Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation (CSSF) supports schools through programmes such as Shakespeare Schools Theatre Festival and Shakespeare Schools International Film Festival, to produce abridged Shakespeare plays in professional venues and online across the UK and internationally.supports schools to perform abridged Shakespeare plays in professional venues across the UK.
Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation and Arts Award have developed bespoke resources for teachers to use in their classroom with pupils. See our mapping resources.
To run Arts Award with CSSF, you will need to go through the following steps:
1. Ensure you have an Arts Award Adviser trained at the appropriate level, and register your school as a centre
2. Pick your play
3. Begin planning your CSSF programme with Arts Award, using the mapping documents to support
4. Have your Teacher Director workshops. Plan the practical issues such as checking how you will monitor students' evidencing and planning activities to help prepare for their leadership activities
5. Your company have a workshop and support students' evidencing of the company workshop and performance night in relation to the evidence requirements and assessment criteria for the level they are completing
6. Perform at a local theatre with other schools.
For further advice, guidance and support on how to link the programmes, contact the Arts Award team.
As part of our partnership with Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation we are offering a discounted rate to all schools and partner arts organisations who are running Arts Award as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival. This discount is available for all levels of Arts Award, and will run until 31 May 2027.
The discount available is:
Use the discount count SSF24 and follow the steps below to claim the discount.
Terms and Conditions:
1. To qualify for the discount rate, young people must be entered for their award no later than 31 May 2027
2. The specified steps* must be completed when entering young people to secure the discount, otherwise normal fees will apply
3. Trinity reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time
4. No cash alternative will be offered
*Steps to secure the discount:
i. Provide young people's details via the Centre Portal as normal, enter the discount code (SSF24) in the 'Comments' box but don’t press ‘Submit’
ii. Email Trinity to request that the discount is applied to the total fee. In the email, please tell us your centre name and the level you’re entering young people for.
iii. Trinity will process the order, adjust the fee in line with the advertised discount level and generate the invoice. You will receive the invoice automatically via email once the order is processed.
If you have any questions please email the team or check out the Arts Award Help Centre.
Schools who participate in the Shakespeare Schools Festival can also certify their work through Trinity's Plays in Production assessments. Trinity’s Plays in Production certification is a group assessment for plays performed to a public audience. Productions are assessed as a whole and everyone involved in the production is awarded a certificate. Your SSF production may be entered at any level from Grade 1 to Grade 8 dependent on the age and standard of the cast and crew. Your school must be registered with the Shakespeare Schools Festival to get involved.