School and teacher resources
From the history of the Minack, to events and workshops, resources and information for teachers, we're here to help.
We work with hundreds of young people every year and know how important professional learning opportunities and creative engagement is for young people. We aim to inspire and bring the arts to life, either in your classroom or at the Minack. For us, inclusion and engagement are at the centre of everything we do and we love sparking imaginations and supporting young people to explore their creativity and unlock potential.
Our education offer spans many types of workshops, activities and events on offer to schools and pre-school establishments. Those schools and preschool settings within the Penwith area can access free workshops for years EYFS, Years 2,5, 8 and 10 and these can be tailored towards your curriculum requirements. We also offer Shakespeare specific workshops and festivals.
The Minack and Rowena Cade
The Minack’s story began in 1929, when Rowena got involved with an open-air production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was such a success that the company repeated the production the following year. They then wanted to stage The Tempest and Rowena offered them the use of her cliff garden for the performance. Now, she had to create a practical acting area and somewhere for the audience to sit.
Read more about the history of the Minack and the master builder Rowena Cade here.
Visit and meet Billy Rawlings
You can arrange your own visit to the theatre to explore the beautiful gardens, take a look at our exhibition centre and on some mornings actor Mark Harandon tells the story of Billy Rawlings, Rowena Cade's gardener, their life-long working friendship and how they built a piece of heaven on a Cornish cliff. See our events calendar for dates and times.
We also have an activity leaflet for children to help them tour the theatre and learn about it's history. These are available from the entrance.
Planning your workshop
We understand that planning an educational trip can be tricky so we have included key information for you to plan your visit here. You will also find key policies and useful information, including risk assessments and the walking route to the theatre here.
If you have any additional questions please get in touch via email [email protected].
You can also sign up to our Education newsletter below to keep up to date with our latest projects and workshops.