The festival seeks to engage the broadest range of people from across Kent and beyond. Not just the kinds of people who typically attend Shakespearean performances or the arts more generally, but also, through targeted programmes linking schools and educational workshops to engage those who are not typically attenders or are engaging with cultural events of this nature for the first time.

Work will be targeted to site companies and productions within social contexts that meet with these inclusive aims, identifying areas of multiple deprivation and working with schools in those areas to introduce children and their families to Shakespearean performances in an active way through preparatory workshops with performing companies. Innovative practitioners will be hand picked to make the link between enjoyable and educational schools' activity and exciting performances.