• Find out what else is coming up in the Director's Seminar series...

Professor David Schalkwyk (Academic Director of Global Shakespeare) attended the Venice Ghetto 500 celebrations in Venice in July. He presented the closing seminar on gifts and bonds in The Merchant of Venice at the Summer School held by Global Shakespeare’s partners, Ca’ Foscari University. He was privileged to attend performances of The Merchant in Venice, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play by director Karin Coonrod of Compagnia de’ Colombari.

• Click to read David’s thoughts on the production, as well as conversations reflections from one of the actors.

Photo via The Merchant in Venice on Facebook, (c) Andrea Messana

2016 marks the 400th anniversary of the deaths of William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. To commemorate this unique event the British Council is organising in partnership with the Acción Cultural Española (ACE), the Spanish public organisation which promotes Spanish culture in Spain and overseas, the University of Alcalá and Queen Mary University London a Reciprocal Residency Programme for writers.

We are looking for a UK-based writer to take part in a one-month residency at the University of Alcalá in Cervantes’ birth town of Alcalá de Henares whereas a Spanish one will spend a month at Queen Mary University of London. From the 15th of October to the 15th of November, this initiative will provide the writers with tools that will help them develop their work and will considerably enlarge their international scope. These residencies are open to writers who have published at least one novel or collection of short stories (please give details of publishing house).

The selected authors will receive an honorarium to cover their living expenses and international travel and accommodation will be provided.

The deadline to present applications expires on 28th August 2016.

• UK applicants: complete application form now
• Spanish applicants: complete application form now