latest news

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Wowzers! Our first official selection for Hedgehog at the 2024 London Independent Film Festival, taking place at Genesis cinema in April (date TBC). What a great place to start our festival journey. Congratulations to all our wonderful cast and crew.

With post production complete, our short film Hedgehog made with support from our partners at the Childhood Tumour Trust, is now in submission at leading UK and US festivals. Here's our lovely poster designed by Josh Crumpler at crumpler.studio.

Rakie had a successful night at the BAFTA Cymru Awards, held at the Celtic Manor Resort & Conference Centre, Newport UK, taking home her second and third BAFTA Awards for Best Actress  for her role in season 2 of The Pact (BBC) and the prestigious Siân Phillips Award for services to television.

Photo: Hoda Davaine

Hedgehog wrapped after five fabulous days of filming. Thank you to all our wonderful cast and crew for making this such a fun and smooth shoot.

Rakie was presented with the BAFTA Best Supporting Actress Award by Sanjiv Baskar for her brilliant performance in Jimmy McGovern's Anthony (BBC). This year's event was restricted due to the ongoing Covid pandemic.

Photo: David M Bennett

Sheila Atim was awarded the 2019 Screen Nation Award for best Female Performance in a Film, held at the Mayfair Hotel, for her wonderful performances as Viola and Sebastian, Shakespeare's shipwrecked twins in Twelfth Night.

Earlier in the evening Rakie was nominated for the Independent Spirit of Film Production award for her role as Executive Producer on Twelfth Night.

We are delighted to be on the guest list at the LATE & BFI Education Winter Conference  on December 7th. We will be presenting our Twelfth Night viewtorials with a special focus on our KS3 offer.

Shanty co-founder Rakie Ayola is now a Doctor of Literature. On Monday July 22nd she was awarded an Honorary Degree by Warwick University for her services to Shakespeare and the performing arts. In an inspirational speech, Rakie referred to her early fear and dislike of Shakespeare, even at drama school.

"I was cast as Lady Macbeth. A decision I found so cruel and contrary, I sank to the floor and promptly burst into tears. What I couldn't have imagined is how I would learn to love Shakespeare to the extent that performing and producing his work would dramatically colour my life."

Thanks to all who attended the special screening of Twelfth Night at the 2019 British Shakespeare Association annual conference in Swansea on July 20th.  A special one hour edit was very warmly received and was followed by a preview of our schools viewtorials and a Q&A with Director Adam Smethurst chaired by Dr Jami Rogers from Warwick University.

We're very busy putting the finishing touches to our KS3 Twelfth Night viewtorials and worksheets. 

RELEASE DATE NOVEMBER 1st. Here's our piece on the guest blog at MrCarlWoodward.com - home site of theatre blogger and reviewer Carl Woodward. 

Thanks Carl.

https://www.mrcarlwoodward.com/blog1/guest-blog-shanty-productions-access-to-the-arts-has-become-a-question-of-means-and-privilege

We recently had the great privilege and pleasure of taking  part in the inaugural Leigh Academy Blackheath Literary Festival. The response from staff and pupils was fantastic. 

Thank you for such a warm welcome.

"It's hard to understand Shakespeare's language sometimes and the viewtorials really helped translate what he was actually saying so we'd understand."

Year 7 Pupil

"The viewtorials allow for students very quickly to get up to speed in terms of the plot in a way that maintains the beauty of Shakespeare's original language"

Dan Morrison, Assistant Principal & English Lead, Leigh Academy Blackheath

"I liked how Sam & Doms came in between the videos because it gave us a clearer understanding and it made it entertaining as well so we'd be more engaged."

Year 7 Pupil