Shakespeare Swung: Our Spacehive journey begins

In April, we proudly launched our Spacehive crowdfunding campaign for Shakespeare Swung — an exciting new chapter for Ruff Necks CIC.

Ruff Necks crowdfunding page is live on Spacehive, click to see more

This project has been a long time in the making. At its heart, Shakespeare Swung is about giving young people in South East Kent the opportunity to explore creativity, emotion and self-expression through performance. By reimagining the works of Shakespeare, we’re creating something accessible, relevant and deeply engaging for those who might not otherwise have access to the arts.

The campaign went live in April (on Shakespeare’s birthday, no less), marking a significant milestone for us. Within the first week, we had already reached an incredible 20% of our fundraising target — a reflection of the support and belief from our community.

Professional workshops led by DBS certified practitioners that promote freedom of expression through emotional exploration, collaborative choreography, and vocal and musical composition.

Through this project, we aim to deliver a series of workshops in drama, movement and music, supporting young people to explore challenging emotions in a safe, creative environment. These sessions are designed not just to build performance skills, but to improve mental wellbeing, confidence and a sense of belonging.

The project will bring together professional artists, educators and community members to create something truly collaborative, culminating in a final public performance that celebrates the journey and voices of those involved.

Like everything we do at Ruff Necks, this work is rooted in social change.

We know how powerful the arts can be as a tool for connection, expression and healing, especially for young people navigating complex emotional and social challenges.

Shakespeare Swung is about creating access to that experience, removing barriers, and making space for every voice to be heard.

We’re currently fundraising to bring this project to life, with a target of just under £13,000 to support delivery, artists, venues and resources.  Every pledge, share and conversation helps us move closer to making it a reality.

If you’d like to support the project, you can visit our Spacehive page here: https://www.spacehive.com/shakespeareswung

Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far, this is just the beginning.

Ellie x