Thirty-eighth International Shakespeare Conference: 'Shakespeare, the Digital, and the Virtual'
This international gathering of leading Shakespeare scholars is held every two years. The next conference will take place on 20-22 July 2022.
The Conference was initiated at Mason Croft in the 1940s under the auspices of the British Council, and has been hosted by the Shakespeare Institute since its establishment in 1951.
Due to restricted space, membership of the conference is by invitation only.
ISC 2022: Shakespeare, the Digital, and the Virtual
Registration for the International Shakespeare Conference (20, 21, 22 July) will open on 5 May. A link will be sent out that day, enabling attendees to register, and to choose between different seminars, should they wish to participate in a seminar.
Two types of registration will be offered in 2022, namely in-person and online, since in keeping with our topic (‘Shakespeare, the digital, and the virtual’), and in recognition of the difficulties which disease, climate crisis and war currently pose for long-distance travel, the conference will be hybrid in format. Seminar papers will be exchanged in advance, all live sessions will be streamed live, and some plenaries will be made available as recordings before (and after) the meeting dates proper. Live sessions will be timed in such a way across the three days of the conference to suit as many non-GMT time zones as possible, and continuous activity will be limited to four hours per day to reduce screen fatigue for those participating online.
A hundred places will be available for in-person attendees, on a first-come, first-served basis. In-person attendees will be able to see the Royal Shakespeare Company’s current production of Richard III (if they book independently via the RSC website ) and also a special live performance by King Edward’s Boys, the all-schoolboy company from the King Edward VI Grammar School.
There will also be places available for a trip to the Birmingham Shakespeare Library to admire the fruits so far of the ‘Everything to Everybody’ project, designed to remind the city of its shared Shakespearean heritage. Online attendees will be able to watch a video recording of King Edward’s Boys, and will be given exclusive access to online content from the RSC, among other digital bonuses.
Speakers in plenary sessions and panels will include Pascale Aebsicher, Mike Witmore, John Wyver, Diana Henderson, Colin Burrow, Li Lan Yong, and Silvia Bigliazzi.
Registration for the conference is undertaken through the University of Birmingham Online Shop. We recommend that you review all the information on this webpage carefully before entering the Shop, and that you aim to complete the full booking process in one attempt.
- Please note that the Online Shop will be operated on a first come, first served basis. We would ask that you register early to avoid disappointment.
- Payments can be made by credit card, debit card or PayPal. We are no longer in a position to take cheques.
- The Shop will produce an email receipt, confirming your purchase at the end of the process.
- Someone else can book on your behalf, but please make sure they enter their own details as the customer placing the booking, as well as your details as the delegate who will be attending the conference.
- Please note that the name and institution information from the Online Shop will appear on your name badge at the Conference and in the delegate list in the Conference booklet.
- The Online Shop is a secure website and all information will be kept following the terms and conditions of the University Online Shop (see terms and conditions and cookie policy.
- Section VI of the Terms & Conditions gives information about the refund and cancellation policy.
Registration is now open via our online shop. If you have not already created an account from a previous conference, you will be required to do so before you can register. Please use the link to the 'forgotten password' if you need to reset it. You will also need the password provided to you in our invitation email to register.
Please follow the links below to access the ISC 2022 Online Shop and register for the conference either in person or online:
Information on seminar options will be added here in the near future.
Performances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre during conference week
During conference week there will be performances of Richard III at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Tickets are available to buy from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre box office:
In-person attendees will be able to see the Royal Shakespeare Company’s current production of Richard III (if they book independently via the RSC website ) and also a special live performance by King Edward’s Boys, the all-schoolboy company from the King Edward VI Grammar School.
There will also be places available for a trip to the Birmingham Shakespeare Library to admire the fruits so far of the ‘Everything to Everybody’ project, designed to remind the city of its shared Shakespearean heritage. Online attendees will be able to watch a video recording of King Edward’s Boys, and will be given exclusive access to online content from the RSC, among other digital bonuses.
Conference visa information
Please note that our University visa advisory service will be in touch following your registration with further information and support where required.
Tourist information
- Stratford-upon-Avon tourist information including accommodation: www.visitstratforduponavon.co.uk
- Map and visitor guides: www.visitstratforduponavon.co.uk/leaflets
Rail travel
National Rail website
Or by calling National Rail Enquiries: 03457 48 49 50 (+44(0)20 7278 5240 from overseas)
Direct through trains run between Stratford and London Marylebone.
More frequent direct trains run from London Marylebone to Warwick Parkway, from where taxis can be booked to Stratford (approximate cost £40).
Air travel
From Birmingham International Airport take trains to Birmingham New Street, and then walk to Birmingham Moor Street station (approximately 15 minutes), where connections can be made to Stratford-upon-Avon. Check train times.
Coach travel
National Express website
Further information
If you have any questions relating to conference registration, please contact us: