Express & Star

Free Shakespeare festival coming to Wolverhampton

The life and works of Shakespeare will be celebrated as part of a free action-packed arts festival for all the family.

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Light House Media Centre based at The Chubb Buildings

Dance and drama performances of Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet will be among the activities for visitors on the day which will be dedicated to the Bard.

Students from Highfields School , Penn Fields School and City of Wolverhampton College are working together to stage The Shakespearience taking place at the Light House, in Fryer Street, on April 21.

The event will also feature free creative workshops for kids, film screenings, an animation station, sensory room, live music and poetry recitals.

The festival, which will run from 12pm until 5pm, is free to attend and open to visitors of all ages.

More than 50 students are involved in the project and are currently busy rehearsing on Tuesday evenings. They will also give up some of their Easter holiday to perfect their performances.

They are creating pieces of art in response to Shakespeare's works and will voice their words on a range of topics including community, assumptions around young people in our society, power, relationships and family.

Sharon Bishop, who is head of performance at Highfields, said rehearsals were going well and they were looking forward to seeing as many people as possible at the festival.

"It is wonderful to be collaborating once again with Penn Fields School and Wolverhampton College on this exciting arts project.

“Students are currently working very hard to put on a spectacular showcase to celebrate the works of Shakespeare and we are looking forward to seeing the results of their efforts at the festival on April 21.

“The day will be packed with lots of activities and performances to provide fun for all the family. We hope to see you all there," she added.

On the day there will also be refreshment stalls so everyone can taste the diverse range of food that lies in Wolverhampton.

Free tickets for the festival can be booked by searching 'The Shakespearience' in Facebook and clicking 'EVENTS' or scanning the Facebook QR code on the back of promotional flyers that have been distributed around Wolverhampton.

They can also be booked by going directly to the Eventbrite website, and searching The Shakespearience. There are a maximum of six tickets available for each person. For further information or if anyone would like to be involved as a volunteer or spoken word artist, email emergewolves@gmail.com