The festival promises to be a celebration of all things Shakespearean and I would like to invite you, your children and family to join us.

The day will consist of a series of lectures and workshops by eminent Shakespearean scholars of international standing. The following speakers will be presenting:

Prof. Sir Jonathan Bate (Univ. of Oxford / Univ. of Arizona)

Prof. Rhodri Lewis (Univ. of Princeton, U.S.)

Prof. Helen Hackett (UCL)

Prof. Michael Dobson (Director of the Shakespeare Institute)

Prof. Tiffany Stern (Shakespeare Institute)

Dr Sophie Duncan (Magdalen College, Oxford)

Dr Hester Lees–Jeffries (St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge)

Prof. Luke Kennard (Winner of the 2021 Forward Prize for Poetry)

Dr Abigail Rokison–Woodall (Shakespeare Institute)

Dr Jessica Chiba (Shakespeare Institute)

Dr Simon Smith (Shakespeare Institute)

Dr Nick Walton (Shakespeare Birthplace trust).

The lectures and workshops will take place in the day and be of particular relevance to older students, alumni and members of the public with an interest in the humanities.

The festival’s evening finale will follow the day’s lectures. The players from Jesus College, Oxford’s Shakespeare Project will be performing a production of the tragedy Titus Andronicus in the School Chapel. Following this, an ensemble from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will perform a Shakespearean-themed concert in the Bushell Hall accompanied by actors, who will recite a selection of the Bard’s most renown sonnets and soliloquies. The evening will conclude with Dame Siân Phillips in conversation with the Old Sil and theatre director, Richard Digby Day. Dame Siân, who is one of the most critically–acclaimed actresses of her generation, will discuss her distinguished career and her experience of ‘Acting the Classics’.

Throughout the day and evening, there will be a festival bookshop, which will represent the publications of the different speakers. There will be opportunities to purchase signed copies of books following the talks.

Solihull School alumni will be charged £6 for the day’s series of lectures. This price includes lunch. Supper will also be provided for those people who are staying for the day and evening event. For the evening’s finale, tickets will be priced at £20. Should you be interested in attending the festival, please follow the link on the QR code attached.

Please see the attached schedule of the day’s lectures and the evening’s finale.

We hope that you will join us for what will be a joyous and fascinating celebration of Shakespeare and the arts.

Dr Stuart Hart (Head of English)

Mr Charles Fillingham (Executive Headmaster).