Wednesday 6 February 2013

A positive future for Shakespearian tranquillity


Following a meeting with Stratford upon Avon MP, Nadhim Zahawi, Save Shottery looks forward to the possibility of a Shakespeare heritage site on land behind Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
Save Shottery talks to Residents Against Shottery Expansion about Shakespeare’s legacy. RASE meets with Stratford District Council on the subject of Planning. SDC talks to Shakespeare Birthplace Trust about its Trustees on the Board. Stratford MP, Nadhim Zahawi talks to us all from time to time, but separately.

There has never been an occasion when all the opponents of the massive Government-supported housing scheme on land west of Shottery have come together as one to discuss the huge threat to Stratford. With the High Court appeal lodged by Stratford District Council against the Secretary of State for Communities’ decision due to take place in April and May, getting these various organisations to be more transparent and communicative in the near future is highly unlikely. So, what next?
One forum                                                                                                                                                      When Save Shottery met Nadhim Zahawi on 1 February, we put it to him that he might chair meetings convening all  the scheme’s opponents. Following his passionate Parliamentary speech to Nick Boles and Eric Pickles in November, what more might he do now to gather together what could be a very powerful response, if united and co-ordinated?

Mr Zahawi stated that he would be more than happy to invite Save Shottery to a meeting of StratfordVision, after the High Court Appeal judgement is known. Attended by both Stratford District Council leaders and the Director of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, this forum could be a useful vehicle to discuss what might happen next.
When invited, Save Shottery will be more than happy to address Stratford Vision, whatever the High Court decision. The real sense of social and environmental injustice that fired us up to run the Save Shottery campaign in autumn 2012 is still alive and kicking in 2013.

It’s worth pointing out at this juncture that, nowhere on its website does Stratford Vision even refer to the Shottery housing development. It’s as if this potentially most disastrous of all schemes is all happening in the background.
Stratford Vision is a voluntary body, comprising members from local government, business, culture and tourism. The organisation aims to re-energise, recreate and reward the people of Stratford on Avon.  Founder, Denys Shortt, says  “I feel communication is absolutely key - not only communication between organisations but also communication of the Vision... We believe that the current strategic thinking at Council level needs to focus on what makes Stratford on Avon ‘special' - namely that the town produced William Shakespeare and is home to the globally iconic Royal Shakespeare Theatre and a range of properties where Shakespeare and his family lived their lives.”

Save Shottery intends to remind Stratford Vision of these words.
Proactive protection
Stratford bodies cannot persist in being against everything. The town needs to get on the front foot and take an active, united approach to land as important as that west of Shottery.

To this end, Save Shottery would like to propose that Shakespeare Birthplace Trust work in collaboration with Stratford District Council, English Heritage and other interested bodies, such as the RSC and Warwickshire County Council, to create and protect this site, this land it owns behind Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. We would like to invite Shakespeare societies from around the world to take part in an international fundraising campaign to buy and own this land and keep it in special trust for Shakespeare lovers now and in the future.
Save Shottery believes that heritage organisations have not done enough to safeguard this irreplaceable legacy during this struggle.  Nobody, apart from Save Shottery, has encouraged SBT to seek funding in other, more positive ways, rather than selling land. As a result, Nadhim Zahawi has also agreed to write to English Heritage on our behalf, to suggest that it play a useful role in the aftermath of the High Court decision.

Stratford’s plethora of organisations owes much to past culpability and division. Enough of that. There’s too much at stake. Save Shottery is more interested in the future than in the past. We are proposing this Shakespeare heritage site now, ahead of the High Court decision, because we want to appeal positively to the various parties involved to come together to see what we might achieve as a united force, for the value of Shakespeare in Stratford, for Stratford. Those who come after us will judge us on our behaviour, so nothing else will do.
While there is not much we can do between now and the High Court case, therefore, Save Shottery is already looking beyond that decision to a positive future of greater collaboration and more effective custodianship of Shakespeare’s legacy.

Friday 11 January 2013

The art of protest

By Debbie Griffiths

I’m being a bit cheeky here, but I’m sure the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) won’t mind – afterall, they’re getting two positive blogs for the price of one. They invited me to their Boris Godunov blogging event expecting me to tweet and blog on behalf of @idealconsulting.  I have, but I couldn’t resist putting something out on Save Shottery, too.

Boris is the directing swansong of Michael Boyd, who magnificently recreates the era depicted in Pushkin’s play then brings it bang (literally) up to date with scenes and settings that parallel Putin’s Russia today. It’s all very clever.


Photo: Debbie Griffiths 
But the play was only part of a great evening that started off with a powerful photographic exhibition in the Ferguson Room at the Swan Theatre and finished with an exclusive Q&A with members of the cast and the assistant director.


Silent protest in pictures
A World Elsewhere’ is an RSC-commissioned photo reportage to accompany the series of classic world plays they’re staging. The images of people, places, protest and disaster are excellent in their own right, but also a powerful introduction to Boris. A couple got me thinking about our campaign to Save Shottery. 

Picture behind Gethin Anthony (R)
The first was from Latakia in Syria, where war has changed a former tourist town beyond recognition.  Admittedly, building a road and 800 houses behind Anne Hathaway’s orchard cannot be compared with such atrocities, but it is sad to think how the heart and joy of a popular place can be so easily ripped out.

The other was a photo from Lithuania. The Hill of Crosses is a site of pilgrimage where one cross placed in 1831 has been added to over time and now over half a million stand to signify the  peaceful endurance of Lithuanian Catholicism despite all threats.

Kryziu Kalnas (Hill of Crosses) ©Angus Fraser
If only we could do this on Bordon Hill, what would symbolise our struggle against aggressive property developers? Please let us have your thoughts!

Change needs an end goal
I think the photos most relevant to the Boris play were those of the former Soviet Union and the Arab uprisings. The action starts on stage with the masses wanting a new leader and ends with the masses happy for anyone who can bring change, no matter how genuine they are.  As Dmitry says: “People don’t care what I am. All I am is change.”


This has long been Russia’s problem. Today it’s Egypt’s turn, where the crowds forced change a year ago, but now they don’t like the change the new regime has introduced. 

That’s why we’ve always been clear about the Save Shottery goals so no-one gets disillusioned. Our aim is to stop Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) selling out our heritage to greedy property developers and to support them in positive alternative ways to raise funds.


Truth and transparency
Save Shottery also makes one more demand of the SBT, namely for the charity to be transparent about its meetings and any decisions taken by trustees – especially those with housing and property development interests.  Surprisingly, this seems a bit of a sticking point, with the Trust saying it’s not obliged to publish anything and continuing to do things in secret. Such behaviour is so out of date.


Perhaps they should go and see Boris and consider the old priest’s warning that you cannot hide anything, it will all come out in time and those who mocked and scorned you will end up eating their words.  

Patrick Romer (Noklka Pimen) Photo: Ellie Kurttz
They could also learn from the RSC who, in opening themselves up to bloggers, have taken a brave decision that should pay off in the digital age we live in. Allowing actors to talk candidly about directors’ styles and what goes on in rehearsals and allowing bloggers to write anything we like keeps Shakespeare’s legacy alive and relevant.


Wit and wisdom
This production is the first time Pushkin’s play has been performed uncensored in the English language. It is a dark comedy, intentionally ‘half comic, wholly serious’ the actors told us. 

l-r: Stephen Ventura, Sadie Shimmin, Philip Whitchurch Photo: Ellie Kurttz 
Between each line of wit, there is a truth that could not be spoken in Pushkin’s day. Using humour and poetry and drawing poignant parallels is something he copied from Shakespeare.  

It’s also something that Mark loves to do with Save Shottery, but I must admit to censoring him too much and bowing down too readily to requests from SBT to amend what we’ve said. If two literary giants enjoyed playing with words to get around the censors and get their message out, why shouldn’t Save Shottery?  


Our 2013 plans
  • I promise not to censor Mark in 2013!
  • We look forward to quoting Shakespeare with more tongue in cheek on our #shakespearetweetoff on twitter.  We’ll let you read between the lines and come to your own conclusions.
  • We will keep up the pressure on the SBT to be more transparent.
  • We hope to make more use of visuals and photography in our campaigning.
  • We also plan to hit our target of 1463 signatures on the Save Shottery petition (the year Anne Hathway’s Cottage was first built) by 23 April, Shakespeare’s birthday. If you’ve not already signed our petition, please click on the link and do so now.  Thank you.

Boris Godunov is on at the Swan Theatre until 30 March – tickets available. The World Elsewhere photographic exhibition is free and runs until 3 March 2013.