The charity responsible for preserving the Shakespeare family homes in Stratford-upon-Avon has today (23/05/2025) shared more information on what visitors can expect to experience when they visit the new exhibition that opens at Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Saturday 24 May.
When I was at home I was in a better place; but travellers must be content.
As You Like It, Act 2 Scene 4.
These are just some of the powerful words that will greet visitors to Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon when a new exhibition dedicated to exploring the famous writer’s formative years and enduring creative legacy opens this week.
Becoming Shakespeare will open on Saturday 24 May. Bringing historical narratives and immersive storytelling together to create an engaging and emotional visitor experience, the exhibition places Stratford-upon-Avon at the heart of what made William Shakespeare.
The visitor journey, created in partnership with Sarner International, will unfold through a series of curated spaces. Themes of birth, sense of place and destiny, all woven through Shakespeare’s timeless works, are explored to help audiences develop a stronger connection to the Shakespeare story.
- Welcome – An introduction to Shakespeare’s Birthplace and its transformation from Tudor family home into a site of literary pilgrimage for millions of people.
- Setting the Scene… – A poetic and dynamic prelude that uses striking imagery and Shakespeare’s own words to explore the start of Shakespeare’s creative journey. Visitors are transported to Shakespeare’s beginnings, standing in the place where his journey began.
- Early Influences – A reflection on the early influences that shaped Shakespeare’s imagination, from his family and natural surroundings to his formal education and experiences in the wider world. Carefully selected artefacts from the Trust’s collections enrich the experience, offering tangible connections to his formative years.
- Shakespeare’s Spark –A new wraparound projection experience immerses visitors in Shakespeare’s unparalleled ability to capture the human experience. His words continue to resonate across time - connecting with each visitor, challenging perspectives, and evoking an emotional connection.
- Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon – Visitors will be invited to look beyond Shakespeare’s Birthplace and discover the part Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwickshire society played in shaping Shakespeare’s worldview and creative development.
Commenting on the development of the new exhibition, Prof Charlotte Scott, Academic Advisor to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) said:
“Becoming Shakespeare is a unique and original exhibition celebrating the beginning of Shakespeare's story, from birth to boyhood. We invite audiences to experience and explore Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford -upon-Avon, his community, his childhood life and his own creative reflections on birth, belonging and the contexts that shaped his thinking and his art.
Situating Shakespeare's creativity within the early influences of place and home, we will bring the past to life to consider how William, the first surviving child of John and Mary, became Shakespeare”.
The new exhibition is the latest output of the Trust’s new organisational vision – the Home of Shakespeare for the World. Focusing on bringing everyone together through Shakespeare to experience and spark conversations around his work, life and times today.
Rachael North, CEO of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust said:
“Our new exhibition reflects our commitment to celebrating and sharing the Shakespeare story with diverse audiences and sparking those conversations that allow us all to explore our shared humanity in a profoundly personal way.
We are focusing on Shakespeare’s formative years and creative influences to help our visitor develop a deeper, personal connection to the beginnings of his extraordinary journey. How did this boy from a Warwickshire market town end up having such a deep impact on our culture? These are just some of the stories we will be sharing with our visitors, and I can’t wait for them to experience it.”
Becoming Shakespeare opens on Saturday 24 May 2025 and is included as part of admission to Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Visitors are encouraged to pre-book their tickets to beat the queues and take advantage of the Shakespeare’s Story ticket, giving entry to three of the Shakespeare family homes for one price.
For more information and to book tickets please visit www.shakespeare.org.uk