V&A South Kensington

 

William Shakespeare Celebrate Shakespeare's birthday month by exploring his legacy through art and design at V&A South Kensington. Don't miss the Performance Festival at V&A South Kensington, centred each year around Shakespeare’s birthday, a thrilling ten-day programme celebrating theatre and performance in all its forms. Explore Shakespeare ▸ Performance Festival ▸

Shakespeare in the collections Shakespeare's first folio Uncover the mysteries held within a 400-year-old copy of the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays. Without this extraordinary book, several of his best-loved plays would have been lost. Watch now ▸ Greater Shakespeare Discover treasures from the Prints and Drawings collection at a free talk with a curator, including this playful homage to the iconic London Underground design with characters from Shakespeare's plays. Find out more ▸ Shakespeare in ceramics Shakespeare's timeless plays have inspired numerous ceramic designs found in V&A South Kensington's collections, such as this dish with printed decoration of scenes from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. Take a closer look ▸ Shakespeare in jewellery A shell cameo brooch with a gold frame from 1840 depicts Ariel, the magical spirit in Shakespeare’s play 'The Tempest', with a large feather in his left hand on the back of a flying bat.  Discover more ▸

Performance Festival Friday 19 April - Sunday 28 April From mesmerizing performances to interactive workshops, immerse yourself in a celebration of all things theatre and performance with special events across V&A South Kensington.