 | |
| Abbreviation | SSF |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2000 |
| Founder | Chris Grace |
| Type | Cultural education charity |
Region served | United Kingdom |
| Website | www |
Formerly called | Shakespeare Schools Festival |
The Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation (SSF) is an educational charity operating throughout the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland. The foundation organises an annual youth drama festival, involving 30,000 young people. [1] Since 2000, the SSF has worked with over 300,000 students and their teachers. [2]
The Shakespeare Schools Festival was founded by Chris Grace in 2000. [3] In 2016, it was rebranded as the Shakespeare Schools Foundation and, to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, it staged performances at 10 Downing Street, [4] Westminster Abbey, a West End Gala, and at Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday. The SSF also hosted the "Trial of Hamlet" fundraiser. [5]
In 2018, the Foundation was awarded the Praemium Imperiale Grant for Young Artists, [6] having been selected for the award by the Chancellor of the University of Oxford and former Chairman of the BBC Trust, Chris Patten. [7] In April 2018, the SSF hosted another West End fundraiser, "Trial of Richard III", at the Novello Theatre. [8] The cast included Hugh Dennis, David Oakes, Kae Alexander, Lady Justice Hallett, Ian Winter QC, and John Kelsey Fry QC, [9] with contributions from Ed Vaizey MP, Maggie Aderin Pocock, and Tim Campbell. [10]
In 2020, the Shakespeare Schools Foundation (SSF) merged with the Coram Group, rebranding as the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation (CSSF). [11] The CSSF introduced the Shakespeare Schools Film Festival in 2023 in collaboration with Into Film. [12]
During the 2023–2024 period, more than 10,000 students from schools across the UK participated in various programmes. [13]
The SSF has developed a range of curriculum resources for teachers based on the National Curriculums of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. [14] The foundation also offers standalone workshops for students, teachers, and businesses. [15]