Dr Chris Laoutaris, Senior Lecturer at the Shakespeare Institute (part of the University of Birmingham), is the Co-Creator and Co-Chair of a new initiative called the Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance, jointly established with Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute, and Dr Rowan Mackenzie, Artistic Director of Shakespeare UnBard. This new initiative is designed to bring together Shakespeare practitioners, directors, government representatives, scholars, and institutions with the aim of bridging divides across nations, cultures, communities and disciplines.
The Alliance will be launched on 9-11 June through a free online global event, hosted by the Shakespeare Institute, and featuring participants from theatre companies, charities, prison networks, publishing houses, tourist and curatorial industries, arts organisations, academic institutions, government bodies and many more! It will also showcase the University of Birmingham’s international partners in Shakespeare: not just those with whom the Shakespeare Institute already has close formal links, in China, Japan and Singapore, but also colleagues and collaborators from Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia, Canada and the United States.
The event will include a session (taking place on 9 June) dedicated to a new collaboration between the Shakespeare Institute and Cypriot organisations, led by Dr Chris Laoutaris and Dr Eleni Pilla, Co-Creators of the Shakespeare in Cyprus project. The panel will feature representatives from the Cyprus High Commission in the UK, Cyprus’ Home for Cooperation (an intercommunal arts and heritage centre), the Cyprus Buffer Fringe Performing Arts Festival, and independent Cypriot theatre directors and film makers. You can find out more about the Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance launch and the ‘Shakespeare in Cyprus Collaboration’ session, as well as register for this free series of enticing online events, by visiting: www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/edacs/departments/shakespeare/events/2021/shakespeare-beyond-borders-alliance.aspx
Attending the event is free and simple – register just once, then pick and choose which of the exciting sessions you wish to attend. You are not committed to attending the whole event, but there’s so much going on that it would be a shame to miss any of the excitement!
Dr Laoutaris, a London-born Greek Cypriot whose parents, John and Thalia, come from Avgorou in Cyprus, is a Shakespeare scholar, biographer and historian. He is the author of Shakespeare and the Countess: The Battle that Gave Birth to the Globe (published by Penguin), which was shortlisted for the Tony Lothian Prize for Biography, was Book of the Year for both the Observer and Telegraph, and was one of the New York Post’s ‘Must Read Books.’ He has since signed a two-book publishing deal with HarperCollins’ William Collins imprint for his next two works. He explains: “Shakespeare has the power to bring people together and foster equality. We hope the Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance will facilitate dialogue, collaboration, understanding and mutual learning across national, social and disciplinary borders. Join us and together we will co-create a Shakespeare network without limits!”
UK Cypriot Academic Dr Chris Laoutaris co-Creates the Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance
