The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 26.490 Wednesday, 21 October 2015
From: Karin Brown <
Date: October 21, 2015 at 7:00:48 AM EDT
Subject: Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Digital Archive
Our Heritage: Shakespeare Institute Library & Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Go Digital
Karin Brown, Shakespeare Institute Librarian
The award-winning Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is a London landmark – a firm fixture of summer in the city, providing a cultural hub in the beautiful surroundings of a Royal Park. Since the 1930s Shakespeare has been performed at The Park and the SI Library were fortunate to receive the archive of the Company in the 1990s and become its official repository. Formerly called The New Shakespeare Company it was the leading professional company of outdoor Shakespeare in the UK.
Over the last few years staff at the Shakespeare Institute Library have been scanning material from Regent Park’s archive for a new web site which includes a digital archive giving access to the theatre’s rich history for the first time. This is a long-term project with over 80 years and 300 productions to cover. The archive will be added to as more and more resources are digitised by the company and the SIL. The new web site, launched on 16 October, focuses on four of the theatre’s alumni: Judi Dench, Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugh Bonneville, Janie Dee and the 1995 production of Richard III directed by Brian Cox.
The SIL team are proud to have been part of this project highlighting the significant output of this much neglected company and to have contributed to this impressive and attractive resource. Do check it out: http://openairtheatreheritage.com/
Project featured in The Times: Set for the big stage The Times (London), October 17, 2015 Saturday, p7
Karin Brown
Shakespeare Institute Librarian
Shakespeare Institute
University of Birmingham
Mason Croft, Church Street
Stratford-upon-Avon
Warwickshire CV37 6HP
Direct line: 0121 414 9521
Twitter: @UoBLibServices
SI Library blog: http://silibrary1.wordpress.com/