One of the most significant volumes in Birmingham’s Shakespeare Memorial Collection is a 400 year old printed copy of Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies.

The Everything to Everybody (E2E) team achieved an innovative national first by taking the City’s precious First Folio out of the Library of Birmimgham (LoB) on tour to 16 community venues around Birmingham and the West Midlands, including HMP Birmingham where it was viewed by 28 prisoners and 5 staff members.

This book is known to academics, librarians and curators as the First Folio. It was published in London in 1623, about seven years after Shakespeare had died and contains 36 of his plays.

Birmingham’s copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio is unique because it is the only one bought as part of a dedicated programme for improving people’s lives through culture and education. It was bought in 1881 for all the people of Birmingham, no matter their status. Of the 750 copies printed in London in 1623, only a third still exist, of which 84 are in the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC. Birmingham’s Folio is one of very few in public hands.

Taking the Folio on tour was a huge logistical challenge:

LoB was initially nervous about the First Folio going out on tour. Typically, such objects would be loaned to similar institutions, so LoB and E2E had to develop an approach that assured conservation professionals.

The E2E Project Manager and LoB Operations Manager carried out multiple risk assessments and overcame a series of internal challenges to obtain appropriate permissions to take the Folio out; to make suitable security arrangements to ensure its preservation and safety; and to work closely with their chosen partners to ensure correct display conditions at every venue for up to 4 hours at a time in a bespoke case.

What was explained and what we asked was well presented … it was a privilege to get up close and personal to this great book. I was literally a[n] arm length away from it. Many thanks for the experience. [Prisoner feedback]

As befits a text so fundamental to Britain’s theatrical heritage, the Folio arrived dramatically at each venue in a security van, accompanied by a retinue of academics, librarians, archivists, project staff, volunteers, a conservator and a security guard.

This was an inspiring presentation of community collaboration, creativity and togetherness that also taught me a lot about Shakespeare

WATCH our short film, First Folio Tour, to see how the E2E team overcame internal challenges and took the First Folio out on the road and hear how audiences reacted to the precious volume.

Here, you can read more about the impact of the tour on the 6,300+ people who came to see it.