British Shakespeare Association

A huge thank you to the @bsashakespeare for supporting our performance research on 'Shakespeare's emotional sound' in @smallhythe_placent , the home of actress Ellen Terry. @vicgartner led the actors through explorations of Shakespeare's rhythms and melodies, and further research will be undertaken soon. Let us know if you're interested in joining in and exploring together! Read up about it here: https://www.britishshakespeare.ws/bsa-small-grants-fund-reports-on-performances/

On the lead up to our #BSASmallGrants Fund window closing on 30 March, we've been sharing reflections from previous recipients on our blog! Read Bethan Davies' summary of The Revels Office and Society of Antiquaries' 'Revels Office: New Voices in Early Modern Material Culture, Theatre, and Performance' conference and all about 'Shakespeare and the Politics of Subtitling', convened by Drs Anandi Rao, N.P. Ashley and Thea Buckley, to inspire your own proposals at https://www.britishshakespeare.ws/bsa-small-grants-fund-events-reports/ 📷 Poster of 2002 Indian National Award-winning film Kannaki written by Sanjeev Kilikulam and directed by Jayaraj R. Nair

Thanks to everyone who joined us for a fascinating few days of experiments, debates and reflections on AI and Shakespeare! 🤖 Extra special thanks to organisers Deborah Cartmell and Lisa Hopkins and to all the presenters for a lively programme considering the loses, gains, questions and urgent actions AI poses to the Shakespeare teaching, research and practitioner communities.

We look forward to bringing you another year of events, teaching resources, publications, discounts, and more! Register or renew your BSA membership for 2026 to join the fun 🎉 Your support is vital to the work of the BSA, helping to promote the knowledge and appreciation of Shakespeare. From supporting research and teaching, to fostering the work of young people and theatre companies around the country and beyond, to our world-class international conferences. In return for your support, BSA members benefit from: • Eligibility for the BSA Small Grants Scheme • Free or discounted entry to selected BSA events • Participate in BSA’s annual conference, AGM and committees • Discounted access to BSA journal, Shakespeare • Access to BSA magazine, Teaching Shakespeare • Access to recordings of past BSA events and teaching resources for educators • Discounts on selected academic publishers The annual fee covers Jan-Dec 2026, including concessions for educators and students and free memberships for creative practitioners. Visit our website or follow the link in our bio to register or renew your membership now!

Registration is open for AI and Shakespeare: A British Shakespeare Association Virtual Conference! Staying true to theme, the conference will take place online 26-27 Feb 2026, 12-5pm GMT The conference will be a chance to reflect upon and take stock on the explosive impact of AI on the Shakespeare community, from the perspective of research, performance and education. The conference will be structured around opportunities and threats, or briefs and griefs. Including short roundtables on AI and editing, Shakespeare, AI and pedagogy, and a keynote by Jonathan Bate, 'Love's Labour's Won: An Intelligent Artifice?' This is a FREE conference open to BSA members! Follow the link in our bio or visit our website for more on membership and conference registration Image credit: Generated using Midjourney by Brett Greatley-Hirsch

With 2 days to go before registration closes for #BSA2025, join us in saying hello to our plenary speakers! ⭐️ AMY LEACH (Deputy Artistic Director, Leeds Playhouse) Co-founder of award winning theatre company for young people, en masse, and Director of Theatre Royal Startford East, Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse's Olivier Award-nominated 'Animal Farm'. Amy will be in conversation with Mark Love-Smith. ⭐️ DR EMMA WHIPDAY (University of Newcastle) Senior Lecturer in Renaissance Literature and co-runner of the Newcastle University Performance Research Network. Emma recently completed a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship on brother-sister relationships on the early modern stage. ⭐️ DR ABIGAIL ROKISON-WOODALL (Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham) Senior Lecturer in Shakespeare and Theatre Deputy Director of Institute: Education. Abigail headed the ‘Signing Shakespeare’ project since 2018 in collaboration with the RSC and has produced resources for Teaching Shakespeare to Deaf children for Deaf and major Hearing Impaired units in schools across the country. Registration closes on 18th June and is open to BSA members in good standing. Register and find out more at https://www.britishshakespeare.ws/conference/ or via the link in our bio!

BSA is now on Bluesky! Head on over and give us a follow @bsashakespeare.bsky.social 🦋 While you're over there, why not share your Shakespeare news, events, opportunities, publications and more with us. We can't wait to connect with you!

Fresh blog post alert! We were delighted to support @incognitaenterprises 'Dark Arcadia' through our #BSASmallGrants in 2024. Read all about it in Sally McClean's latest post on our blog, 'Dark Arcadia and the wider Shakespeare Republic universe' ✨️ Follow the link in our bio or check out @incognitaenterprises for more!

Registration is now open for #BSA2025 Conference, ‘Practising Shakespeare’ 🎉 25-28 June 2025 University of York, School of Arts and Creative Technologies The conference explores the relationship between research, practice, and pedagogy in Shakespeare Studies across four days of workshops, performances, screenings, seminars, and panels Keynote speakers include Emma Whipday (University of Newcastle), Abigail Rokison-Woodall (Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham), and theatre director Amy Leach (Leeds Playhouse), with a performance by Edward’s Boys of 'The Enterlude of the Godly Queen Hester' 🔗 Follow the link in our bio to register and view the conference website and provisional programme

The second round CfP for #BSA2025 Conference at @uniofyork is open until 14th Feb! This round invites proposals to consider a range of formats, including: • Panels (15–20-minute paper presentations and discussion, c.3 presenters) • Posters • Roundtable conversations • Seminar enrolment For full details of seminars and how to submit visit www.britishshakespeare.ws/call-for-participation-first-round or follow the link in our bio! 📷 'Shakespeare's Rivals' directed by Ollie Jones and Michael Cordner (2019)

The first round Call for Participation for BSA Conference 2025 is open! #BSA2025 'Practising Shakespeare: new collaborations, expanding horizons' will be hosted by the University of York, School of Arts and Creative Technologies, Weds 25-Sat 28 June As Shakespeare and his contemporaries continue to be explored and reinvented on stage, screen and new media, we ask what new horizons might Shakespeare Studies look towards in performance and practice? What challenges, by placing practice and performance as a central focus, must we confront, problematise, or solve when working with Shakespeare and his contemporaries? How might we continue and develop productive conversations and collaborations between teaching, practice and research? View the full Call for Participation at https://www.britishshakespeare.ws/conference/ or via the link in our bio 📷 'Shakespeare's Rivals' directed by Ollie Jones and Michael Cordner (2019)

BSA Honorary Fellowships and Innovation Award Nominations are open! The Awards Committee invites nominations for up to two Honorary Fellowships and one Innovation Award by the closing date on 20th October 2024 And what better chance than this to celebrate the winners from 2023 🎉 PROFESSOR FARAH KARIM-COOPER BSA Honorary Fellow, recognising eminent individuals who have made major contributions to our understanding of Shakespeare through scholarship, education, and/or performance ROBERT MYLES Innovation Award winner, recognising an individual or organisation involved in Shakespearean studies, performance, and/or the cultural and creative industries that has substantially innovated engagement with and/or appreciation of Shakespeare and his works Visit our website or follow the link in our bio for more on how to submit your nomination!