Dear Solihull Community,

I am delighted to invite you to our second Shakespeare Festival, which will be held on Saturday 14th March 2026. The festival builds upon the success of the inaugural festival, which took place in 2024. 

The festival promises to be a celebration of all things Shakespearean and will consist of a series of lectures and workshops by eminent Shakespearean scholars of international standing. The following speakers have been confirmed: 

Prof. Emma Smith (Hertford College, Oxford) 

Prof. Simon Palfrey (Brasenose College, Oxford) 

Prof. Michael Dobson (Director of the Shakespeare Institute) 

Dr Sophie Duncan (Magdalen College, Oxford) 

Prof. Sophie Read (Christ’s College, Cambridge) 

Prof. Tiffany Stern (Shakespeare Institute) 

Dr Jessica Chiba (Shakespeare Institute) 

The lectures and workshops will take place in the day and be aimed at A Level and Year 11 students of the humanities but those with an interest in the work of Shakespeare will also find the day of interest.  

Following the lectures, on the evening there will be an opportunity to watch a performance of Much Ado about Nothing in the school chapel by the players from Jesus College, Oxford’s Shakespeare Project. During the day, there will be a festival bookshop, which will showcase the publications of the different speakers. There will be opportunities to buy signed copies following the lectures.   

The cost for the day’s lectures as well as optional talks is £10 per person; there will not be a charge for your son/daughter.  Should you wish to attend the evening’s performance of Much Ado about Nothing, the total cost per ticket will be £15.  You can register your interest in attending the festival and the performance by completing this https://forms.office.com/e/0kGPVmVjPR form. 

I hope that you will join us for what promises to be an exciting festival for the mind for all those who are interested in the Arts. 

Kind regards, 

Dr S Hart, 

Head of English.