The PCTO “Le potenzialità del teatro shakespeariano per l’apprendimento del testo letterario in lingua inglese e della sua performance” (The Potential of Shakespearean Theatre for Learning Literary Texts in English and Their Performance) is part of Italy’s national work-based learning programme for upper secondary schools (Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l’Orientamento), which helps students develop transversal competences that are key to employability and lifelong learning, ensuring sustained participation in the job market even when reconsidering earlier career choices.
The project was conceived and is coordinated by Maddalena Pennacchia for the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Roma Tre University. The editions 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 are linked to the PRIN 2022 research initiative “Applied Shakespeare: Developing New Educational Models for Transversal Competences and Life-skills”, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research since October 2023.
The following selection, curated by Michela Compagnoni, showcases activities created by students across the different editions of the workshop. These outcomes illustrate how their work has evolved in parallel with the changes in our methodology, moving from an early focus on textual analysis towards increasingly creative and empathetic reinterpretations of Shakespeare’s plays.
Over time, we have embraced pedagogies such as radical listening and strategic presentism to foster empathy, emotional intelligence, creativity, and collaboration. This approach encourages students to build an imaginative dialogue with Shakespeare that not only deepens their literary interpretations but also strengthens their self-awareness and understanding of others.
