Shakespeare Club of Stratford-upon-Avon Bicentenary Bursary

23rd April 2024

The Shakespeare Club of Stratford-upon-Avon was founded in 1824 and has claims to be the oldest Shakespeare society in continuous existence.

The Shakespeare Club of Stratford-upon-Avon Bicentenary Bursary has been set up to mark the 200th anniversary of its foundation.

An award of up to £300 will be made to undergraduate or postgraduate students, currently registered in a UK university, who require funds to enable research on a literary, theatrical, historical, or biographical topic about William Shakespeare. The bursary scheme will run annually from 2024 until 2026. The intent of the award is to enable and support students who wish to use Stratford’s specialist theatres, library and archival collections

Recipients of the bursary will be invited to present their research to the Shakespeare Club at one of its monthly meetings in Stratford- upon-Avon either in person or via a recording within a year of the award of the bursary.

Applicants should submit a letter of application (2 pages max.) that states:

1. The subject of the applicant’s research.
2. What the bursary will be used for (can include travel expenses, cost of research materials, theatre tickets, etc.).
3. How the bursary will contribute to the applicant’s research.
4. The applicant’s research profile, for example, previous publications, experience, and how you would use Stratford resources and collections.
5. The names of the principal library or archives where the applicant intends to work (if applicable).
6. The expected date of completion of the research.

The successful applicant promises to acknowledge the assistance of the bursary in both published and unpublished versions of the work to which it pertains with the following wording:

‘This work was in part made possible through the award of The ShakespeareClub of Stratford-upon-Avon Bicentenary Bursary.’

The deadline for applications is 30 June 2024, and the winners will be announced on 31 July 2024.

Please e-mail your letter of intent with Bursary in the Subject line to stratfordshakespeareclub@gmail.com

The adjudicators’ decision is final and no correspondence with individual applicants should be expected beyond an acknowledgement of the receipt of an applicant’s letter of intent and the announcement of the award on 31 July 2024.