Adobe and the Royal Shakespeare Company give The Bard a modern makeover for the 'Instagram Generation'

Fantasy photographer Rosie Hardy, comic book artist Amrit Birdi, photographer and conceptual artist Darryll Jones, digital artist Jack Teagle, and illustrator Octavia Bromell have put their twists on classic scenes from Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

To ensure the scenes stay true to their original meanings, the artists worked closely with RSC Director of Education Jacqui O'Hanlon and RSC theatre director Alex Thorpe.

O'Hanlon said: "The RSC and Adobe believe that creativity and the arts should be an integral part of every child’s education. We know from our extensive research that having access to arts and cultural learning improves empathy, critical and creative thinking in young people as well as developing their social and communication skills.

"All these qualities and attributes are essential for helping prepare young people to take their place in the world. We’re thrilled to be working together to inspire young creators to explore Shakespeare’s work in new ways, using digital tools to explore the thing that RSC actors and directors work on every day: how to bring Shakespeare’s best-loved texts to life for contemporary audiences of all ages."

The project comes after research by Adobe revealed that 77% of 11 to 18-year-olds who struggle to understand William Shakespeare’s plays say it is because of the challenging language, with 29% saying that modern-day interpretations of the plays would help with their understanding of Shakespeare.