Royal approval for Shakespeare festival
Youngsters from Telford Infant School in Leamington had a royal treat last week when they met HRH The Prince of Wales.
Three children aged six were chosen to meet His Royal Highness in Stratford last Friday (17 November 2006) to present him with a book commemorating Warwickshire County Council’s Schools Mini Complete Works of Shakespeare Festival.
The festival took place in June and July this year and a photographic record of the occasion was later published. More than 2,300 children from 72 schools in Warwickshire took part in performing excerpts and interpretations of Shakespeare’s complete works – the largest schools drama festival seen in the county – at an outdoor theatre on the banks of the Avon called The Dell, near the RSC.
Children from Telford performed on the opening day of the festival and performed a piece of work based on Cymbeline. They also contributed to a poster that was displayed on the county’s buses advertising the festival, which was organised in conjunction with the RSC’s Complete Works.
The children, along with teacher Sue Mitchell, presented HRH with the book when he was in Stratford for the RSC’s annual general meeting. The Prince is President of the RSC and has been a long supporter of the arts and getting children involved in appreciating Shakespeare’s work.
Sue Mitchell said: “We were thrilled when we were invited to Stratford to meet His Royal Highness. The performance at The Dell will linger long in the mind of those who took part and it was a hugely beneficial experience for all the children. He was very interested in what we had been doing at the school and the festival as a whole and the children were delighted to meet him.”
Rex Pogson, who organised the festival for Warwickshire County Council, added: “This was the most amazing festival that we have seen in the county. Thousands of children and young people had their lives touched by Shakespeare and to receive royal recognition in this way is a fitting finale to the event.”