2B or not 2B: texting the Bard at Teesside!

Can the so-called ‘text generation’ become interested in watching Shakespeare? Claire Jefferson, a University of Teesside BA (Hons) Graphic Design graduate certainly thinks so. Claire’s final year project aimed to encourage 11-16 year olds to consider watching Shakespeare’s performances, via a suggested campaign. The campaign includes a poster with the phrase ‘2B or not 2B’, transforming Hamlet’s famous dialogue into modern mobile-phone text speak.

Claire, 22, from Stockton, first studied Shakespeare aged 14 at McMillan College, Middlesbrough. She said: “Julius Caeser was my first Shakespeare play, and I grew to love his work, I enjoyed the challenge of learning a new language. I’ve also seen The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Richard II and A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed on stage. With this campaign I wanted to show young people that Shakespeare isn’t as scary as they might think, you can break the language down so it’s not difficult to understand. Through mobile phones, young people have found it easy to invent their own text language. If they can handle text messaging they can handle Shakespeare.”

To research her project, Claire completed a questionnaire of 30 11-16 year olds, exploring their opinions of Shakespeare. Claire said: “The majority said they found the language off-putting. My campaign aims to remove that feeling, and encourage young people to go and see the productions performed, they’re not just books to be read. I think some of the people surveyed felt that Shakespeare was forced upon them at school, but seeing as they have to study it, why not enjoy it? I’d love to see the campaign taken up. I’ve shown my ideas to my parents Patricia and Kevan and they’re very helpful and supportive.”

Claire’s campaign includes four posters, an information booklet and postcards, to be distributed in schools, libraries, and waiting rooms. In addition to the text speak; the campaign also promotes Shakespeare in other languages, including Egyptian hieroglyphics. It will be displayed at the New Designers Exhibition in London, in July.

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