Shakespeare and his works are one of the most important cultural symbols of Britain, and it has gained worldwide popularity as a benchmark for the world of theatre. It is worth noting that for centuries, beginning with the 1597 production of Henry IV (Part 1) in UK, Shakespeare’s classic plays have been staged across Britain without interruption. In particular, Shakespeare has been actively performed in the UK since the turn of the century and It is still a popular staple of British theatre productions. So I think such case is worth researching and learning from in depth.
In my explorations, I have found that the spread of Shakespeare was driven by two main levels, one at the national level and the other at the social level.
National level
- Much of Shakespeare’s life was spent during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. The period gave rise to many fine poets, and playwrights and Shakespeare is one of these representatives. In addition, the popularity of English was an important reason for the wide dissemination of Shakespeare. The development of Shakespeare enriched English as a language, while the global spread of the English language contributed to the spread of Shakespearean play.
- Shakespeare flourished in Britain not only because of the British tradition of academic and artistic creative freedom, but also because of the good cultural management mechanisms of the British government, which supported the development of Shakespeare. For example, The UK government’s three-tier system of cultural governance and England’s Council funding management.
- In addition to strong support for professional theatre practitioners, the UK government also places great importance on the development of young theatre talent. The government also places great emphasis on the development of young theatre talent. Drama In Education is very common in the UK, from primary and secondary schools to universities, and even adult and special education. The UK Department for Education has not only given drama the status of a separate subject, but has also given detailed instructions on the aims and approaches to drama education at different stages. This has played a crucial role in the spread of Shakespeare among young people.
- Spreading Shakespearean culture through the power of public diplomacy. Examples include Shakespeare at the London Olympics, the worldwide Shakespeare Festival, and the Shakespeare exhibition at the British Library.
Social Level
- While supportive government policies have provided a solid backing for the preservation and development of Shakespeare, it is a number of private related institutions that actually put the policies into practice and carry out the actual operation of the dissemination of Shakespeare. The private sector organisations working on Shakespeare can be divided into a number of categories: firstly, general institutions such as the Shakespeare Birthplace Foundation and the British Shakespeare Association; secondly, Shakespeare-centred theatre organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Globe Theatre; and thirdly, departments within academic and publishing institutions specialising in Shakespearean studies such as the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham, the Stratford-upon-Avon College, Cambridge University Press, and the Shakespeare Research Centres set up in countless universities. centres in countless universities.