Annual Report 2011

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust © 2012Registered Charity Number 209302

‘I cannot describe the feeling that gripped me. Was it the place where Shakespeare was born or the place where the whole world of the mind everywhere was born?’Visitor from India

Annual Report2011

1 | Annual Report 2011

2011 has been an exceptionally successful year in which we have been at the forefront in promoting and defending Shakespeare’s legacy.

I was delighted and honoured to join the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust as Trustee and Chairman in June 2011 – a year in which we were rarely out of the news.

Our Authorship Campaign, launched to defend Shakespeare as the true writer of his works, attracted worldwide media coverage as well as the support of leading writers, academics and Shakespeare enthusiasts including HRH the Prince of Wales and Stephen Fry.

China’s interest in Shakespeare continues to grow and was spotlighted when Premier Wen Jiabao made a visit to the Birthplace his first stop on a trade visit to Britain in June. He was received by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt, and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Director and President. Premier Wen spoke, in front of global media, about the importance of cultural exchange in bringing nations closer together. The popularity of Shakespeare in China suggests huge opportunities to the Trust and Director Diana Owen has made two visits there this year to start to build on that interest.

In February we unveiled our newly acquired copy of the Cobbe Portrait at The Changing Face of William Shakespeare exhibition at the Morgan Library in New York. It is thought to be the earliest copy of the Cobbe Portrait and would have been painted in Shakespeare’s lifetime. Forty-five thousand people visited the exhibition which featured in the media across North America.

At home, we were delighted to record our highest visitor numbers for many years. In 2011 the five Shakespeare Houses attracted more than 804,000 visits, with people coming from over 130 countries. I would like to thank all the staff and volunteers for their enthusiasm and hard work and commend them for the high visitor satisfaction scores.

After 20 years as Chairman, Professor Stanley Wells CBE became our first Honorary President. We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Stanley for his tireless and on-going commitment to the Trust and Shakespeare.

The Trust is a unique organisation with an impressive heritage and an abundance of riches in its historic houses, in its Collections and in its people. I look forward to steering the Trust through an ambitious development programme over the coming years.

Peter Kyle OBEChairman, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

From the Chairman

Premier Wen Jiabao of China visiting the Birthplace in June.

Stanley Wells hands over the chairmanship of the Trust to Peter Kyle. Portrait of Stanley Wells by Antony Sher.

The Cobbe Portrait, shown here, travelled to America with our own Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Portrait for The Changing Face of William Shakespeare exhibition at the Morgan Library in New York.

A year of exponential growth of our international digital outreach. Over 125,000 people from 170 countries visited our blogs.

Promoting Shakespeare around the world is as important an objective for the Trust as looking after the Shakespeare Houses in Stratford-upon-Avon and caring for our internationally important and designated Collections.

In 2011 we inspired audiences from around the world with Shakespeare’s works through our rapidly expanding digital channels. We developed our first ever digital course: Getting to Know Shakespeare, targeted at the general Shakespeare enthusiast and created new blogs showcasing the specialist work at each of the houses. We will expand even further this activity in 2012 including developing specialist online teaching resources.

Our Collections team curated the highly successful exhibition A History of the RSC in 50 Objects – celebrating 50 years of the Royal Shakespeare Company through 50 objects chosen from the RSC/Trust Collections. In 2012, the team is collaborating with the RSC and British Museum on Shakespeare’s Stories as part of the World Shakespeare Festival, and will develop a programme of Inspired by Shakespeare events with the aim of bringing new audiences to Shakespeare.

Volunteering opportunities at the Trust continue to flourish. Over 400 volunteers gave more than 25,000 hours to the Trust. We could not continue to operate without this invaluable support.

We are delighted that the increase in visitor numbers has helped to make us more financially sustainable. The next few years offer once in a lifetime opportunities to inspire and engage with more people. In 2012 the World Shakespeare Festival forms a key part of the Cultural Olympiad. 2014 will be the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth and 2016 will be the 400th anniversary of his death. We are already developing ambitious plans for these years, including increasing our events, exhibitions and performance programmes, enhancing the presentation at the Shakespeare Houses and carrying out vital conservation works.

I would like to thank all our visitors, friends, partners and donors for supporting the ongoing work of the Trust. We are a charity and receive no public funding so are extremely grateful to all our visitors and supporters who enable everything we do. We will continue to actively seek support for our activities from a range of sources in 2012 and beyond.

Dr Diana OwenDirector, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Annual Report 2011 | 2

From the Director

Costumes on display at Hall’s Croft in the A History of the RSC in 50 Objects exhibition.

Highlights of 2011


JanuaryA new identity and rebrand unifies the look of the Trust across our sites, literature and website.

FebruaryThe Changing Face of William Shakespeare exhibition opens at the Morgan Library. Our newly acquired portrait is on loan for its first public viewing.

MarchThe Great Shakespeare Debate, sponsored by George Pragnell Ltd, is hotly contested by 12 finalist teams and won by Chew Valley School.

April Launch of the livingshakespeare.com video blog capturing nearly 200 individual stories of pilgrimage from across the world.

JulyDiana Owen is awarded the Yamani Medal by the Iqbal Academy in recognition of her work to build bridges between communities by celebrating the links between William Shakespeare and Dr Sir Muhammad Iqbal.

AugustBBC’s National Treasures Live is filmed at Dig for Shakespeare and broadcast to an audience of millions.

SeptemberOur online conference 60 Minutes with Shakespeare featuring contributions from HRH the Prince of Wales, Stephen Fry and Janet Suzman affirms Shakespeare as the author of his plays.

OctoberAs the film Anonymous reaches the UK, Shakespeare’s name disappears from pub and street signs up and down the country highlighting the potential impact of the film’s attempt to re-write history. Worldwide media coverage reaches over 25 million people.

Record visitor numbers 804,000 visitors to the Houses 11,000 students took our courses55 crews filmed at Trust properties125,000 people enjoyed our blogs

We welcomed more than 804,000 visitors from at least 130 countries, representing around two-thirds of the officially recognised countries in the world. We saw significant growth and increasing interest from the emerging BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China).

The weak pound continued to encourage international visitors with the message that a trip to the UK has never been better value for money really hitting home. In the UK the ‘staycation’ and day trip market has been thriving.


MayVisitors join in the merry-making and enjoy entertainment from Shakespeare’s time at the Tudor Festival at Mary Arden’s Farm including the popular goat races.

JuneChina’s Premier Wen starts his UK visit with a personal pilgrimage to Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Since his visit the bench he sat on has become an attraction in its own right for many Chinese visitors.

NovemberWe are awarded the prestigious Sandford Award by the Heritage Education Trust for each of our Primary School courses.

DecemberWe welcomed more than 804,000 visitors at the Shakespeare Houses & Gardens this year from 130 countries.

2011

2010

Shakespeare’s Birthplace

2011

2010

Nash’s House & New Place

2011

2010

Hall’s Croft

2011

2010

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

2011

2010

Mary Arden’s Farm

383,649

362,938

98,838

94,645

88,425

78,046

159,271

155,841

73,936

70,414

Nash’s House & New PlaceA second season of archaeological fieldwork was undertaken at the site of New Place, Shakespeare’s home between 1597 and 1616. This popular project, co-ordinated by Birmingham Archaeology, is open to the public and staffed by volunteers. Its purpose is to interpret the structures preserved on site and recover evidence of Shakespeare’s occupation. The Dig will enter its final season in 2012.

6,000 children took part in archaeological projects.

Thanks to a partnership with BBC Hands on History, family archaeology activities were offered during the summer holidays with fantastic feedback from younger visitors.

Following the Dig last year, the Knot Garden was reinstated to its former glory. Seven tonnes of top soil, 700 special box plants and numerous hedging herbs have transformed the site.


The Shakespeare Houses & GardensHall’s Croft

A remarkable increase in visitors of 13%.

Hall’s Croft became one of the venues for the exhibition A History of the RSC in 50 Objects which contributed to a remarkable increase in visitors of 13% compared to 2010.

Towards the end of the year we began emergency conservation work on structural timbers to combat the damage caused by rot and death watch beetle infestation. This conservation work is being carried out in 2012.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Visitors were encouraged to get in on the act and become part of the performance.

Feedback from our visitors once again put Shakespeare Aloud! as the highlight of their visit.

‘I visited with my young friend Otto, who has Down’s Syndrome.He thought that Shakespeare Aloud! were terrific. They made the whole experience for Otto welcoming and involving.’ In the autumn work started on the expansion of the shop to incorporate the Shakespeare Bookshop. The new shop and café are being introduced in 2012.


Anne Hathaway’s CottageVolunteers joined the team at the Cottage for the first time in 2011, enhancing the visitor experience in every area. From room hosts to a costumed presence outdoors, volunteers contributed magnificently to the visitor welcome.

Puppet shows and workshops proved a great success with visitors.

A new exhibition And Thereby Hangs a Tale was launched by Loyd Grossman in September in partnership with the Churches Conservation Trust. This popular exhibition examined the question of where Shakespeare may have married and has paved the way for a rolling programme of changing exhibitions at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in the future.

Mary Arden’s FarmOur re-enactment of life on a Tudor farm continues to attract a family audience. The ever popular Tudor Festival was staged again in May followed by a Tudor Hiring Fair in the summer and Apple Days in October.

Everything produced on the farm goes into the house and kitchen.

Keeping our resident Tudors fed and watered during 2011 used 35 lbs of butter, 45 lbs of lard, 130 lbs of flour, 500 pints of pottage, 300 loaves and 400 pints of ale.

We introduced more rare breeds to add to the authentic Tudor experience including two Hereford heifers, which are being trained as draught oxen, Cotswold and Portland ewes and Dark Dorking poultry.

Our Collections2011 saw the introduction of a new Access and Interpretation team which is focused on providing opportunities to enjoy our designated Collections. We continue to collaborate closely with the RSC on caring for and interpreting our jointly held Collections. We are grateful to the Gatsby Charitable Trust for its ongoing support of the RSC Collections.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has become one of the first heritage organisations to achieve Accreditation under a new scheme which sets nationally agreed standards for UK museums. Collections Manager Paul Webb delivered a presentation to museum leaders at the Museums Association Conference in October, and a case study compiled by the Trust will also be used as an example of best practice by Arts Council England.

Michael Bogdanov’s papers

We are profoundly grateful to theatre director Michael Bogdanov for the gift of his personal archive.

The papers span over 40 years and include prompt-books, reviews, rehearsal notes, programmes, scripts for his television work and notes for his published volumes.

They will provide an invaluable resource for researchers of late 20th-century theatre and provide a great counterpoint to the RSC Collections already in our care.

We will be seeking funding to catalogue and digitise these papers as part of a wider drive to make the Collections more accessible for researchers.

Mareike Doleschal, Collections Librarian, talks about checking early printed books for conservation treatment.

‘With the help of our volunteer Stephen Sharp, I have been looking at each book in our rare book collection and listing those which show signs of damage. This ranges from loose pages and detached covers to more severe ripped and torn pages, water damage and splitting spines. We recorded the bibliographic details of each book and a description of its condition. Over 350 books require various forms of conservation including the 1565 edition of Cinthio’s De Gli Hecatommithi, source text for Othello, the 1714 edition of Rowe’s Complete Works, a 1611 Tudor cookery book bound in vellum, Edward Topsell’s Historie of four footed beastes, the 1636 edition of Gerard’s Herball (right) and most important of all a Fourth Folio, severely damaged with torn and loose pages.’

This work has been partly funded with a legacy. In 2012 we will be seeking further funding towards this project.


Caring for our rare books

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust portrait comes home following its showing in America.

Inspiring people through our Collections

Collaborative exhibition with the RSC In collaboration with the RSC A History of the RSC in 50 Objects, explored 50 years of the RSC’s history through 50 objects representing 50 iconic productions. The exhibition was shown in three venues in Stratford; the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Nash’s House and Hall’s Croft. The display included paintings and posters, costumes, accessories, designs and prompt-books.

Visitor feedback about the exhibition has been very positive; the most popular object being David Tennant’s costume from Hamlet (2008).

Garrick Handkerchief. This linen artefact satirises the Garrick Jubilee of 1769. It features a central depiction of Stratford-upon-Avon and Jubilee revellers taken in a storm.


Shakespeare Bytes

Visitors will be able to explore the town with the aid of five different virtual guides.

Our new iPhone app will use the latest mobile phone technology including augmented reality and QR scanning to create unique walking tours of Stratford-upon-Avon. Taking in ten key sites including all five Shakespeare Houses and over 150 newly digitised treasures from the Trust’s Collections, the app lends a richness and personality to five centuries of local history.

The project is being developed in partnership with Coventry University, Hewlett Packard and Danwood and is part funded by the Technology Strategy Board.

Fore edge painting on a 1823 edition of Shakespeare’s Complete Works.

One of the highlights of the 58th Stratford Poetry Festival was the Young Peoples Poetry evening.

Schools and universities‘Lively, engaging and entertaining. Thoroughly knowledgeable, thoughtful and academic talks with great detail from the plays. Highly recommend.’Alderley Edge School for Girls

We welcomed groups from around the UK and from much further afield including schools from Malta, Singapore, New Zealand and the USA.

A new joint workshop for schools, developed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Is All Our Company Met? has been launched and we have worked with Integrate Bristol and Sandwell and Dudley Local Education Authorities on innovative educational projects.

Over 11,000 children, students and adult enthusiasts attended one of our courses and events this year in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Families and informal learning‘Interactive ‘Dig It’ staff were fabulous at encouraging, getting stuck in, explaining and inspiring. Thank you.’Visitor to Dig for Shakespeare

The family activities offered in the tents at New Place to complement the archaeological dig proved a great success with children and adults alike.

We continued to offer a regular programme of short courses and lectures for adult learners and enthusiasts. The popular Living Shakespeare and Winter School courses were particularly well attended.


Learning with the TrustHeritage educationIn July we were delighted to be granted a Sandford Award by the Heritage Education Trust for each of our Primary School courses. The Sandford Award assessors looked across all our activity and told us:

‘These programmes are sharply focused on bringing this quintessentially English heritage to life in interesting, practical and creative ways. The richness of the properties and artefacts owned and cared for by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust makes for a particularly special learning experience.’

‘Yet again a super workshop pitched at just the right level.’ Radbrook Primary School, Shrewsbury

Scholarships and research

We enabled 22 young scholars to attend the International Shakespeare Association’s conference in Prague.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust provided £13,000 in grant subsidy which enabled the attendance of 22 young scholars and academics from Argentina, Romania, Hungary, India, Russia, Poland, and Chile. The 22 grant winners created an online community even before the conference began and posted blogs on www.bloggingshakespeare.com in advance of the meeting, and have continued to since.

Louis Marder scholarshipThe Louis Marder scholarship was awarded to Ollie Jones from the University of York. This annual £1,000 scholarship is awarded to a worthy Shakespearian currently pursuing a PhD or similar study who produces a literary, historical or biographical research paper about William Shakespeare using the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Library or Archives. Ollie’s paper explores the Stratford Guildhall as a performance space.

Collaborations with the University of BirminghamTwo new posts at the Trust jointly sponsored by the University of Birmingham, Shakespeare Institute are a doctoral student exploring developments in the field of material culture and a Research Fellow working to transform digital access to the Collections by exploring the use of and attitudes to online Shakespeare content.

The Digital Cops and Robbers: Communities of Practice and the Transformation of Research project led by the University of Birmingham, will involve Trust staff and Collections in a joint investigation into the effect of digital technologies on research perspectives and methodologies. This research project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Annual Report 2011 | 10Five schools from Bristol wrote and produced a film about a time travelling boy meeting Shakespeare in a collaborative project with Integrate Bristol.

PublicationsReviewing Shakespearian Theatre: The State of the Art, ed. by Paul Edmondson, Paul Prescott, and Peter J. Smith, a special issue of the journal Shakespeare based on an international conference hosted by the Trust in 2009.

Shakespeare Off the Record by Paul Edmondson and Stanley Wells, first published as Coffee with Shakespeare (London: Watkins Publishing, 2011).

Several articles by Paul Edmondson in Around the Globe magazine.

‘The Limitations of the First Folio’, Paul Edmondson and Stanley Wells in Shakespeare without Boundaries: Essays in Honour of Dieter Mehl, ed. by Christa Jansohn, Lena Cowen Orlin, and Stanley Wells (Newark: University of Delaware Press, 2011).

‘Harriet Walter’, Paul Edmondson, and ‘Judi Dench’, Stanley Wells, The Routledge Companion to Actors’ Shakespeare, ed. by John Russell Brown (Abingdon: Routledge, 2011).

Several articles by Stanley Wells in The Stage, The New York Review of Books and The Times Literary Supplement.

‘Shakespeare Societies’, Nick Walton for the forthcoming Cambridge World Shakespeare Encyclopedia.

‘Strategic Collections Management’, Paul Webb, Museums and the Disposal Debate (Edinburgh: Museums Etc, 2011).

Digital Publications60minuteswithShakespeare.com, ed. by Paul Edmondson.

GettingtoKnowShakespeare.com, Paul Edmondson.

Articles on Shakespeare’s authorship for The Guardian blog by Paul Edmondson.

Shakespeare Bites Back, Stanley Wells and Paul Edmondson.

ConferencesLos Angeles, May: Paul Edmondson was a guest speaker at the Shakespeare Symposium 2011 in University College.

Prague, July: Stanley Wells, Paul Edmondson, Diana Owen and Nick Walton attended the ninth World Shakespeare Congress. The keynote address was given by Stanley Wells. Paul Edmondson co-led a seminar with the University of Utrecht’s Paul Franssen.

Shanghai, October: Diana Owen and Paul Edmondson were guest speakers at the International Shakespeare Forum.

Brighton, October: Collections Manager Paul Webb delivered a presentation to museums leaders at the Museums Association Conference.

Venice, October: Stanley Wells and Paul Edmondson spoke to the Circolo Britannica about Shakespeare’s authorship.

Rotterdam, December: A conference paper entitled The Business of Partnerships was given on behalf of the Trust and the University of Birmingham, at the Digital Strategies for Heritage Conference: http://www.dish2011.nl/ by David Hopes.

2016 ISA World Shakespeare Congress to come to Stratford:We are delighted that the tenth World Shakespeare Congress in 2016 will be hosted in Stratford-upon-Avon following a successful bid submitted by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in partnership with the RSC, Shakespeare Institute, King’s College London and Shakespeare’s Globe.

Publications and conferences Members of the Research and Learning teams collaborated on publications and attended conferences as listed below.


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Campaigns and outreachReaching out to the world USA, China, Russia: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust goes global in 2011.

Portrait unveiled in New York 45,000 people saw the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Portrait, an early 17th-century copy of the Cobbe Portrait, when it was loaned to the Morgan Library in New York for The Changing Face of William Shakespeare exhibition.

Diana Owen, Stanley Wells and Paul Edmondson, Head of Research and Knowledge, took part in a number of lectures and events in New York City during the exhibition’s opening week. Our thanks are due to the American Friends of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the English Speaking Union and the Shakespeare Guild of America for hosting and supporting these events.

Celebrating Europe’s literary geniuses in Russia Shakespeare Aloud! and members of the Collections and Learning teams took part in the Garden of Geniuses festival in Russia which celebrates the seven literary geniuses of Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Goethe, Hugo, Joyce and Dante. The Shakespeare extracts performed by members of our Shakespeare Aloud! company were so well received that many audience members removed the headphones providing a translation of the text to hear the words of Shakespeare as they were intended with a rhythm and flow.

Discovering China’s great writer Tang Xianzu Director Diana Owen visited China twice this year and is developing a partnership to celebrate the anniversaries of Shakespeare and Tang Xianzu who also died in 1616.

‘I was bowled over by the warmth and hospitality of my Chinese hosts and their enthusiasm for Shakespeare, Churchill and the Royal Family! It was wonderful to visit a less well known region of China – Suichang – home to their great writer Tang Xianzu and to take part in a Spring Sowing Ceremony which Tang Xianzu himself would have known in the 16th century. Our own Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations seem tame by comparison.’ Diana Owen

The Authorship Campaign‘What if I told you that Shakespeare never wrote a single word?’ says Derek Jacobi in the film Anonymous that was released in the UK in September 2011.

Realising the huge potential that blockbuster Hollywood film Anonymous would give us to promote Shakespeare to new audiences, we launched a campaign in defence of William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Our online conference 60 Minutes with Shakespeare was launched in September. Featuring 60 one minute sound clips from scholars, authors, actors and Shakespearians including HRH the Prince of Wales, actor Stephen Fry and actor/director Janet Suzman, it attracted over 42,000 “listens” and 12,000 page views in just three days.

On 25 October the statue of Shakespeare in Stratford was covered, Shakespeare County signs had the word ‘Shakespeare’ temporarily removed and Shakespeare pubs up and down the country covered their signs.

This graphic illustration of a world without Shakespeare attracted phenomenal media coverage reaching approximately 25 million people in what can only be described as an incredible success. This campaign has subsequently won a number of media awards.

Stanley Wells and Paul Edmondson co-authored our first e-book, a polemical essay Shakespeare Bites Back. This has been downloaded over 20,299 times across 156 countries.

A sculpture of Shakespeare by artist Leonty Usov was presented to the Trust. It is made from Siberian pine, native to Usov’s home in Tomsk, Russia.

‘Listening to #60mins with Shakespeare. 60 scholars, 1 min each, on Shakes Biography. Great stuff’ http://60-minutes.bloggingshakespeare.com/’ @PhillyPoeGuy

‘Mr @stephenfry’s defence of Shakespeare is rather wonderful. Sign up here to listen http://bit.ly/oO5Wu5 #60Mins’ @DaintyBallerina

Shakespeare OnlineYou no longer have to make a journey to Stratford-upon-Avon to be part of the Birthplace experience.

We have seen huge growth in digital outreach thanks to our on-going partnership with Misfit Inc. Over the course of 2011 three new blogs were added:• LivingShakespeare.com which captures stories of

pilgrimage to the Birthplace• MaryArdensFarm.com ‘blogging since the plague’• RememberingShakespeare.com from the New Place

team which tackles issues of Shakespeare’s biography.

Together with the previously established and phenomenally successful BloggingShakespeare.com and FindingShakespeare.co.uk, these blog sites are engaging new audiences from across the world and enabling us to showcase our work and Collections to people who cannot visit Stratford as well as those who can.

Blogging Shakespeare led the campaign to defend Shakespeare’s authorship and the growth in popularity of these sites is a direct result of the success of this activity.

Staff and volunteers from across the Trust are collaborating on these digital activities. Katie Neville from the Birthplace Guiding team is one of them.

‘Last April, 21st-century technology met the 16th-century house and the Living Shakespeare blog was born. Our aim is to record the stories of some of the hundreds of thousands of modern day pilgrims who come to Shakespeare’s Birthplace. I now accessorise my strictly Tudor dress with a camera the size of a mobile phone and have the chance to capture on video some of the amazing encounters that make up a day at the Birthplace.

A blog can be uploaded to LivingShakespeare.com within an hour of filming the visitors. Anyone, anywhere in the world with access to the internet can watch it. A week’s worth of blogs is proof that Shakespeare’s plays are a truly global phenomenon with every continent represented and many languages spoken, including sign language.

I filmed two girls who finished their blog by patting a bust of William Shakespeare on the head. I have watched the blog several times and I still believe there is a hint of a smile on the dramatist’s face by the end.’


Living Shakespeare blog

The Happy Birthday Shakespeare project reached 250,000 people over eight days in April.

The Trust’s first e-book Shakespeare Bites Back has been downloaded 20,299 times across 156 countries.

It’s hard to put a price on the value our volunteers bring to the Trust, but if we did, we’d say their contribution is worth at least £300,000 a year.

During 2011 over 400 volunteers gave their time resulting in more than 25,000 hours being contributed across the Trust.

Feedback from our volunteers has been excellent. In our first volunteer survey over 90% said they would love to continue volunteering with us.

We began working in partnership with the autism team at Warwickshire County Council which led to one young participant creating a video about his time volunteering at Mary Arden’s Farm. We were delighted when in March Roger Howells was awarded Volunteer of the Year in the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council ‘Best of the West’ awards.

Volunteers from APEX helped us to improve our Woodland Walk at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage on a productive Corporate Volunteer day.

Members of the local community joined us to celebrate the 150th birthday of Bengali poet and Shakespearian Rabindranath Tagore.

Volunteering and community engagement

Volunteering in the GardensCorporate groups played a major part in maintaining the gardens, weeding, watering and path-laying. Local schools were also engaged, using the Woodland Walk as an imaginative outdoor teaching space and sending older students for work experience in horticulture. A group of volunteers at Mary Arden’s Farm recreated an apothecary garden, dividing the ground into the twelve signs of the zodiac and growing plants to treat ailments associated with each sign.


‘I have learnt so many skills, from Tudor cookery to animal husbandry. This coming season I hope to try my hand at ploughing with oxen and make dyes from the plants in our new dyers’ garden.’Volunteer at Mary Arden’s Farm

‘Volunteering over the summer between university has increased my confidence and I have learnt a lot.’ Volunteer at Shakespeare’s Birthplace

In particular we would like to thank the following organisations, businesses and foundations:

American Friends of the Shakespeare Birthplace TrustArden ShakespeareArts & Humanities Research CouncilBBC Hands on HistoryDanwoodFriends of the Shakespeare Birthplace TrustGatsby Charitable TrustHeritage Lottery FundHewlett-Packard LtdMisfit Inc Paxton & WhitfieldGeorge Pragnell LtdSerious Games Institute, Coventry UniversityShakespeare Guild of AmericaStratford-upon-Avon PicturehouseTechnology Strategy BoardUniversity of Birmingham, Shakespeare InstituteVinology

The Friends continued to provide invaluable support to the Trust. They enjoyed a number of exhibition and special insight tours including at Dig for Shakespeare and A History of the RSC in 50 Objects. A highlight of the year was the sell out event Shakespeare’s World in Wine in November.

Friends enjoyed a tour of Dig for Shakespeare with Archaeologist Kevin Coles.

‘Adopt the Animals’ at Mary Arden’s Farm helps support the many rare breeds we look after, such as the Cotswold sheep shown here.


As a charity, fundraising is vital to support everything we do. Our work would not be possible without the help of our supporters, partners, donors and Friends.

In recognition of the growing importance of fundraising, a new Development team was appointed. In 2011 appeals were launched for the Birthplace and to care for our Collections. We will roll these appeals out in 2012 as part of a drive to improve access to all the Collections and enhance the visitor experience at the Shakespeare Houses.

Special thanks are also due to our individual donors and supporters in 2011 some of whom are listed here.

(c) denotes a donation in support of our Caring for the Collections appeal

AnonymousMr John and Mrs Albina AndersonMrs Margaret BartlettMrs Anne Blair (c), ‘In memory of my mother who taught me to love Shakespeare and Stratford’

Mrs Lorna Cartledge (c)Mr Charles Elmy (c)J Farrar (c)Mary Helyar (c)Professor Masako Maekawa (c)Mr James McArthur Mr Malcolm Pollard (c) ‘In memory of my wife Elisabeth Pollard’

The estate of Marian PringleMr and Mrs Rooney (c)Mr Ralph Smith (c)Daphne and Graham Stanbridge (c)Yoshiro SugimotoKent SweeneyGreig Tillotson (c)Sidney Tyrrell (c)Alison Uppard (c)Margaret Rowena Usmar (c) ‘In memory of my Father, William Geoffrey Thomas, who loved books’

Friends of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Our thanks to...

A bequest to conserve the books Some of the early printed books in our Collections including Holinshed’s Chronicles, a Second Folio and a Fourth Folio are being conserved thanks to one of two generous bequests received from the estate of Marian Pringle, the former Head of the Library at the Trust for many years.


Trustees’ statement on the Summarised Financial StatementsThese summary financial statements are a summary of information extracted from the Trustees’ Report and consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011. They may not contain sufficient information to allow for a full understanding of the financial affairs of the Trust.

For further information, the full financial statements, the auditor’s report on those financial statements and the Trustees’ report should be consulted.

Copies of these can be obtained from: The Chief Finance and Commercial Officer, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, The Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6QW.

The Trustees’ report and consolidated financial statements were approved on 30 May 2012 and will be delivered to the Charity Commission in due course.

The financial statements have been audited by a qualified auditor, Mazars LLP, who gave an audit opinion that was unqualified.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees:

Peter Kyle OBEChairman of the Trustees

Independent auditors’ statement to the Trustees of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust We have examined the summary financial statements of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for the year ended 31 December 2011 which comprise the summary consolidated statement of financial activities and the summary consolidated balance sheet.

Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and auditorThe Trustees are responsible for preparing the summary financial statements in accordance with applicable United Kingdom law and the recommendations of the Charities SORP.

Our responsibility is to report to you our opinion on the consistency of the summary financial statements within the Annual Report with the full annual financial statements and the Trustees’ Report, and its compliance with the relevant requirements of section 427 of the Companies Act 2006 and the regulations made there under. This report is made to the charity’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with the terms of our engagement. Our work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s Trustees those matters that we have agreed to state in this report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s Trustees, as a body, for our work or for this report.

We also read the other information contained in the Annual Report and consider the implications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the summary financial statements.

We conducted our work in accordance with Bulletin 2008/3 issued by the Auditing Practices Board. Our report on the charity’s full annual financial statements describes the basis of our opinion on those financial statements and on the Trustees’ Report.

OpinionIn our opinion the summary financial statements are consistent with the full annual financial statements and the Trustees’ Report of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for the year ended 31 December 2011 and complies with the applicable requirements of section 427 of the Companies Act 2006, and the regulations made thereunder.

Mazars LLPChartered Accountants (Statutory Auditors) 45 Church StreetBirmingham B3 2RT

Summary financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011


These financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 30 May 2012 and were signed on its behalf by:

Peter Kyle OBE Chairman of the Trustees

Consolidated statement of financial activitiesfor the year ended 31 December 2011

Unrestricted funds

£000

Restricted funds

£000

Total2011£000

Total2010£000

Incoming resourcesIncoming resources from generated funds Voluntary income 13 - 13 4 Activities for generating funds Trading income 1,856 - 1,856 1,743Investment income Income from investments 185 - 185 167 Rental income from the let estate 774 - 774 699Incoming resources from charitable activities Admissions to the historic houses 4,366 - 4,366 4,067 Provision of academic and

cultural services469 228 697 611

Redevelopment project - - - -Other incoming resources 68 - 68 51

Total incoming resources 7,731 228 7,959 7,342

Resources expendedCost of generating funds Costs of generating voluntary income

79 - 79 1

Fundraising trading: cost of goods sold and other costs

1,589 - 1,589 1,549

Management of the let estate 348 - 348 289Charitable activities Maintenance and management of historic houses

3,368 - 3,368 3,340

Academic and cultural services 1,623 181 1,804 1,657Governance costs 100 - 100 98

Total resources expended 7,107 181 7,288 6,934

Net incoming resources before other recognised gains and losses

624 47 671 408

Other recognised gains and lossesNet (Loss)/gains on investment assets

(128) - (128) 94

Actuarial (loss)/gain on defined benefit pension scheme

(880) - (880) 160

Net movement in funds (384) 47 (337) 662

Reconciliation of funds

Funds brought forward at beginning of year

21,258 377 21,635 20,973

Funds carried forward at end of year

20,874 424 21,298 21,635

Restricted funds comprise both income and capital funds. The incoming resources, resources expended and resulting net movement in funds arise from continuing operations and includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

Consolidated balance sheetat 31 December 2011

2011£000 £000

2010£000 £000

Fixed assets

Tangible assets 2,228 2,083Heritage assets 15 15Investments 21,635 21,488

23,878 23,586Current assetsStocks 234 266Debtors 385 412Cash at bank and in hand 733 250

1,352 928

Liabilities

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

(1,015) (768)

Net current assets 337 160

Total assets less current liabilities representing net assets excluding pension liability

24,215 23,746

Defined benefit pension scheme liability

(2,917) (2,111)

Net assets including pension liability

21,298 21,635

Funds

Restricted funds 424 377

Unrestricted income funds

Other charitable funds 8,025 5,882

Pension reserve (2,917) (2,111)

Net other charitable funds 5,108 3,771

Designated funds 1,270 2,991

Revaluation reserve 14,496 14,496

Total unrestricted funds 20,874 21,258

Total funds 21,298 21,635

At a glance review of the yearIncoming resources (£,000) Resources expended (£,000)

n Admission to the historic houses

n Trading incomen Provision of academic and

cultural servicesn Rental income from the

investment estaten Income from investmentsn Other incoming resources

n Maintenance and management of historic houses

n Trading costsn Academic and cultural servicesn Maintenance and management

of investment estaten Governance costs

£100

£3,446

£1,589

£1,804

£348£81£185

£4,366

£1,856

£698

£774


The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust came into existence as a result of the purchase for preservation as a national memorial of Shakespeare’s Birthplace in 1847, and of Shakespeare’s New Place estate in 1862. The Trustees were first incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1891, and now carry out their responsibilities under the terms of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Act, 1961. The Trust is a Registered Charity, number 209302.

The objectives of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, as defined by the Trust’s Act, are:

a) to promote in every part of the world the appreciation and study of the plays and other works of William Shakespeare and the general advancement of Shakespearian knowledge

b) to maintain and preserve the Shakespeare Birthplace properties for the benefit of the nationc) to provide and maintain for the benefit of the nation a museum and a library of books, manuscripts, records of

historic interest, pictures, photographs and objects of antiquity with particular but not exclusive reference to William Shakespeare, his life, works and times.

ChairmanProfessor Stanley Wells CBE, BA, PhD, Hon DLitt, Hon DPhil (to 10 Jun 2011)Peter Kyle OBE, CCMI (from 10 Jun 2011)

Life TrusteesN S Pratt MA (until 19 Nov 2011)Richard Pasco CBE (until 19 Nov 2011)Sir Geoffrey Cass MA, CBIM ADame Margaret Drabble CBEProfessor Ann Jennalie Cook PhD, FSAProfessor Stanley Wells CBE, BA, PhD, Hon DLitt, Hon DPhilSir Eric Anderson KT, MA, MLitt, FRSE E N A N Tarratt FCIB ARoger Pringle MA, Duniv, FRSA, DLPeter Nicholls E P Michael Wood FR Hist Soc, FSA, FRSAProfessor Kate McLuskie MA, PhD (appointed 19 Nov 2011)

Ex-officio TrusteesLord Lieutenant of Warwickshire Martin DunneHigh Steward of Stratford-upon-Avon Sir William Dugdale Bt, CBE, MC, DLTown Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon Councillor Shelagh Sandle (until 19 May 2011) Councillor William Dowling (from 19 May 2011)Bishop of the Diocese of Coventry The Rt. Rev. Christopher Cocksworth BA, PhD, PGCEVicar of the Collegiate Church of Holy Trinity The Rev. Martin Gorick MA Headmaster of King Edward VI School Bennet Carr BA, PGCE

Secretary to Trustees Julia Howells MA

Representative TrusteesArts Council England Paul Allen BABritish Library Kristian Jensen National Trust Margaret Cund BSc, MPhil E A Royal Shakespeare Company Vikki Heywood Hon DLittStratford-upon-Avon District Council Councillor Sir William Lawrence (until 18 May 2011) Councillor Eric Payne (from 18 May 2011)University of Birmingham Professor Kate McLuskie MA, PhD (until 1 Sept 2011) Professor Michael Dobson BA, MA, DPhil E (from 1 Oct 2011)University of Cambridge Professor Adrian Poole MA, PhDUniversity of London Professor René Weis BA, PhDUniversity of Oxford Professor Tiffany Stern MA, PhD, MPhilUniversity of Warwick Professor Carol Chillington Rutter BA, MA, PhDWarwickshire County Council Councillor Ron Cockings MBA

Local TrusteesPaula Byrne BA, MA, PhD (until 19 Nov 2011)Helen Keays BA E NA P Bird OBE PRichard Hyde BSc, FCA E N PPeter Kyle OBE, CCMI E N (from 10 Jun 2011)John Russell BSc E (appointed 19 Nov 2011)

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

The Trustees and Guardians of Shakespeare’s Birthplace appointed in pursuance of the Shakespeare Birthplace, &c, Trust Act 1961Trustees serving during 2011:

Executive CommitteeThe administration of the Trust is vested in the Executive Committee membership of which at 31 December 2011, is indicated E.

Standing CommitteesThree standing committees/subcommittees support the work of the Trustees, membership of these, at 31 December 2011,is indicated as follows:A: Audit Standing Committee, N: Nominations & Remuneration Standing Committee, P: Property & Investment Subcommittee.

Senior Officers Director Diana Owen BA, PhDChief Operating Officer Lincoln ClarkeChief Finance Officer Tim Taylor BA, ACMA

Honorary FellowsDr Robert Bearman MBEMichael Bogdanov (from 19 Nov 2011) Paula Byrne BA, MA, PhD (from 19 Nov 2011) Dame Judi Dench CH, DBEGregory Doran William Hawkes MBE, MA, ARIBA, FSAAlex Neish MA, FRSARichard Pasco CBE (from 19 Nov 2011) Andrew Phillips BA, MCLIPN S Pratt MA (from 19 Nov 2011) Sir Roy Strong FSAGreg Wyatt

Principal AdvisorsArchitects Osbornes, The Balconies, Hanley

Swan, Worcestershire WR8 0DN Rodney Meville & Partners, 10 Euston Place, Leamington Spa CV32 4JLAuditors Mazars LLP, 45 Church Street, Birmingham B3 2RTBankers HSBC Bank plc, 13 Chapel Street, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6EPChartered Surveyors Sheldon Bosley, 58 Ely Street,

Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6LNSolicitor Robert Lunn & Lowth, 2 Sheep Street, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6EJ

Address of Principal OfficeThe Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6QW

A statement on our reserves and our need to fundraise

Notes

1. Strategic property reserves:The strategic property held by the Trust is property that has been gifted or acquired and is deemed by the Trustees to be of strategic importance to the Trust. In many cases this property is located near or adjacent to the Shakespeare Houses & Gardens and is important to their setting. It includes, for example, the alms houses in Shottery which we hold in order to protect the setting of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. The strategic property portfolio is managed to maximise returns in a way that is sympathetic to the setting of the historic houses. The income from these properties is an integral and important part of our annual income and goes to directly support the ongoing activities of the Trust.

2. Covering uninsurable business interruption:The Trustees believe that free reserves equivalent to at least six months running and reorganising costs of £4.1m are necessary in order to finance operations should extraordinary events beyond the Trust’s immediate control affect its revenue streams.

3. Operational fixed assets and restricted funds:This £2.2m reflects the net book value of operational fixed assets such as vehicles, computers and exhibition equipment that are needed for the day to day operations of the Trust. A further £0.4m is held as restricted reserves.

4. Remaining funds:The remaining £1.5m is insufficient for the conservation needs of the historic properties, necessary improvements to the visitor experience and to support the ongoing conservation and management of the Collections. £1.3m of the remaining funds is already designated by the Trustees for identified short term remedial conservation work at the historic properties.

The Trustees are committed to managing these reserves to offer the best returns to the Trust and are in a position to potentially dispose of them to meet the future needs of the Trust, for example for further conservation works, capital works and for the care of the archive and Collections. Because the remaining free reserves are insufficient for our future needs we need to seek external funding for conservation and other activities that cannot be covered by the reserves currently held by the Trust.


£,000 Note

Reserves held at 31 December 2011 21,298

Strategic property reserves 13,053 1

Free reserves: equivalent to six months running costs 4,100 2

Operational fixed assets 2,243 3

Restricted reserves 424 3

Designated fund for identified conservation works at the historic properties 1,270 4

Remaining free reserves 208 4

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Published by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust,The Shakespeare Centre,Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6QWt: +44 (0)1789 204016f: +44 (0)1789 296083e: [email protected]

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Annual Report 2011

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