Don Valley Academy

The Shakespeare Schools Festival (SSF) is the UK’s largest youth drama festival. 12,000 young people across the country, in four schools a night, perform abridged Shakespeare plays in 250 professional theatres.

The Festival introduces young people to the excitement and discipline of live theatre. Through workshops with the National Theatre and National Youth Theatre and through performance it enables them to appreciate the genius of Shakespeare, to aim high and to take pride in their achievements. Year after year young people leave the process with an increased confidence and self worth that will last them a lifetime.

Don Valley Academy and Performing Arts College are veterans of the festival and this year presented their 6th main school show, Macbeth, at the Sheffield Lyceum on Tuesday 4th October. The young people gained a deserved standing ovation. However, also this year, Don Valley have ventured to create a 7th show with 14 sixth formers at Leeds Carriageworks. Titus Andronicus is special as Don Valley Academy are trialling this show for the first time for the Festival.

With an adapted script created by Don Valley Academy, the students and teachers in the Drama Department have worked tirelessly to ensure the show is a hit. The students and staff are excited to be the only school nationally to be performing Titus this year, with the Shakespeare Schools Festival offering it as an official option for schools across the country next year. Director of Specialism, Julie Atkins, says she is proud of the way the young people and staff at Don Valley Academy and Performing Arts College have risen to the challenge of the double bill of Macbeth and Titus this year.

Performed at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre on Tuesday 4th October 2011.

Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears. I’ve been lucky enough to perform as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival for the last two years. The first year was A Midsummer Nights Dream and this year was Macbeth, thankfully the curse of ‘the Scottish Play’ did not show itself, as the applause and cheering showed at the end of our performance.

Taking part in such an amazing event gives you many life skills, such as confidence, voice projection and diction, communication skills and a great sense of team work and leadership. The workshops give you a chance to meet others, get advice, not only from teachers, but also the directors from Shakespeare Schools Festival and the National Youth Theatre. It also gives you a chance to see how others interpret Shakespeare from what they are performing.

I would urge others to consider joining in when the time comes for auditioning for our future productions, if only for the friends you make in the cast and all the fun you have along the way. There is a great friendship amongst all who are involved, from the cast members to the teachers. it gives you a chance to not only know your peers, younger and older, but also to belong to a great group of people and to be part of a wonderful creative family.

Yr10 Student

Shakespeare Schools Festival

Every year Don Valley School & Performing Arts College participates in the Shakespeare Schools Festival. This is a national event that gives 11-18 year olds the chance to perform half hour Shakespeare plays in professional theatres.

In 2010, 650 schools performed in 80 theatres across the country. The partners of the Shakespeare Schools Festival are the National Theatre and the National Youth Theatre .

Our past performances include: 2003 – Romeo & Juliet, 2007 – Othello, 2008 – The Tempest, 2009 – Henry V, 2010 – A Midsummer Nights Dream.

Our last two performances have been at the acclaimed West Yorkshire Playhouse. Don Valley students were proud to see our Henry V interpretation used for the 10th anniversary festival publicity.

Please enjoy our photographs from Henry V and A Midsummer Nights Dream.