Deutsche Bank’s Flagship Partnership with Shakespeare’s Globe Reaches More Than 300,000 State School Students

Deutsche Bank’s Flagship Partnership with Shakespeare’s Globe Reaches More Than 300,000 State School Students

(IN BRIEF) Deutsche Bank is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its partnership with Shakespeare’s Globe through Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank, a long-running social impact initiative that has expanded access to live theatre and arts education for state school students across the UK. Since 2006, the programme has reached more than 300,000 students from London and Birmingham, with over 32,000 young people taking part each year. Built around live performances, workshops, teacher support and digital learning resources, the initiative helps students experience Shakespeare’s plays as engaging stage works while supporting classroom learning and exam preparation. Productions have included major works such as Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth and The Tempest, adapted for younger audiences while preserving Shakespeare’s original language. The programme also involves Deutsche Bank employees, who attend and volunteer at performances, and provides clients with the opportunity to engage with the partnership’s impact at the Globe Theatre. The anniversary highlights Deutsche Bank’s long-term CSR commitment to education, cultural access and youth development.

(PRESS RELEASE) FRANKFURT, 4-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Deutsche Bank is marking two decades of collaboration with Shakespeare’s Globe, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank, its flagship arts education partnership designed to widen access to live theatre and support learning among young people across the UK.

Launched in 2006, the programme has helped bring Shakespeare’s work to state school students who may otherwise have limited opportunities to experience theatre in a live performance setting. The initiative sits within Deutsche Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility Education pillar and reflects the bank’s long-term focus on expanding opportunity through learning, culture and community engagement.

At the centre of the partnership is a practical and immersive approach to arts education. Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank enables students to encounter Shakespeare’s plays not only as classroom texts, but as living works performed on stage. The programme combines specially adapted productions, in-person workshops and digital resources to help young audiences engage with the language, characters and themes of Shakespeare in accessible and memorable ways.

Each year, Shakespeare’s Globe selects and adapts a different play for secondary school audiences, creating productions that remain rooted in Shakespeare’s original language while being staged in a way that feels relevant and engaging for today’s students. Over the years, the programme has featured well-known works including Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth and The Tempest.

Since its creation, the initiative has become one of the UK’s major arts education programmes. More than 300,000 students from state secondary schools in London and Birmingham have taken part, with over 32,000 students attending annually. Its reach also extends beyond theatre visits, with curriculum-linked materials, teacher support and professional development resources made available to schools across the UK.

The programme’s educational value continues after students leave the theatre. By connecting live performance with classroom learning, it helps pupils strengthen critical thinking, communication, interpretation and collaboration skills. Teachers have also reported higher levels of engagement and confidence among students studying Shakespeare and other complex literary texts.

Digital learning remains an important part of the programme’s wider impact. The dedicated microsite provides flexible resources for teachers and students, supporting exam preparation, independent study and classroom activities linked to the curriculum. This allows the initiative to reach schools and learners beyond those able to attend performances in person.

Deutsche Bank employees also contribute to the programme’s success. Staff attend performances with friends and family and volunteer as stewards, helping to create a welcoming experience for participating students. The partnership also gives Deutsche Bank clients the opportunity to attend performances at the Globe Theatre and see the programme’s social impact in one of London’s most historic cultural venues.

Vathany Vijayaratna, Chief Executive Officer UK and Ireland at Deutsche Bank, said the bank is proud to celebrate 20 years of partnership with Shakespeare’s Globe. She noted that the programme has reached more than 300,000 students from state secondary schools across London and Birmingham and has helped open access to one of London’s most recognisable cultural landmarks for many young people.

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SOURCE: Deutsche Bank