www.shakespeareschools.org Your gift will give a child the unique opportunity to shine on a professional theatre stage, unlocking thrilling creative experiences that build confidence, resilience, communication and essential life skills.

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“The festival has a tremendous effect on young people's lives, helping them to discover themselves and become the people they never thought they could be.”

Jonathan, Coram Shakespeare Schools Supporter

Coram Shakespeare Schools Gregory House, Coram Campus 41 Brunswick Square London WC1N 1AZ

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Find us on social media: Coram Shakespeare Schools on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation is a registered charity, number 1164676, and a limited company (England and Wales), number 9883201. Registered Office: Gregory House, Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ