As part of this special issue, we are delighted to host a conversation by the journalist, Dr. Olha Kvasnytsia, with Prof. Nataliya Torkut, the Head of the Ukrainian Shakespeare Centre and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Shakespeare Institute of the University of Birmingham. The aim of this contribution is to highlight the intellectual and cultural activities of the Ukrainian Shakespeare Centre (USC), its history, conceptual foundations, and present-day mission in response to contemporary challenges and the shifting cultural and civic paradigm. The USC's objective involves selecting appropriate development strategies, particularly in areas of scholarships, translations, and public education. Its mission focuses on overcoming entrenched stereotypes about Shakespeare, de-ideologising his image, freeing it from the remnants of "vulgar sociologism" inherited from the past, and revitalising academic Shakespeare studies in Ukraine. It also seeks to expand research through interdisciplinary approaches, foster international collaboration with global Shakespearean institutions, and promote the multifaceted dissemination of the USC's achievements. This includes popularising Shakespeare's works through various forms, establishing a dedicated Shakespeare Library, founding and publishing specialised scholarly journals such as Shakespeare Discourse and Renaissance Studies, creating the Ukrainian Shakespeare Portal website, and organising Shakespeare Days in Ukraine, among other initiatives. With the onset ofthe Russian-Ukrainian war, the USC redefined its objectives, using public communication tools to decolonise perceptions of Ukraine and Ukrainian Shakespeare studies, particularly through the organisation of the first Ukrainian Shakespeare Festival. The activities of the USC-and Ukrainian Shakespeare scholarship as a whole, both in mainland Ukraine and in the diaspora-serve as a powerful example of cultural diplomacy, demonstrating the presence of Ukrainian culture within the global context.
The study of precarity has emerged as a new theoretical interest in the humanities in response to contemporary global crises such as military conflicts, terrorist attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic, ecological disasters, and climate change. In the Ukrainian context, where war and geopolitical instability remain ever-present, the exploration of precarity resonates deeply. This article examines the exploration of the precariousness of human existence in William Shakespeare’s plays through a distinctly Ukrainian lens. It engages with the ongoing war in Ukraine, the nation’s experiences of trauma, loss, resilience, and with the therapeutic potential of Shakespeare-related programmes. Drawing on Judith Butler’s theory of precariousness and precarity, this essay analyses how Shakespeare’s plays address the fundamental vulnerabilities of human life linked to health, race, and social inequities. It pays particular attention to the precariousness of human existence, with a focus on the realities of war, political power, and the system of government. The plays used in the analysis are Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Henry V, Richard II, and Richard III. The paper concludes that Shakespeare’s exploration of precarious existence speaks not only to the fragility of life in his time but also mirrors the existential challenges faced by Ukrainians today, making his works relevant to both local and global audiences.
