Image: SBT Chair Lady Cobham welcomes Ken Ludwig to Hall's Croft
Ken Ludwig’s donation will be used to fund conservation efforts at the historic home of Shakespeare’s daughter
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which maintains and preserves the Shakespeare Birthplace properties alongside a museum, has announced a £1 million donation from American playwright Ken Ludwig.
The contribution marks the largest private donation in the Trust’s 177-year history, the trust said, and will be used to support the ongoing conservation of Hall’s Croft, once home to William Shakespeare’s daughter, Susanna.
Ludwig, who has had six productions on Broadway and eight in London’s West End, said: “Shakespeare is the great foundation for all of us who work in the theatre, and it’s an honour to support the preservation of Shakespeare’s legacy in Stratford-upon-Avon. As a playwright, restoring Hall’s Croft is a way of giving back for the lifetime of joy and inspiration I’ve derived from the British theatre.”
Tim Cooke, CEO of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said the donation “secures the future of a key element of genuine Shakespearian history and Shakespeare’s own family story for both the UK and for visitors from across the globe.
“Our conservation work is a central part of our work as a charity and it enables our visitors and audiences to place Shakespeare in time and space as they explore his life story and his work, which continues to speak with profound meaning and relevance today.”
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust have recently shared more details on the ongoing programme of conservation at Hall’s Croft, including an audit of the conservation requirements of the 17th century property.
As part of this work, the Trust has worked with archaeologists from the University of Staffordshire to map the exterior of Hall’s Croft using photogrammetry, creating a 3D model of the property that will be a valuable resource for research.
