SHAKESPEARE met the modern age when a school took part in a video conference.

Pupils from West Hatch High School, in Chigwell High Road, joined six other schools from across Essex set the task of filming an extract from the bard's plays.

After shooting a scene from Twelfth Night, they later prepared an IT presentation on Macbeth to show to their fellow students.

The event was part of the Essex-Jiangsu Performing Arts Project which sees students from England learning about Kunqu Opera while their counterparts in China study Shakespeare.

Eddie Zhao Lijin, from Nanjing Dong Shan Foreign Language School, visited Essex to observe the project.

He said: “It was really interesting and I liked how the students were taught– It is very different from what I’m used to.”

Five students will be going to China for a two-week summer programme as part of the project.

Nathalia Makki, 14, who took part in the video event said: “It was a great experience, I can’t wait to meet the students from the other schools when we get to China.”