The Grand Creative Learning Team have been working with our 20 local RSC Associate Schools to create and perform Sandgrown Shakespeare. Our 2023 Playmaking Festival was a reflection of our years focus on new writing, celebrating the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s first folio being printed.

For our 2023 Playmaking Festival, children, young people and teachers across Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde were invited by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Blackpool Grand Theatre to be inspired by not one of Shakespeare’s texts, but two! Over the last few months, our schools and colleges have been exploring ‘The Tempest’ and ‘Twelfth Night’ whilst drawing some very interesting comparisons in the settings and plots of both plays to our very special, unique, and beloved hometown, Blackpool.

Representing the RSC and Blackpool Grand, Mykey Young has visited all the Primary, Secondary, SEND and College students to act as Director Mentor for the production. Mykey did an amazing job inspiring teachers and students to have the highest possible standards of creativity and performance.  He said;

As a ‘Blackpool Boy’ myself, it has been both a pleasure and a privilege to work with young people from across my hometown, to hear their brilliant ideas, see their wonderful work and watch them create such brilliant, original pieces. Through being inspired by Shakespeare’s plays they have not only been able to work collaboratively to find new, interesting, and innovative ways to re-tell his stories, but they have also been able to explore how some of their central plots and themes are still as relevant to contemporary society as the day they were first written. 

It was a joy to have the chance to work with each and every one of the teachers and to see the young people shine on stage during the live performances. An enormous congratulations on a wonderful show. 

This year saw lots of firsts as part of the Playmaking Festival. New writing featured as well as the audience was asked to join in with a Story Telling Circle activity to move the story along at the start of the second half. It was also the first time our adult Shakespeare Nation Company performed alongside the young people, giving us Twelfth Night in 5 mins ‘ish!’. We also concluded the show with audience participation in our closing number, the new Blackpool social dance, The Blackpool Way. (Choreographed by House of Wingz in partnership with Showtown and Leftcoast)

We were delighted to welcome Fiona Clayton, RSC Programme Lead: Associate Schools Programme, to the Grand to watch a performance. She sent the following message to the cast;

Just a note to say again how much we enjoyed the wonderful festival this afternoon. What a huge amount of work must have gone into creating such a creative, slick and beautifully told festival of two plays and including new writing. We are still talking about it and remembering different moments all the way back to Stratford! I loved that it was so routed in Blackpool and was both reflective and celebratory of the town.

The set for the production was extra special this year, with huge thanks going to the Illuminations team that provided a replica, fully functioning Blackpool Tower and beautiful shell lights. It was glorious to witness the wonder on the students eyes when they saw the stage for the first time.

Thanks to everyone that has made this show a huge Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre showcase of talent, creativity and fun!

If you are interested in finding out more about the Creative Learning Team and future project, contact; creativelearning@blackpoolgrand.co.uk