RSC Open Stages is a new project that aims to embrace, develop and celebrate amateur theatre, re-forging the bond with the world of professional theatre. Over 2011/2012 the RSC, in partnership with a number of regional theatres and amateur theatre associations, are running a national programme of skills sharing events and showcases, with the amateur societies from across the UK invited to produce their own RSC branded Shakespeare themed production.

Over 260 amateur companies have signed up to produce RSC Open Stages productions across the UK from the Isle of Skye to the Isle of Wight, with over 7200 people taking part. Some of these companies have been regularly producing Shakespeare since well before the establishment of the RSC and some are trying it for the first time. Productions are due to be performed everywhere from castles to village halls, from beaches to ball rooms, with many being performed in the hundreds of successful amateur run theatres around the country. The project culminates in a national celebration, when a selection of RSC Open Stages groups are invited to perform their productions at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon, as part of the World Shakespeare Festival, performing alongside the Company's own festival productions and those from theatre companies around the world.