ACS Hillingdon build confidence with Shakespeare

ACS Hillingdon students were encouraged to hone their sophisticated performing arts techniques at this year’s Shakespeare Schools Foundation Festival.

At the annual event, ACS Hillingdon students preformed a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Comedy of Errors at the Beck Theatre in Hayes, alongside other local schools as part of the world’s largest youth drama festival.

The Shakespeare Schools Foundation is a cultural education charity that sees young people take on the challenge of performing abridged Shakespeare plays on professional stages. “I used to think Shakespeare was really hard to memorise and perform, but after taking part in the Shakespeare Festival, I found it a really rewarding challenge to achieve something that I might not have had the confidence to do before,” commented Tim Lennon, International Baccalaureate Diploma Literature and Performance student.

Following the festival, a number of IB Diploma Literature and Performance students from ACS, also presented scenes and soliloquies to the school community. The performance took place in the ACS Hillingdon auditorium, which has recently had new retractable seating fitted to offer an improved view of the recently enlarged stage. Alyssa Ballard, International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Literature and Performance Teacher, Academic Principal, comments: Through exposure to the Performing Arts, this programme supports our students’ to develop a well-rounded set of skills, such as teamwork, confidence and collaborative skills – helping to prepare them to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.