Bard in the Virtual Classroom

Bring an engaging, interactive experience with Shakespeare to your classroom! Actors from Bard Education will share their enthusiasm and insights about performing Shakespeare.

ABOUT OUR VIRTUAL SESSIONS

Where: On your school’s preferred video conferencing platform. Bard Education may also be able to host the session on Zoom; please inquire.

When: Available school days, between the hours of 9:30 am – 4 pm

Length: 45 minutes long

Cost: $125 per session FREE for the 2023/24 school year, thanks to the generous support of our funders and the Bard Access Fund.

What: Your choice of interactive session, either Ask an Actor or An Actor at Work 


Select a session

Ask an Actor 

This free-form discussion can focus on a specific play or support an introduction to Shakespeare. A Bard Teaching Artist will share their experiences as a Shakespeare actor, answering students’ questions about the language, characters, and plays, and what it’s like to bring them to life on stage.

An Actor at Work

Our Teaching Artist will look at a speech with your class, showing your students how they would work on the text as actors. This interactive close reading will pay attention to the different features of Shakespeare’s language that inform a performance. If time permits, the actor will demonstrate different ways of delivering the speech, with input from the students.


Request a Session

  1. Fill out the form below to request a session. Please submit this form at least 6 weeks before your preferred session date.
  2. We’ll email you to confirm whether we can meet your request.
  3. Watch A Shakesperience with your class and explore its ideas with our companion curriculum. This new and unconventional introduction to Shakespeare will help your students find resonance in Shakespeare’s words and imagery – and it’s FREE!
  4. A Teaching Artist and a member of the Bard Education team will join your class as guests on your school’s digital platform, as scheduled.

FREE Supplementary Resources

  • A Shakesperience and its companion curriculum are available here.
  • More resources are available through our Discovery Zone.

Contact 
For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

2024 Classroom Workshop Request Form

Your Contact Information

School or Organization Information

Session Information

To request an additional session, please check the "Yes, I would like to request an additional session" button in the section below.
Have you and your students watched A Shakesperience yet, or will you have seen it before the session?
What kind of session would you like to request?
What would you like the workshop to be about?
Which virtual session would you like to request for your class?

Group Information

For example, English 10, Grade 7, etc.
We’re happy to work with any experience level. We’d just like to know so we can create the best session for your students.
Please list several dates and times that work for you. (For example, Friday, March 1st, 9:30 am-10:45 am or 12:30 pm-1:45 pm). In-person workshops can be up to 90 minutes long. Virtual sessions are 45 minutes long.
In what space will this workshop be held?
Bard Education welcomes everyone, regardless of their access needs. Having this information ahead of time will help us provide safe, inclusive, and supportive workshops.

Additional session

Session Information (second session)

Have you and your students watched A Shakesperience yet, or will you have seen it before the session?
What kind of session would you like to request?
What would you like the workshop to be about?
Which virtual session would you like to request for your class?

Group Information (second session)

For example, English 10, Grade 7, etc.
We’re happy to work with any experience level. We’d just like to know so we can create the best session for your students.
Please list several dates and times that work for you. (For example, Friday, March 1st, 9:30 am-10:45 am or 12:30 pm-1:45 pm). In-person workshops can be up to 90 minutes long. Virtual sessions are 45 minutes long.
In what space will this workshop be held?
Bard Education welcomes everyone, regardless of their access needs. Having this information ahead of time will help us provide safe, inclusive, and supportive workshops.

Additional session

Session Information (third session)

Have you and your students watched A Shakesperience yet, or will you have seen it before the session?
What kind of session would you like to request?
What would you like the workshop to be about?
Which virtual session would you like to request for your class?

Group Information (third session)

For example, English 10, Grade 7, etc.
We’re happy to work with any experience level. We’d just like to know so we can create the best session for your students.
Please list several dates and times that work for you. (For example, Friday, March 1st, 9:30 am-10:45 am or 12:30 pm-1:45 pm). In-person workshops can be up to 90 minutes long. Virtual sessions are 45 minutes long.
In what space will this workshop be held?
Bard Education welcomes everyone, regardless of their access needs. Having this information ahead of time will help us provide safe, inclusive, and supportive workshops.

Additional session

To request a fourth session, please email [email protected]

Technological Information

What video call software is your school using?
Please note: hosting via Bard Education's Zoom account is subject to availability.
How will you be sharing this video call with your class? *
If your class will be gathered in one room, we recommend connecting to the call through one device (for example, by connecting a laptop to a projector).
We find that these sessions work best when students and our Teaching Artist can see each other. Will your students be visible to the Teaching Artist during the session? *
Will your students have access to a microphone or chat to ask their questions? *

Classroom Agreement

I agree to remain in the classroom and participate during this/these session(s). If I cannot attend the workshop, I will arrange for another staff member to join my class.
I agree to hold this/these session(s) on a video conferencing platform that has been approved by my school. *
I will provide Bard Education with two guest access accounts to my school's virtual classroom for every virtual session I've requested. *

Financial subsidies

Thanks to the support of our funders and Festival patrons, we have funds available to subsidize qualifying groups' workshops through the Bard Access Fund (formerly known as the Bard Education Bursary). Although these funds are limited, we hope this will help make workshops with Bard on the Beach accessible to a wider audience of students and teachers.
Does your school need financial assistance?
Please note: We treat all workshop booking requests equally. A request for financial support has no impact on your request for workshops. Past financial assistance from Bard on the Beach does not guarantee future funding.

Financial support request

Last things

How did you hear about Bard Education's classroom workshops?
I am interested in receiving emails with more information about Bard Education programs, such as Student Group Bookings, Bard Youth Fest, Explore at Home resources, and Professional Development sessions for teachers.


Bard in the Virtual Classroom is generously supported by