Trust receives its largest ever private donation to help save home of Shakespeare’s daughter
Melanie May | 9 September 2024 | News
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has received a £1 million donation from American playwright Ken Ludwig – the largest private donation the Trust has received in its 177-year history.
Ludwig gave his donation to support the ongoing conservation of Hall’s Croft, once home to William Shakespeare’s daughter, Susanna.
Hall’s Croft is a Grade 1 listed building and one of the last complete examples of Jacobean architecture, dating back to 1613. The house plays a significant role in the history of Stratford-upon-Avon and the life of Shakespeare’s family. The donation will support and strengthen Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s conservation programme at the property, to help preserve it for future generations.
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The programme to date has included restoration work to save the building from almost certain collapse in the late 1940s, further structural repairs in the 1990s and mid-2010s, and most recently a comprehensive audit of its conservation requirements. This saw the Trust work with archaeologists from the University of Staffordshire to map the exterior of Hall’s Croft using photogrammetry, and created a 3D model of the property that will be used for research and to inform more targeted repairs.
Tim Cooke, CEO of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust said:
“This is a fabulous act of generosity on Ken Ludwig’s part, which secures the future of a key element of genuine Shakespearian history and Shakespeare’s own family story for both the UK and for visitors from across the globe. Our conservation work is a central part of our work as a charity and it enables our visitors and audiences to place Shakespeare in time and space as they explore his life story and his work, which continues to speak with profound meaning and relevance today.”
Ken Ludwig, who was in the UK last week for the launch of a touring production of his adaptation of Murder on The Orient Express, commented:
“Shakespeare is the great foundation for all of us who work in the theatre, and it’s an honour to support the preservation of Shakespeare’s legacy in Stratford-upon-Avon. As a playwright, restoring Hall’s Croft is a way of giving back for the lifetime of joy and inspiration I’ve derived from the British theatre.
“Hall’s Croft has stood since 1613 – for over 400 years – and I can’t think of any project more worthwhile than partnering with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to ensure that it stands for the next 400.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.