海角直播

2B or not 2B: texting the Bard at 海角直播!

Can the so-called 鈥榯ext generation鈥� become interested in watching Shakespeare? Claire Jefferson, a University of 海角直播 BA (Hons) Graphic Design graduate certainly thinks so. Claire鈥檚 final year project aimed to encourage 11-16 year olds to consider watching Shakespeare鈥檚 performances, via a suggested campaign. The campaign includes a poster with the phrase 鈥�2B or not 2B鈥�, transforming Hamlet鈥檚 famous dialogue into modern mobile-phone text speak.

Claire, 22, from Stockton, first studied Shakespeare aged 14 at McMillan College, Middlesbrough. She said: 鈥淛ulius Caeser was my first Shakespeare play, and I grew to love his work, I enjoyed the challenge of learning a new language. I鈥檝e also seen The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Richard II and A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream performed on stage. With this campaign I wanted to show young people that Shakespeare isn鈥檛 as scary as they might think, you can break the language down so it鈥檚 not difficult to understand. Through mobile phones, young people have found it easy to invent their own text language. If they can handle text messaging they can handle Shakespeare.鈥� To research her project, Claire completed a questionnaire of 30 11-16 year olds, exploring their opinions of Shakespeare. Claire said: 鈥淭he majority said they found the language off-putting. My campaign aims to remove that feeling, and encourage young people to go and see the productions performed, they鈥檙e not just books to be read. I think some of the people surveyed felt that Shakespeare was forced upon them at school, but seeing as they have to study it, why not enjoy it? I鈥檇 love to see the campaign taken up. I鈥檝e shown my ideas to my parents Patricia and Kevan and they鈥檙e very helpful and supportive.鈥�

Claire鈥檚 campaign includes four posters, an information booklet and postcards, to be distributed in schools, libraries, and waiting rooms. In addition to the text speak; the campaign also promotes Shakespeare in other languages, including Egyptian hieroglyphics. It will be displayed at the New Designers Exhibition in London, in July.

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