The Shakespeare Institute is a centre for postgraduate study dedicated to the study of
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
and the
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
of the
English Renaissance
The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England from the early 16th century to the early 17th century. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that is usually regarded as beginning in Italy in the late 14th cent ...
. It is part of the
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...
, and is located in
Stratford-upon-Avon.
The Institute was set up in 1951 at Mason Croft, the former home of novelist
Marie Corelli
Mary Mackay (1 May 185521 April 1924), also called Minnie Mackey, and known by her pseudonym Marie Corelli (, also , ), was an English novelist.
From the appearance of her first novel ''A Romance of Two Worlds'' in 1886, she became the bestsel ...
. Budgetary problems forced it to be relocated to the main campus at Birmingham during the 1970s, but under the guidance of Professor
Stanley Wells, the Institute was returned to Mason Croft in the 1980s and its position was consolidated in 1996 with the opening of the purpose-built Shakespeare Institute Library.
It has been described by the current director, Michael Dobson, as "the best place on earth in which to explore the impact Shakespeare’s work has had across four centuries of world culture".
Directors of the Institute
The directors of the Institute have been:
*
Allardyce Nicoll
John Ramsay Allardyce Nicoll (28 June 1894 – 17 April 1976) was a British literary scholar and teacher.
Allardyce Nicoll was born in Partick, Glasgow, and educated at Stirling High School and the University of Glasgow, where he was the G. A. Cl ...
1951 to 1961
*
Terence Spencer
*
Philip Brockbank
*
Stanley Wells
*
Peter Holland
* Russell Jackson
*
Kathleen McLuskie
* Michael Dobson
Shakespeare Institute Library
The Shakespeare Institute Library contains about 60,000 volumes (including 3,000 early printed and rare books), archives and manuscripts, and audio-visual collections. The library aims to collect every significant publication for the study of Shakespeare and Renaissance drama and the supporting collections cover literary, cultural, political, religious, and social history of the period. Significant research collections include:
* Renaissance Theatre Company archive
* Renaissance Films PLC archive
* Unpublished Shakespeare Film Script collection
* New Shakespeare Company archive
* E. K. Chambers Papers
* Newscuttings collection 1902–present
* English Short Title Catalogue 1475-1640 on microfilm
* Francis Longe Play Collection on microfilm.
Shakespeare Institute Players
The Shakespeare Institute Players is the dramatic society for the postgraduate students of the University of Birmingham's Shakespeare Institute, located in Stratford-upon-Avon. The Shakespeare Institute Players have been around under many different names since the University of Birmingham's Shakespeare Institute has existed. The first recorded production was ''A Yorkshire Tragedy'' (Unknown Author) as The Shakespeare Institute Dramatic Society. It was performed in February 1953. Since then, the group has had many different names, but the most commonly used name (and the one by which it is currently known) is The Shakespeare Institute Players.
References
Further reading
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External links
Official Website
{{Authority control
University of Birmingham
Shakespearean scholarship
Renaissance and early modern research centres
Special collections libraries in England
Academic libraries in England