NSF Educational Programming
The Nashville Shakespeare Festival seeks to bring Shakespeare's works alive for all learners through the art of performance. We believe that by exploring Shakespeare through the voice and body, students of all types can discover the Bard's power and relevance in their own lives. Educational tools offered by the Festival include student matinee productions, classes & workshops, directing residencies, educator guidebooks, and apprentice company training. Click the links below to explore our programs or email education@nashvilleshakes.org to book your engagement today!
Featured Education Programs
Programming for Schools
We offer student matinee performances of our indoor Shakespeare productions for middle and high school students from all over Middle Tennessee. We can accommodate all private, public, and homeschool groups.
In Spring 2024, we co-presented HAMLET with Lipscomb University and served over 1,800 students! Stay tuned for future daytime matinee opportunities.
NSF offers a variety of in-class workshops to classes of all ages, elementary through college. Per the teacher's request, many of these workshops relate directly to the Shakespeare play they are currently studying in-class, geared specifically toward exploring an over-arching idea through acting exercises led by a professional teaching artist. Educators may request any of the plays in Shakespeare's illustrious canon.
NSF offers guidebooks for each of our productions as a resource for students and teachers. They include character bios and analysis, creative designs, plot synopsis, lesson plans, production insight, and more.
Shakespeare Education Experience Tour
The Nashville Shakespeare Festival brings PROFESSIONAL SHAKESPEARE directly to your school or venue! NSF has developed a series of touring versions of Shakespeare’s best-known works. These abridged productions tour to schools throughout the region as well as colleges and universities, libraries, and other venues. This fall, we will be touring MACBETH from October 23-November 15 - booking available now!
The Nashville Shakespeare Festival partners with Nashville area high schools to provide professional directors for school productions of Shakespeare’s plays. This gives students and faculty the invaluable opportunity to work directly with a practicing theatre artist on all aspects of a full production.
Other Educational Offerings
Every year, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival selects 14-16 talented theatre artists ages 13 years and older to perform in its Summer Shakespeare production and to take part in an intensive three-week training program. These theatre artists are known as the "Apprentice Company" and are selected based upon auditions in the spring.
NSF recognizes the value for actors, teachers, readers, and all humans to continue growing and expanding their imaginations through learning experiences. Enrichment classes help the community come together to explore Shakespeare, performance techniques, artistic expression, and continued personal and professional development.
Choose from our team of stellar Teaching Artists to help strengthen and deepen your process and preparation of Shakespeare's material in a one-on-one setting.
Some of our favorite resources for teaching, reading, studying and enjoying Shakespeare.