Before Shakespeare Database

Created by a project team from various universities, including the University of Roehampton and the King’s College London, 2016

https://beforeshakespeare.com/

This is a database dedicated to live theatre before William Shakespeare, specifically looking at the era when Queen Elizabeth ruled (16th century). The site includes a blog section to promote events and resources for learning about theatre before Shakespeare and an archive of these blog posts. It also includes an about section, an events section, a media section (including photos, videos, and workshops), a plays and materials section (including a timeline and a “live tweets” section), a links section for other resources, and an index of posts. This database is not just a collection of information, it seems to be designed to initiate conversation, between blog posts that can be commented on, and different workshops that are being promoted. There seems to be a sense of community that extends outside of the project. - Olivia Nicolazzo

A person using this database should know how to navigate a database at an intermediate level, as there is a large collection of information, but it is all well organized. A person should know how to use online tools, such as navigating an online timeline, or sorting through numerous Twitter posts to collect information.

The database links to several sources, such as the Museum of London Archaeology, the King’s College London, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. However, there does not seem to be an extensive and collaborative collection of sources and materials similar to this site.

One should learn the basics of navigating a database, as well as some general knowledge of narrowing down search results to find a specific webpage, as there are many categories and subcategories to explore.