Supporting the next generation into arts and culture

A £30,000 donation by Ambassadeurs Group (AG) to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) Creative Learning and Engagement Programme will help more young people benefit from arts and culture opportunities and accessibility in 2025. The Programme operates on a scale few arts organisations can match, supporting more than 500,000 young people annually. It aims to bridge gaps in opportunity and ensure that the transformative power of Shakespeare’s language and drama reaches those who might otherwise miss out.

The Creative Learning and Engagement Programme supports and works with young people through its work with schools based in areas of structural disadvantage. “Whatever age you are, Shakespeare’s plays and making theatre can change your life,” says Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Creative Learning and Engagement at the RSC. “Research has consistently shown that Shakespeare-based educational projects have a positive impact on pupils’ language development as well as their overall attitudes to learning. The donation from AG will enable us to change and impact more lives in 2025.”

The RSC programmes are led by highly skilled learning specialists who train teachers to use the same approaches in their classrooms to decode and explore Shakespeare’s language that actors and directors use in rehearsals. Their teaching approaches take students away from a more traditional desk and chair setting and enable them to explore Shakespeare’s plays. The RSC also provides access for under-represented young people to training and careers in arts and culture through its Next Generation programme. This long-term talent development programme recruits young people from low socio-economic backgrounds to develop their skills as they make their first steps into the competitive world of the performing arts industry.

Key charities in 2025

The donation is the second of three key charities that have been chosen by AG’s WorkFamily to benefit from the Group’s corporate philanthropy in 2025. The other charities are Hospitality Action and The Felix Project. All the organisations are based in or have a focus on London. The RSC runs one of the UK’s largest creative learning programmes, aligning closely with AG’s goal of supporting the development of and access to arts and culture.

Krishna Hathi, AG’s Charity Initiatives Adviser, says that AG’s commitment to arts and culture is rooted in empowering communities and nurturing talent. “Our charitable focus is shaped by the belief that arts access enriches lives, especially for those from under-represented backgrounds. In selecting the RSC as one of our key charitable partners for 2025 AG can demonstrate a dedication to helping London thrive as a global centre for creativity and giving. For the RSC, the partnership means increased resources to expand their work, reach new audiences, and continue innovating in educational outreach.”

According to the RSC research underpins everything they do. Time To Act is a major study that explored the difference that Shakespeare’s work and RSC teaching approaches make to the language development and social and emotional development of children and young people.

The study consisted of two kinds of research methods: A randomised control trial (RCT) involving schools that had never previously worked with the RSC or used RSC teaching approaches; a teacher-led action research programme undertaken by teachers that have been using RSC approaches for several years. “The findings show positive impacts and contribute new insights into the difference that engagement with the arts and cultural education has on their lives,” said Jacqui O’Hanlon.

Find out more about the RSC’s Creative Learning and Engagement Programmes here