Emancipating Shakespeare: Cultural Transmission or Cultural Transformation?

• Published in: Caribbean quarterly 2007-03, Vol.53 (1-2), p.150-159
• Main Authors: Martin-Smith, Alistair, Hayton, Annette, Ishiura, Maya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 19th century; Actors; Attitudes; British & Irish literature; British culture; Core curriculum; Cultural capital; Drama; English literature; Formal dances; Gender identity; High culture; Higher education; Middle class; Participation; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Social capital; Social classes; Social exclusion; Student diversity; Theater; Universities; Working class
• ISSN: 0008-6495; 2470-6302
• DOI: 10.1080/00086495.2007.11672313

The study of Shakespeare is generally regarded as an essential element of young people's education. Teachers and teaching artists have the explicit aim of making his work more accessible. While we support this aim, we argue that many interventions are based on the deficit model of social capital that regards some cultural forms, in this case Shakespeare's work, as superior to others. In the deficit model, Shakespeare becomes a tool for □ olonized □ those from different cultural traditions and, as with any attempt at□ olonized □□ n, meets with resistance. In Looking for Shakespeare we take a different approach to building social and cultural capital that stresses difference rather than deficit, based on a theoretical model first developed by Pierre Bourdieu. Within the supportive environment of the programme, we employ strategies such as non-traditional casting, personal monologues and visual metaphor. We seek to challenge and extend the identities that adolescents bring, so that the Shakespeare characters they create will be extensions of themselves. This process of using visual art, writing and improvisation towards character building has implications not only for their performance, but for the way in which young people build social and cultural capital, and on how they can use this capital to colonize their potential in their own lives. Looking for Shakespeare has evolved over a period of eight years. Its processes can be tailored to the demands of each play that we produce. They are designed to support young people by challenging them to deepen their understanding of one another and their engagement with Shakespeare's play. In engaging the young people in the process of "looking for Shakespeare," we have recreated some of the conditions that mirror Shakespeare's creative process. As an actor, shareholder and playwright working with a company of players, their relationship between script and improvised performance was fluid and dynamic. The young people from culturally diverse backgrounds can return Shakespeare's gaze, 'colonized' Shakespeare for their own purposes instead of being 'colonized' in his name.