Globe and National Theatre join Shakespeare400 initiative

Wednesday night's ceremony at King's College London marked the launch of of the Shakespeare400 season which will run from April to September 2016.

The initiative is coordinated by King's College London and partners include Barbican, British Library, City of London Festival, Glyndebourne, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Royal Society of Literature, Shakespeare’s Globe, Southbank Sinfonia and the National Archives.

"We are delighted to be working with world-class cultural partners to celebrate the profound impact of 400 years of Shakespeare," said Professor Gordon McMullan of the London Shakespeare Centre.

"In 1916, King's, through the work of Professor Sir Israel Gollancz, led the way for the tercentenary celebrations, out of which emerged the National Theatre; and the College looks forward to again facilitating a London season with worldwide impact for 2016."

Deborah Bull, executive director of the King's Cultural Institute, added: "I'm delighted that so many significant partners – some longstanding and some new to King's – have committed to working with us to ensure that Shakespeare's quatercentenary is marked appropriately – for as wide an audience as possible and in a way that doesn't only commemorate the past, but that also celebrates the present and heralds the future."