Scholarship Reunion

Scholarship Reunion

by | Oct 4, 2022 | Literature, NEWS

Katelyn’s journal from her Bell Shakespeare Teachers Scholarship reunion.
by Katelyn Doyle – Senior School Teacher (English, Philsophical Inquiry, Humanities, Christian Ed)
Tuesday 4 October 2022
‘What an amazing whirlwind trip to Sydney to catch up with the Bell Shakespeare theatre company and my fellow scholarship recipients from 2007.
I have returned home feeling incredibly blessed to have had this life-changing experience 15 years ago that has led to a life-long relationship with the amazing institution of Bell Shakespeare. Joanna Erskine, Head of Education at Bell, spoke warmly about the legacy our group has left within the company and how they are forever grateful for our involvement, yet it was apparent that we were the ones that feel that the connections we made and the opportunities we were afforded were priceless.
We toured Bell Shakespeare’s new space at Pier 2/3 at the Walsh’s Bay Arts Precinct, beneath the impressive vista of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We were able to look at the pre-production designs for the upcoming The Lovers musical which will open at the Opera House later this month. A highlight for myself was seeing John Bell’s library at the rooms, even if not all the books were on the shelves just yet. Unfortunately, not everyone could make the reunion, and so we Zoomed in with those still keeping the love of Shakespeare alive in the far-flung reaches of the country. To cap off a wonderful afternoon, my Bell Shakespeare compatriots and I went to the iconic Belvoir St Theatre to see a preview of Looking for Alibrandi. It was a wonderful weekend sharing a love of the Arts and all things Shakespeare.’

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Saturday 1 October 2022
‘So, this morning I am just a little excited. I am off to Sydney to catch up with the crowd from Bell Shakespeare. In 2007, I was lucky enough to be awarded one of the inaugural Bell Shakespeare teacher scholarships. I was teaching in Charters Towers at the time, and the amazing education department at Bell were keen to bring Shakespeare to every corner of our vast land.

Although it is 15 years old, one of our organisers, Linda Lorenza, still has this map in her study, showing where all of the Bard-loving scholarship recipients hail.

We worked for five days with academics from various universities to hone out skills. We were very focussed on ensuring Shakespeare was accessible to all students and that our teaching was engaging. It was an action-packed week with many highlights, one of which was attending production rehearsals and meeting John Bell himself. We even made it into Time magazine! The best part of the scholarship, however, has been the connections I have made with other teachers from regional areas. We have shared resources long after our scholarship concluded and continue to assist each other to make the Bard for all time. I truly cannot wait to arrive and see these amazing educators and visionaries again. Sydney awaits!’