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Students from across the UK and from every school type take part in the world’s largest youth drama festival this autumn, run by Shakespeare Schools Foundation.

The cultural education charity Shakespeare Schools Foundation has recruited 1,008 schools across the country to perform as part of its annual Festival. The students, the latest cohort of a record 280,000 young people to have participated in the Festival since it began, will get the chance to perform abridged Shakespeare plays in one of 136 professional theatres nationwide.

292 performance nights will take place throughout the UK between 16th October and 8th December. Up to 30,000 students will step onto their local stage after months of preparation and do something really brave: perform in front of a paying audience in a professional theatre.

The experience can give young people confidence and self esteem to last a lifetime. As a result of the Festival, 97% of teachers say their students work better together as a team and that their students' confidence increases. 100% of special school teachers say that their students exceed expectations.

Taking part in the Festival leaves a real legacy. Chief Executive Ruth Brock says:

Every workplace needs people who are confident and can work as a team and every community needs people who can get on with other people of very different backgrounds. Taking part in the Festival teaches these things - and, crucially, it helps young people make friends and have fun.

Jack, a 2016 participant, told us how the Festival helped him:

I have made a lot of friends around school now and am a lot calmer and happier. I have learned that there is nothing to be ashamed of. I am proud of what I achieved.

The Festival brings over 65,000 people from the local community to the theatre. Of these, 43% say they had never been to their local theatre before.

To find a local performance visit https://www.shakespeareschools.org/the-festival/whats-on.