News Broadcasting
BBC organising Shakespeare school initiative in the UK
MUMBAI: “If you prick us do we not bleed”! On Sunday 3 July, 10,000 young performers from 400 schools will bring Shakespeare to life in 100 theatres across the UK. This is the biggest one-off theatre event ever staged in the world.
One Night of Shakespeare – a collaboration between the BBC and Shakespeare Schools Festival – will see pupils performing their own interpretations of Shakespeare on a professional stage, directed and produced by their teachers. Such is the scale of the event that the BBC and Shakespeare Schools Festival will be attempting to enter the Guinness World Records for the most performances of Shakespeare on one night.
Each of the 100 theatres will stage four different half-hour productions from 13 abridged versions of the Bard’s plays. They include Romeo and Juliet; Twelfth Night; Othello; As You Like It; Hamlet and The Merchant of Venice. In preparation for this UK-wide celebration of Shakespeare, teachers and pupils have received intensive professional training at director and cast workshops with the National Youth Theatre; Scottish Youth Theatre; National Youth Theatre of Wales and the Ulster Association of Youth Drama.
Shakespeare Schools Festival director Chris Grace says, “This project has been fantastic in bringing Shakespeare alive for young performers as well as boosting communication skills and school morale. The scale of this historic event is remarkable and the work that schools have put in should make for a wonderful, rewarding evening on 3 July.”
Later in the year, some of Britain’s leading television writers will interpret four of Shakespeare’s plays in modern versions for BBC One. Peter Bowker sets A Midsummer Night’s Dream during a weekend in a holiday park; while Sally Wainwright’s version of The Taming of the Shrew has Kate as an opposition MP who is instructed to find herself a husband to make her more electable. In David Nicholls’ Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice and Benedict are co-presenters of a popular early-evening regional television news show. Peter Moffat’s Macbeth is transposed to the enclosed and heated world of a top restaurant.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
