Three English Speaking Union (ESU) scholarship holders recently returned to Malta after a week’s stay in the UK.
Andrew Caruana Galizia, who attended an international relations conference in Oxford, and Simone Spiteri and Charles Sammut, who participated in workshops on Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon and London respectively, spoke of their positive experience.
“I recommend ESU’s International Relations Conference at Oxford to anyone with a serious interest in international politics, law or economics: not only because of the academics, politicians and diplomats you will listen to and meet, but because of the eclectic and engaging collection of people who will make up the group of delegates,” said Mr Caruana Galizia.
At the conference, Professor Emeritus Paul Wilkinson and Dr Thomas Grant of St Andrews and Cambridge universities touched on the challenge of defining and legislating against international terrorism and the difficulties associated with gathering counter-terrorism intelligence.
Sir Christopher Meyer, a former British ambassador to the US, spoke of diplomacy’s importance in the global politics of climate change, terrorism, armed conflict and financial crises. There were debates on the rise of China and the importance of Latin America.
Meanwhile, Ms Spiteri attended lectures, meetings with actors, sightseeing and four performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The group met Prof. Stanley Wells, who gave a talk on his new book, Shakespeare, Sex and Love. The course ended with a performance of The Comedy of Errors by the Shakespeare Youth Theatre, whose aim is to ease the bridge between Shakespeare and youngsters who are being exposed to his work for the first time.
“The aim was fully achieved since The Courtyard Theatre was full to the brim with young children squealing with delight at every pun, punch and mishap, so well enacted by the versatile team of actors,” Ms Spiteri said.
Delegates to the Shakespeare and his stage seminar at The Globe hailed from 30 countries. There was a mix of university academics, sixth form teachers, drama teachers and actors.
Mr Sammut said he mainly appreciated Yolanda Vazquez’s methods of working hands-on with Shakespeare’s texts, bringing together words and physical exercises, which could help students feel the rhythm of Shakespeare’s language.
Glynn MacDonald made everybody take on roles in his workshops on archetypes in Shakespeare’s plays; Peter Spottiswoode spoke of the development of the English language in Shakespeare’s works. Delegates talked about Shakespeare in translation, and there was a visit backstage to the Globe, and sessions on costumes and music.
“I have been teaching Shakespeare for a long time and this was a fresh injection of ideas, which will certainly have a long-term impact on my teaching and approach to this great playwright and his works,”Mr Sammut said.