Download Information for bids to host the 2021 World Shakespeare Congress

2021 Congress: Information
Session for Prospective Hosts
5 August 2016
King’s College London
The World Shakespeare Congress
• The World Shakespeare Congress is a initiative of
the International Shakespeare Association (ISA), a
Charitable Incorporated Organised based in the
UK. The Congress is held every five years in a
different location.
• Institutions put in bids to host the World
Shakespeare Congress. The decision regarding
who will host the next Congress is made by the
ISA Executive Committee.
• Congress Hosts take on responsibility for funding
and administering the Congress, and work with
the ISA to develop the academic and cultural
program.
World Shakespeare Congress: Host
responsibilities
• The Congress Hosts are responsible for
funding and administering the Congress
• A Local Organising Committee (LOC) is
appointed to handle the logistics of the
Congress.
• The LOC is made up of representatives from
the Host institutions. Usually, a combination
of academic staff and administrative staff are
involved.
World Shakespeare Congress: the ISA’s
responsibilities
• The ISA is responsible for developing the
academic program—the seminars, panels, and
plenary speakers—for the Congress.
• A Congress Committee, an international
Committee of distinguished Shakespeare
scholars, is appointed by the ISA to oversee this
process.
• One purpose of the Congress Committee is to
ensure an appropriate level of internationalism
across the academic program.
A successful bid
• Prospective Congress Hosts need to make a
compelling argument as to why the Congress
should take place in their town or city.
• Bids should address practical as well as
scholarly or cultural matters.
The Location
• Where will the Congress be held, and is there
a particular rationale for this choice of
location?
• What makes this an attractive and appropriate
location? What kinds of cultural and social
opportunities will be available for delegates
(theatre, opening and closing receptions,
etc.)?
Management of the Congress
• How will the logistics of the event be handled?
By the administrative staff of the host
institutions, or by a third party (for example,
an event-management company)?
• If the organisation will be done in-house, what
provisions will be made to ensure an
appropriate level of staffing and resourcing?
Financial matters
• What contribution (financial or in-kind) is each
partner institution willing to make to the event?
• What is the likely registration fee?
• What is the likely cost of accommodation in the
Congress location? (Will there be a range of
accommodation options, from low cost to
higher?)
• What provisions will be made for delegates from
lower-income regions, and for postgraduate
students?
Risk management
Remember to take into account insurance,
liability, and any other legal implications.