Building Partnerships

A 20-Year Story of Arts Impact

In 2026, the RSC marks 20 years of transformative partnerships with schools, theatres and communities across England.

Across two decades, the core principles - combining Shakespeare's plays, our rehearsal room techniques and working in long-term partnership - have remained the same. But in that time, clear lessons have emerged.

We've found consistently that power lies in local leadership, and that schools and theatres thrive when they create work that responds directly to the needs of their own communities.

Today our Associate Schools Programme is a thriving network of 280 schools and 16 regional theatres across England. At a time when national priorities focus on skills, regional renewal, growth and opportunity, these groundbreaking partnerships show how the arts - starting in schools - unlock opportunities, address inequalities and improve learning and life outcomes.

CELEBRATE WITH US | OUR WORK AND FINDINGS | REPORTS & CASE STUDIES | THE NEXT CHAPTER

CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIPS

Building Partnerships: A 20-Year Story is a series of events and performances taking place this autumn to celebrate the work and to set out the next chapter for partnerships between schools and arts organisations, including:

NEXT GENERATION: FACTORY

We have commissioned a new verbatim piece of theatre from LUNG, a multi award-winning campaign-led arts charity. It will be performed by our Next Generation: Act Company, and supported by young trainees from Next Generation Direct and Backstage.

16-19 September

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BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS: A 20-YEAR STORY ARTS SYMPOSIUM

We will host a public arts symposium, giving colleagues from across the cultural and education sector the opportunity to share learnings from 20 years of partnership work in schools. Keynote speakers will be announced soon, and it will feature a special performance of Factory.

18 September

VIEW THE SCHEDULE

FIRST ENCOUNTERS: JULIUS CAESAR

Our annual First Encounters with Shakespeare tour will be a re-mount of Phyllida’s Lloyd’s 2012 Donmar Theatre production of Julius Caesar with Harriet Walter in the starring role. The show will vist five schools around England before coming to The Other Place.

5 - 28 November

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YOUNG CREATIVES FESTIVAL

Co-curated by the RSC’s Youth Advisory Board, this event will see up to 200 young people gather at The Other Place for an inspirational programme of workshops, panel discussions and debates, examining themes of justice, governance, leadership and the power of words to inspire and affect change.

21 November

MORE INFO TO COME

OUR WORK AND FINDINGS

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What began as a centrally led programme to enrich classroom experiences of Shakespeare has evolved into a locally driven network, with schools and regional theatres collaborating in response to the unique strengths and needs of their communities.

Over 20 years, these partnerships have deepened engagement for thousands of young people, strengthened teaching practice and connected communities across the country.

This work provides an evidence-led model for devolving power and investment to local leadership, enabling schools, arts organisations and communities to come together to deliver tangible benefits and better outcomes for young people.

REPORTS & PARTNER CASE STUDIES

ASSOCIATE SCHOOLS IMPACT REPORT 2026

Every year we publish a report, highlighting the achievements and celebrating the work of our theatre and schools partners across the country.

As we celebrate 10 years of the programme - along with 20 years of long term partnerships - discover what's been happening in our Associate Schools in our annual impact report.

DOWNLOAD THE IMPACT REPORT

'EVERY CHILD'S VOICE'
REPORT 2026

We have now published a report into RSC learning partnerships, bringing together what we have learned from two decades of sustained collaboration.

It provides insight into the partnership approaches underpinning this work, synthesises an extensive body of evidence on its impact, and identifies the principles that have enabled it to grow and develop.

DOWNLOAD THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PARTNER CASE STUDIES

Bradford Theatres | Bradford College

"Often the creative and fictional canvas that Shakespeare provides in this context both protects pupils from having to draw on their own lived experience and pushes them to go beyond that lived experience" Teacher, Bradford College

Bradford College joined the Associate Schools Programme in 2017, working with Bradford Theatres and the RSC to transform classroom experiences of Shakespeare.

A significant percentage of students enrolling on the college’s ESOL course have recently arrived in England, either as refugees or asylum seekers.

Esther Wilkey is the college’s ESOL lead and her Shakespeare Club and deep understanding of RSC rehearsal room pedagogy, creates an inclusive, safe-space for learning that has been life-changing for many of these young people.

As a member of the RSC’s teacher-researcher network, Esther’s research explores the use of Shakespeare and rehearsal-room approaches in an ESOL context to see the impact it has on language and learning as well as confidence, belonging and well-being.

READ THE CASE STUDY
Blackpool Grand | St. Mary’s Catholic Academy

“Working with the RSC has had a massive positive impact on my teaching” Teacher, St. Mary’s Catholic Academy, Blackpool

Blackpool Grand Theatre was one of the RSC’s first theatre partners and St. Mary’s Catholic Academy in Blackpool has been part of the Associate Schools Programme, working with Blackpool Grand and the RSC, for over a decade.

Teacher Victoria Pollet talks about the school’s Shakespeare Club - a safe space where individuality and confidence thrive.

READ THE CASE STUDY
The New Vic Theatre | Springhead Primary School

"Oracy is the precursor to good writing so if children can say it, if they can speak it, if they understand the meaning of it, then they can write it" Teacher, Springhead Primary School, Stoke-on-Trent.

Springhead Primary School is located in an ex-mining village on the edge of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The school has been working with the RSC and The New Vic Theatre as part of the Associate Schools Programme since 2016.

Here, former Deputy Head Teacher Jan Anderson and Former Year 6 Teacher, English & Upper School Lead, Josh Dainty, talk about the impact of the work on children’s writing, confidence and sense of agency.

WATCH THE VIDEO READ THE CASE STUDY
Hull Truck | Brough Primary School

"These children truly blew us away during the performance, where they absolutely shone in the spotlight - something they would never have imagined themselves doing previously" Teacher, Brough Primary School, Hull

Hull Truck and the Hull cluster of schools led by Brough Primary School have been involved in the Associate Schools Programme since 2022.

Teacher Amy Johns gives us her take on what she sees as the value of long-term partnerships between schools and arts organisations.

READ THE CASE STUDY
Theatre Royal Newcastle | West End Schools Trust

"The partnership has been brilliant...Partnerships work don’t they?!"

Newcastle Theatre Royal work in partnership with schools in the West End of Newcastle, who we’re delighted have joined the Associate Schools Programme.

Hear why they’re celebrating their partnership with us.

WATCH THE VIDEO
Belgrade Theatre | Edgewick Community Primary School

"That’s the power of the Associate Schools Programme. It’s not just about teaching Shakespeare, it’s about unlocking potential, raising aspirations, and showing children that their voices and ideas matter" Teacher, Edgewick Community Primary School, Coventry

The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry and Lead Associate School, Edgewick Community Primary School, joined the Associate Schools Programme in 2023.

Here, teacher Ruth Rock, describes the impact of the partnership on the teachers as well as the young people.

READ THE CASE STUDY
The Core at Corby Cube

"I liked the sense of community it created and having something to be proud of" Student from Corby after taking part in the annual Playmaking Festival

The Core at Corby Cube was delighted to become one of the RSCs regional theatre partners in September 2023. Thanks to the commitment from its cluster of schools, the Associate Schools Programme in Corby has gone from strength to strength.

They held a Playmaking Festival earlier in 2026, with over 130 young people across 6 schools taking part in performing The Tempest on their main stage. Below is a selection of the responses from students and teachers who took part:

READ THE CASE STUDY
The Marlowe | Playmaking Festival

"She doesn’t talk about school really and she’s coming home telling me all about these people, things they’ve learnt and it’s just brilliant"

The Marlowe in Canterbury, Kent, has been a theatre partner since 2016, with one of their two clusters being part of the very first cohort of Associate Schools.

This beautiful short film, set against the backdrop of Shakespeare’s Cliff in Dover, shows the wider impact that the partnerships and our annual Playmaking Festivals have on parents and communities.

WATCH THE VIDEO
Silhouette Youth Theatre | Abington Vale Primary School

"And when she giggles the whole world brightens up in her laughter and Juliet can shine like the god of music. When she dances, it’s like the stars are taking her to heaven. The dress looks like it's made out of cloud. At parties the more she dances with grace, the brighter the stars shine"
Year 3 pupil at Abington Vale Primary School, Northampton.

Abington Vale Primary School in Northampton has been part of the Associate Schools Programme working in partnership with Silhouette Youth Theatre since 2016.

Jade Dixon, a Year 3 teacher at the school, joined the RSC’s teacher-researcher network as part of our Time to Act study into the impact of RSC rehearsal room approaches on children’s writing and language skills.

She designed a research project looking at the impact of active approaches in two Year 3 classes (ages 7-8) across two school sites, which concluded that formal assessment measures don’t always meet the diverse needs of pupils, and active approaches can improve pupils’ writing outputs, showing significant differences in both vocabulary and grammar.

READ THE REPORT
York Theatre Royal | Acomb Primary School

"Shakespeare was massive. It was huge to him. He had felt disconnected from the rest of the class but at the festival…they were all working together. He had a job to do with everyone else and they were all part of a group" Mum of student at Acomb Primary School, York

York Theatre Royal has been an RSC Associate Theatre Partner since 2016, collaborating with local schools in the region.

Acomb Primary School is a school for 4-11 year olds based in York. It’s moto ‘Putting Children First - Always Aiming High’ underpins everything it does. Here, teacher Cathryn Jackson, recalls the impact that being part of the annual Playmaking Festival had on one particular child.

READ THE CASE STUDY
Mayflower | Havant and South Downs College

"Shakespeare was no longer a barrier to them, but a platform for their own creative voices" Teacher, Havant and South Downs College, Hampshire

Havant and South Downs College (HSDC) joined the Associate Schools Programme in 2024. The college is one of the largest educational communities in the region, serving around 7,500 students equating to around a third of all 16-18 year-olds in the area.

WATCH THE VIDEO READ THE CASE STUDY

OUR EVIDENCE BASE

The 20-year evidence base we have built through our partnership work with schools and theatres is irrefutable and robust. It proves the very real difference that an arts rich education makes to a child’s life and learning outcomes.

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Time To Listen (2018)

This study questioned over 5,500 state educated young people, who consistently told us that - while they deeply value the arts as a vehicle for developing agency, critical thinking, processing emotions and boosting well-being - the message they receive from others and society at large is that the arts are of little value to them.

The study also revealed that a third of the students only ever accessed the arts through school.

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Time To Act (2024)

This major research study revealed that the combination of Shakespeare’s plays and language, and the RSC’s teaching approaches significantly accelerated and improved language and writing skills.

It also positively contributed towards children’s wider social, emotional and academic development.

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DCMS Youth Survey Report Pilot (2024)

Key findings included lower participation rates in arts/cultural activities among young people in the most deprived IDACI (Index Deprivation Affecting Children Index) quintile.

Only 56% of young people in the most deprived areas participated, compared to 76% in the least deprived areas.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT
CLA Report Card (2025)

In the Cultural Learning Alliance’s second annual Report Card, findings include: where a child grows up, and their family’s socioeconomic status, are significant social determinants in whether or not they will pursue Expressive Arts options from the age of 14.

This clear socioeconomic disparity in young people’s access is refered to as an ‘Arts entitlement gap’.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT
Rapid Evidence Reviews (2026)

With the Cultural Learning Alliance (CLA), we co-commissioned Rapid Evidence Reviews (RERs) on the value of Dance, Drama, Music and Art, Craft and Design in education.

Findings suggest that Arts Education has tangible, often transformative, effects on children and young people’s skills, knowledge, identity, engagement, agency and wellbeing. However, research gaps remain.

Our RER Summary Report, written by Professor Pat Thomson, calls for more rigorous research into these vital educational experiences and the establishment of an Arts Education Evidence Hub – a digital platform for the collection, curation, and dissemination of valuable research and evaluation data related to Arts Education.

FIND OUT MORE

DISCOVER OUR RESEARCH

KEY FINDINGS

Our key findings are that the arts are an essential entitlement for all children, and that all children, irrespective of background, should have an arts rich education, which offers the following lifechanging benefits:

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Improved educational attainment
Improved language development, cognitive engagement, critical thinking and creativity
Improved wellbeing, resilience and emotional literacy
Improved relationship with school and attitudes to learning
Improved self-belief and belonging
Closes the gap between children from the most advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds

We know that young people who experience an arts rich education do better at school, are more likely to go to university, get a job and become happier, healthier, more active, engaged citizens.

“I can’t remember what I was like as a teacher before I did this.
I’ve been utterly transformed.”

Teacher feedback on Associate Learning Practitioner training

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Over the past 20 years, our understanding of partnership has changed profoundly.

This programme no longer belongs to the RSC alone; it belongs to the schools, teachers, young people and regional theatres who have shaped it with us. That is perhaps its greatest strength.

Together, we have learnt a lot, and will be sharing what the next chapter looks like in due course.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

For 20 years, our extraordinary partners have shown us just what’s possible when educators and artists work together.

Now we celebrate that 20-year story and the partnerships we’ve built together.

Tomorrow is about sharing the lessons we’ve learnt and empowering more schools and arts organisations to do the same - so that every child, in every postcode, has the chance to unlock their potential and thrive.

With heartfelt thanks to every leader, teacher, theatre practitioner, artist and young person that we have worked with over the years. Without you, the last 20 years would not have been possible.

OUR THEATRE PARTNERS OUR SCHOOL PARTNERS