Academic visitors to the Shakespeare Institute

Dynamic research community

Visiting academics have the opportunity to be part of a dynamic research community, and enjoy the benefits of association with this major international research institution. Many informal activities are enjoyed by Fellows and students, more details of which can be in Life at the Institute. The Shakespeare Institute is housed is in Mason Croft, a lovely eighteenth-century town house five minutes from the theatres and the Shakespeare Centre.

Welcoming visitors

We are happy to welcome visiting researchers to the Shakespeare Institute, where we can provide workspace, networked computing, full use of library and other scholarly resources, and of course the opportunity to discuss your work with colleagues and students of the Institute. We also invite you participate in our weekly research seminar series on Thursday afternoons.

Fellows and Directors of the Shakespeare Institute

The fellows and Director of the Shakespeare Institute work on all aspects of the work, times and impact of Shakespeare and his fellow dramatists. You might like to browse our academic staff profiles for more information about individual specialisms and publications. We have major research projects underway on the theory and practice of editing the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, Clothing, Culture and Identity in Early Modern England, the Latin plays of the Universities and Catholic colleges (an important recent addition to the Institute’s website is an on-line collection of Neo-Latin texts, and the Library holds microfilm copies of most recent relevant manuscripts), the Economics of Culture in Early Modern England, and Shakespeare in Johnson’s Dictionary, in collaboration with the English Department.

Royal Shakespeare Company and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Performances of Shakespeare's plays are staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company in their riverside theatres in the town, and other theatre companies regularly visit and perform here. There is also a continuous programme of lectures and events devoted to aspects of his life and times organised by the RSC and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (at the Shakespeare Centre).

Excellent resources

Stratford and Birmingham have unique resources for scholars. The Shakespeare Institute, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the main campus at Birmingham all have excellent libraries, and the Birmingham Central Library has its own Shakespeare Library. The Royal Shakespeare Company archives are housed at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and include administrative materials and details of the full range of their productions. The primary source material on deposit at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Record Office offers opportunities to explore the social and cultural history of the town.

Accommodation

We do not have our own accommodation, so visitors should arrange their own for the duration of their stay. There are many accommodation options in and around Stratford-upon-Avon.