2012 Media Releases

Deutsche Bank and Bell Shakespeare will begin a special two week education initiative this week that will reach thousands of students at flood-affected schools across Queensland.

The unique in-school tour, which started yesterday, features Bell Shakespeare’s full-time ensemble of actors, The Players, and specialist arts educator, Paul Reichstein, who will bring Shakespeare to life at almost 20 Queensland secondary schools in Brisbane and Toowoomba most impacted by last year’s flooding.

As Bell Shakespeare’s Leadership Partner, Deutsche Bank is fully funding the initiative, which combines its contribution towards flood relief in Queensland with its commitment to inspiring the leaders of tomorrow through education and the arts.

“Our global experience in humanitarian relief, including recently in Victoria and New Zealand, has shown us the restorative power of the arts in supporting people long after the initial devastation has been dealt with,” said JT Macfarlane, Executive Chairman, Deutsche Bank Australia and New Zealand.

“Deutsche Bank has a deep-rooted commitment to education and the arts so we are delighted to be working with Bell Shakespeare to help inspire students in areas of Queensland that have suffered most from the floods.”

The highly-acclaimed team from Bell Shakespeare will deliver Actors At Work performances of Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream that have been developed specifically for student audiences and have accreditation from Education Queensland.

John Bell, Bell Shakespeare’s Co-Artistic Director, said: “Bell Shakespeare is proud to partner with Deutsche Bank on this key initiative, engaging students with live performances and opening young minds to the richness of Shakespeare’s writing and the world of theatre. With the support of our long-term partners, the Actors At Work program is able to access over 80,000 students in Australia every year.”

The hour-long performances use just a handful of props but unlimited amounts of imagination to help students understand two of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. Pre and post show practical masterclasses enhance the experience and a professional learning component for local teachers increases its longevity.

Deutsche Bank and Bell Shakespeare have been working together for three years in a partnership that brings together two like-minded organisations committed to the common themes of enabling talent, fostering creativity and developing potential.

For more information on Bell Shakespeare Learning visit bellshakespeare.com.au/learning or db.com/csr for information about Deutsche Bank’s CSR activities.