Releasing unpopular news, damaging reports or controversial resignations late on a Friday afternoon is a well-worn political and corporate PR tactic. By burying announcements at the very end of the working week, politicians and organisations hope to minimise public scrutiny and allow outrage to dissipate over the weekend.
Yet when word emerged this Friday that the University of Birmingham plans to close its celebrated Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, the timing did little to soften the blow. Far from slipping quietly under the radar, the news was met with immediate shock and dismay across the academic and literary worlds, sparking urgent questions about the future of Shakespearean scholarship in the Bard’s own hometown.
UPDATE:
Sign the petition here to stop the closure: https://tinyurl.com/ShakespeareInstitutePetition
