The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company is a music theatre production company founded by MOBO-award winning hip-hop artist Kingslee “Akala” Daley, 25.

Based in London, THSC offers young people a different view of the arts and ultimately themselves. Through our education projects, live music events and theatre productions we engage young people, particularly those who are considered “hard to reach” and push them toward artistic excellence. By bridging music, theatre and performing arts in non-conventional venues we also strive to alter the perceptions of audiences of all ages, creating the ultimate entertainment experience via literature and the arts across the UK and beyond.

Via our education programme we look to educate and engage young people in both schools and youth organisations who may not ordinarily be interested in Shakespeare and his work by demonstrating how modern hip-hop shares many similarities with the themes, language and rhythm used by The Bard.

Our workshops aim to encourage disengaged young people to develop new skills in performing arts by getting them excited about words and rhyming, and thus gain a positive experience of Shakespeare, literature and the arts.  We help young people build their self-confidence and unlock their creative and artistic abilities by having them write and perform their own poetic lyrical reinterpretations based on Shakespeare’s works, giving them a platform to showcase their creative ideas with the support and guidance from leading music and theatre industry professionals.

Akala quotes:

“After rapping about Shakespeare in some of my songs I developed the moniker “the Rap Shakespearean” among the press and my fans.  In 2008, I decided to look for ways to spread my own love of Shakespeare to other young people in a more structured manner.”

The workshops are aimed at (but not limited to) young people aged 13-19 years old in both schools and youth clubs who are considered ‘hard to reach’ in traditional educational or artistic activities and those who are not in education, employment or training.  As we feel it is important to engage young people prior to any misconceptions of Shakespeare / hip-hop take form, we have recently developed an innovative workshop format for young people under 11 years old.

Our main objective is to create social cohesion between young people from varying social/economic backgrounds to be creative through the use of all art forms.

Kingslee ‘Akala’ Daley & The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company are supported by:

Registered Company Address: Cecil House, 52 St. Andrews Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 1JA.

The Hip-hop Shakespeare Foundation Ltd is a non-profit organisation, a company limited by guarantee.  Company No:6850832

The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company Limited is a private limited company. Company no: 6841462