Teaching Workshop: Workshop Shakespeare & Law
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The workshop with young offenders and young people on probation aims at awakening UNIMI students and other participants to the issues of justice, detention and punishment.
It stimulates discussion about the meaning of being foreign starting from the participants' individual stories as well as from the witness of practitioners who help the group to understand the juridical process of the welcoming in Italy.
It brings the group to read the Shakespearean play with a multidisciplinary approach.
It helps the participants to recognise and to bring out their own skills (artistic, communicative, organising, etc.) in order to improve the collective project.
It guides the group towards the creation of a theatrical event (playwriting, conceiving scenography and costumes, backstage shooting, etc.) and its promotion (contacts with the media, and the social networks.
It stimulates discussion about the meaning of being foreign starting from the participants' individual stories as well as from the witness of practitioners who help the group to understand the juridical process of the welcoming in Italy.
It brings the group to read the Shakespearean play with a multidisciplinary approach.
It helps the participants to recognise and to bring out their own skills (artistic, communicative, organising, etc.) in order to improve the collective project.
It guides the group towards the creation of a theatrical event (playwriting, conceiving scenography and costumes, backstage shooting, etc.) and its promotion (contacts with the media, and the social networks.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the workshop, students will have had a unique experience of working together with a group of young offenders and youth on probation; they will have increased their knowledge about the life in a juvenile prison and its rules. They will also have learnt to discredit several stereotypes about "young criminals".
The work on the individual creative skills as well as the constant confrontation with such a varied group will lead students to acquire self-confidence and will push them to test their capabilities in a completely new way.
The multidisciplinary reading of the Shakesperean play will give students some samples of possibile future careers.
Being involved in all the steps of the work, they will acquire specific competences:
- critical reading of a literary text;
- creative writing;
- writing of "diari di bordo";
- drafting of press release;
- designing leaflets;
- promotion with the media.
The work on the individual creative skills as well as the constant confrontation with such a varied group will lead students to acquire self-confidence and will push them to test their capabilities in a completely new way.
The multidisciplinary reading of the Shakesperean play will give students some samples of possibile future careers.
Being involved in all the steps of the work, they will acquire specific competences:
- critical reading of a literary text;
- creative writing;
- writing of "diari di bordo";
- drafting of press release;
- designing leaflets;
- promotion with the media.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Giudizio di approvazione
Assessment result: superato/non superato
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The workshop "Shakespeare and Law", run in collaboration with the Law Department "Cesare Beccaria" and Puntozero's director Giuseppe Scutellà and Lisa Mazoni, at Milan's Juvenile Detention Centre "Cesare Beccaria", involves a group of university students along with young men from the juvenile detention centre and young professional actors from Puntozero. They will be guided in a critical reading of the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the light of participants' experiences. The group will question and discuss themes such as justice and law and will re-imagine the Shakespearean characters as teenagers of nowadays who are put on trial, simulating the procedure of a real-life trial in Italy in 2024. The results of the workshop will be presented at the conference Prison Shakespeare (29 November 2024, sala Napoleonica, Via Sant'Antonio).
The workshop will offer an opportunity for discussions and producing creative materials (short plays, diaries, poems, drawings, photographs, and short videos) that will be assembled in a final performance.
At the end of the workshop, students will have had a unique experience of working together with a group of young offenders and youth on probation; they will have increased their knowledge about life in a juvenile prison and its rules. They will also have learnt to discredit several stereotypes about "young criminals".
The work on individual creative skills and the constant confrontation with such a varied group will lead students to acquire self-confidence and push them to test their capabilities in a completely new way.
The multidisciplinary reading of the Shakespearean play will give students some samples of possible future careers.
Being involved in all the steps of the work, they will acquire specific competencies:
- critical reading of a literary text;
- creative writing;
- writing of "diari di bordo";
- drafting of the press release;
- designing leaflets;
- promotion with the media.
An 8-minute documentary on the workshop "La Statale al BeKKa" by Francesco and Giacomo is available at the link: https://vimeo.com/801210079.
The workshop is intended for a maximum of 25 students and will be held at the Teatro Beccaria Puntozero (via dei Calchi Taeggi 20) on the following dates:
Saturday 2, 9, 16, 23 November 2024 (from 9.30 am to 4.30pm)
Friday, 29 November (from 9.00am to 7.00pm)
The first meeting will take place on Friday, 18 October, from 2.30pm to 5.30pm at the university in a room to be confirmed.
To take part, please write to [email protected] and [email protected] indicating 1) availability for acting 2) availability for the indicated Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoons 3) any other artistic skills (photography, writing, drawing, dancing, etc.) as well as a short letter of motivation.
Students who want to attend section meetings at the prison on Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoons (from 2.30 to 5.30, with no possibility of leaving early) please send us a copy of your identity card.
The workshop will offer an opportunity for discussions and producing creative materials (short plays, diaries, poems, drawings, photographs, and short videos) that will be assembled in a final performance.
At the end of the workshop, students will have had a unique experience of working together with a group of young offenders and youth on probation; they will have increased their knowledge about life in a juvenile prison and its rules. They will also have learnt to discredit several stereotypes about "young criminals".
The work on individual creative skills and the constant confrontation with such a varied group will lead students to acquire self-confidence and push them to test their capabilities in a completely new way.
The multidisciplinary reading of the Shakespearean play will give students some samples of possible future careers.
Being involved in all the steps of the work, they will acquire specific competencies:
- critical reading of a literary text;
- creative writing;
- writing of "diari di bordo";
- drafting of the press release;
- designing leaflets;
- promotion with the media.
An 8-minute documentary on the workshop "La Statale al BeKKa" by Francesco and Giacomo is available at the link: https://vimeo.com/801210079.
The workshop is intended for a maximum of 25 students and will be held at the Teatro Beccaria Puntozero (via dei Calchi Taeggi 20) on the following dates:
Saturday 2, 9, 16, 23 November 2024 (from 9.30 am to 4.30pm)
Friday, 29 November (from 9.00am to 7.00pm)
The first meeting will take place on Friday, 18 October, from 2.30pm to 5.30pm at the university in a room to be confirmed.
To take part, please write to [email protected] and [email protected] indicating 1) availability for acting 2) availability for the indicated Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoons 3) any other artistic skills (photography, writing, drawing, dancing, etc.) as well as a short letter of motivation.
Students who want to attend section meetings at the prison on Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoons (from 2.30 to 5.30, with no possibility of leaving early) please send us a copy of your identity card.
Prerequisites for admission
The workshop is run in Italian and in English but other languages are also welcome. Students need to have a good knowledge of the two languages.
Teaching methods
Through theatrical improvisations and creative and non-creative playwriting, the workshop encourages participants to work creatively and in groups, prompting them to
- critical reading of the theatre text
- a creative reworking of some Shakespearean scenes
- writing logbooks;
- writing press releases;
- contact with journalists;
- use of social media to promote the final theatrical event;
- graphic design of the event poster and theatre programme
- critical reading of the theatre text
- a creative reworking of some Shakespearean scenes
- writing logbooks;
- writing press releases;
- contact with journalists;
- use of social media to promote the final theatrical event;
- graphic design of the event poster and theatre programme
Teaching Resources
William Shakespeare, "Sogno di una notte di mezza estate" (the edition will be suggested at the beginning of the workshop).
Assessment methods and Criteria
Participants are asked to take an active part in the workshop.
They keep a diary of the workshop.
They are involved in writing, producing and promoting the final performance, so improving their writing skills in very different areas, such as producing press releases, day-to-day diaries, and a playtest.
Some of them receive training as actors in the performance.
They keep a diary of the workshop.
They are involved in writing, producing and promoting the final performance, so improving their writing skills in very different areas, such as producing press releases, day-to-day diaries, and a playtest.
Some of them receive training as actors in the performance.
Professor(s)