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Shakespeare in Smethwick
Saturday 3rd June 2023 | 11am - 4pm
The Dorothy Parkes Centre
Church Rd, B67 6EH
As part of the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council’s Everything to Everybody project, Birmingham’s First Folio - the first printed book of Shakespeare’s works and the only Folio in the world that was bought by a city for its population - is coming to Smethwick for the first time EVER!
Yow’d be a canker- blossom to miss it!
Bearwood Community Hub Presents...
What's On?
The First Folio - A First Edition (hand written) collection of Shakespeare's Works | All day | 11:00 - 16:00
Drop in to view The Birmingham Shakespeare Memorial Library’s copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio. It is the only Folio in the world that was bought by a city to be owned, seen, shared, studied and enjoyed by its population. It’ll be visiting Smethwick in a protected case and with 2 security guards. This one is precious, and will only be in the heart of Smethwick for 5 hours, so don’t miss out!
An audio description of the folio by Sandwell Talking News volunteer Sarah-Ann will be at 11:20. Please call the Sandwell Visually Impaired office 0121 525 4810 to register your interest or message us at communityhub@bearwood.cc.
Film Projections | All day | 11:00 - 16:00
Throughout the day we will be showing pages from the Folio on the projector screen, along with some great performances of famous passages from Shakespeare.
Reading Corner with Bear Bookshop | All day | 11:00 - 16:00
Ever felt that Shakespeare isn’t for you? Didn’t understand a word? Well come and sit alongside Jenny from Bearwood’s Bear Bookshop as she opens up the world of Shakespeare to adults and children alike.
Poet MC in Residence - Kurly McGeachie | All day | 11:00 - 16:00
Kurly McGeachie, Birmingham Poet Laureate finalist & RSC workshop practitioner, will join us all day as our MC and our poet-in-residence for the day, devising and performing new poetry as well as some of Shakespeare’s most classic sonnets.
Meet & Green Elizabethan Performers from Spectra Arts | All Day | 11:00 - 16:00
Locally-based neurodiverse theatre company Spectra Arts will engage visitors with their signature multi-sensory, quirky style. Providing an eye-catching welcome in Elizabethan costume hire, three warm and funny characters will encourage engagement with the day's activities by supporting access, provoking sensory curiosity and inspiring playfulness. Be sure to say hello - maybe with a curtsy or a bow?
Midsummer Night's Dream Maker-space with the Parakeet Studio CIC | 11:00 - 14:00
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Inspired by the weird and wonderful imagination of William Shakespeare our Midsummer Night’s Dream Maker Space is the perfect place for kids to explore, make and create to their heart's content.
We’ll be creating sweet-smelling potions and pomanders mixing up magical ingredients to create our own special brews.
Trying our hand at writing with a quill, just like the scribes of old. You can make your own mini-folio and fill it with your own creative writing.
But that's not all - we'll also be transforming into Peaseblossom, Moth, Cobweb, and Mustardseed for a magically mischievous fairy photoshoot.
Perform a Scene with the RSC's Kate Perry! | 11:00 - 12:00
Experienced theatre practitioner Kate Perry invites you to join her rehearsal techniques workshop. For ages 10-99, you’ll be performing a real scene from a Shakespeare play by the end of the workshop!
Shakesperian Insults Workshop | 12:00 - 13:00
Rachel Green Drama Queen presents an interactive and educational fun workshop for all of the family to watch and learn from! Come and create your own fun insults inspired by the words of the Bard.
Suitable for families and ages 7 years upwards.
Tudor Dancing with Glorianna Living History | 13:00 - 13:45
Drop In. Watch along, or join in with, the dances from the time of Elizabeth I! Gloriana Living History will be with us over lunch & we challenge you to get your dancing shoes on, and imagine yourself in some regal Elizabethan costume!
King Lear by Oddbodies Theatre Company (14+) | 14:00 - 15:20
Oddbodies Theatre’s one-man King Lear premiered to five star reviews and wonderful audience feedback at the 2019 Brighton Fringe Festival. Smethwick is a stop on their UK tour and we’re delighted they will bring alive this classic play of Shakespeares, with a 1hr 20min physical theatre performance suitable for ages 14+
A History of the Folio - A talk from University of Birmingham's Shakespeare Institute | 15:30 - 16:00
Come to our lecture by storyteller and Shakespearean nerd Lauren Jansen-Parkes from the University of Birmingham, who will explain all about the First Folio: what it is, why we have this one in Birmingham, and the amazing collection it is part of - which we all have access to!
Accessibility:
Interpretation will be available in Arabic, Albanian, Kurdish, Farsi & Urdu thanks to our community interpreters.
We have a parallel programme especially for the visually impaired run by volunteer Sandwell Visually Impaired reader Sarah-Ann Cromwell.
Click or type the following address into you html for the SVI programme: https://www.bearwood.cc/svi
The Dorothy Parkes Centre is a fully accessible venue, all on one level with accessible toilets and baby changing facilities.
If you have any questions about access, please contact Lizzie at communityhub@bearwood.cc
With thanks to our funders & partners:
