Educational Bursary

The Shakespeare Club of Stratford-upon-Avon Bursary was set up in 2024 to mark the 200th anniversary of the club’s foundation. It will run annually from 2024 to 2026.

 

This education bursary is a competition offering students at UK universities the opportunity to apply for up to £300 to pay for travel and accommodation to enable them to visit Stratford and carry out research at the town’s theatre, libraries and archive establishments. In return the Club invites successful candidates to come to a club meeting and share their findings with members once their studies are completed.

 

The details are shared with University and Colleges and put on this website and the club’s Facebook page when the application window opens. Students studying under-graduate and post-graduate courses in any subject are encouraged to apply. The only requirement is that their studies engage with the works and/or life of William Shakespeare in some way and a visit to Stratford will enable them to progress their research in a way that cannot be done from elsewhere.

 

Applications are judged by members of the committee. For 2025 particular interest was taken in the viability of the proposed research plan, the Shakespeare connection, whether the work could only be done in Stratford and how interesting club members will find their research when the successful candidate eventually come and talks to the club.

 

2024 Award

In July 2024 three applicants shared the bursary. All three were from Birmingham University. One received £200 to investigate Shakespeare’s tragic legacy in ‘Sad Girl’ aesthetics, another received £75 to study the ‘musical call to adventure’ in ‘Pericles’ and the final one received £50 to examine representations of skin on Shakespeare’s stage.

 

2025 Award

In January 2025 one award of £300 was made to a student from Lancaster University who is researching Shakespearian Comedy from the interdisciplinary perspective of creative bibliotherapy.

 

2026 Award

The timetable for the 2026 award has been amended to enable more students to take part. The award will be open to students studying in the 2026/27 academic year. The details of how to apply will be published in December with a closing date for applications in February 2027. The Award will be made in early March.