Public Understanding of Shakespeare

Description of impact

Using broadcast, print and social media to reach member of the general public to share my research on Shakespeare's cultural and theatrical afterlife.

Who is affected

General public

Narrative

Non-academic beneficiaries of my research are (i) theatre companies, (ii) performing artists and (iii) general public. In addition to the impact activities associated with my current AHRC project ‘Performing Restoration Shakespeare’ (see below), I have shared my research with the wider public through commercial and social media—television, video, blogging, digital publication—in partnership with the BBC, British Council and Folger Shakespeare Library.

1. ‘Pioneers of Popular Entertainment’, BBC 3 documentary, interviewee, December 2015: 2.3 million viewers
2. ‘Shakespeare Lives’, British Council video, released 2016: 43,500 views on YouTube
3. ‘Shakespeare and Beyond’, blog posts for Folger Shakespeare Library, 2016 and continuing: 14,252 readers (Folger website, Facebook); my blog posts appeared on 112,830 Facebook profile pages.
4. ‘Shakespeare Unlimited’, podcast for Folger Shakespeare Library: 2839 on-line listeners
5. 'Shakespeare and Burlesque', podcast for Reduced Shakespeare company, April 2017, 2800 on-line listeners
6. Article for ‘Voices’, British Council on-line magazine, April 2016: 211 readers; 1227 shares on Facebook and Twitter.

Impact status	Ongoing
Impact date	01 Aug 2015
Category of impact	Cultural Impact
Impact level	Engagement