Education Department Honored with Prestigious Award
By Katie Neves, guest writer
Last week, Deseret News recognized the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Education Department during their third annual Honors in Education Gala.
The gala, which is held in conjunction with First Lady Abby Cox’s “Show Up for Teachers” initiative, honors outstanding educators throughout the state of Utah. While primarily recognizing teachers and school staff, Deseret News also selected six businesses with an excellent record of educational programming and outreach—including the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
“This award means that our efforts are noticed,” said Education Director Stewart Shelley, “and that we have set a precedent over the past years in regards to educational programming. We’ve set a high standard to live up to.”
The Festival’s Education Department was selected for the award due to the wide variety and high quality of its programming. The Festival offers programs for learners of all ages and ability levels, serving districts and students across the state of Utah and beyond. Programs include the Shakespeare in the Schools tour, which brings free professional performances to the entire Intermountain West; and the Juvenile Justice program, which introduces the works of Shakespeare to youth in the Southwest Utah Youth Center.
In addition to summer camps and youth classes, Seminar Grove experiences, and various workshops, the Festival also hosts the annual Shakespeare Competition, which brings together thousands of students across the country to learn, compete, and collaborate in Shakespearean study and performance. Through its outreach, the Festival has worked with 34 school districts, 31 charter schools, 818 teachers, and 20,836 students in the 2023-2024 school year alone.
Education has always been a high priority for the Festival. Before becoming the Festival’s Executive Managing Director, Michael Bahr spent 24 years as the Education Director, fostering an environment of excellence, inclusivity, and innovation.
Current Education Director Stewart Shelley stepped into the role this past April, after working with the Department since 2022. After 19 years as a high school theatre teacher, a Bachelor’s in Theatre Arts Education from BYU, and a Master’s in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University, Shelley understands the power of theater in the development and education of young people.
Currently, the Education Department is working to partner with schools throughout the state of Utah who haven’t yet been reached by the Festival. “We want to have a presence state-wide,” said Shelley. “The Festival is currently re-envisioning the strategic plan, and we are excited to see how our department can align with the new mission, vision, values, and goals.” With the recent addition of a new education staff member, Sophie Grzywacz as Education Programs Manager, and a continually-growing team of teaching artists, the Festival’s Education Department aims to make Shakespeare and theater arts more accessible than ever before.
Other ways the department is hoping to reach more students is through Shakespearience, a program that offers discounted matinee tickets and other perks throughout the months of August and September to school groups. Also, USF School Days where school groups can get free tickets to two selected performances in September, is due to generous funding from the state.
The Deseret News Honors In Education award underscores the Festival’s commitment to educational excellence and community outreach. It is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire Education Department, who strive to inspire and educate Utah students and teachers through the power of the theatre.
To learn more about the Festival’s Education Department, visit bard.org/about/education, or reach out at USFeducation@bard.org.
