Nearly 400 children from 14 primary, secondary and special schools across Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk came together to take part in a Shakespeare-inspired playmaking festival.

East Anglian Daily Times: Year 9 pupils from Ormiston Sudbury Academy performing Act III of Romeo and Juliet Picture: ORMISTON ACADEMIES TRUSTYear 9 pupils from Ormiston Sudbury Academy performing Act III of Romeo and Juliet Picture: ORMISTON ACADEMIES TRUST (Image: Archant)

The three-day event, organised in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, was held at the Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich last month.

The event follows Ormiston Sudbury Academy's first year as a Royal Shakespeare Company lead associate school, which has seen the academy recruit and coordinate a cluster of schools to teach and perform Shakespeare's work.

The event kicked off with a mass performance by the students, including pupils from Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT) schools Ormiston Sudbury, Stoke, Victory, Rivers, Denes and Endeavour academies.

The pupils then staged three 'abridged' versions of Romeo and Juliet, with each school taking on one of the five acts.