How to Run a Shakespeare Workshop

Workshop Overview

Shakespeare workshops are interactive sessions where participants build Nostr-compatible websites with open source AI tools. These workshops work well for meetups, conferences, hackathons, or educational events. The format is simple: set up helpers, introduce the tool, provide free access through gift cards, build together, and celebrate what everyone creates.

Preparation (Before the Workshop)

Proper preparation is key to running a smooth Shakespeare workshop. Complete these tasks before participants arrive to ensure everything runs seamlessly.

Purchase and Set Up Gift Cards

Shakespeare makes it easy to provide free AI credits to workshop participants through gift cards. This ensures everyone can participate without needing their own API keys or payment setup.

1

Purchase Gift Cards in Shakespeare

Log into shakespeare.diy with your Nostr account, navigate to Settings → AI, and purchase gift cards in bulk using Stripe or Bitcoin Lightning.

2

Export as CSV

After purchase, export your gift cards as a CSV file containing the redeemable codes.

3

Upload to Faucet

Visit faucet.shakespeare.diy and upload your CSV file to create a shareable faucet page.

4

Add QR Code to Your Presentation

The faucet generates a QR code. Add this QR code to your presentation slides so participants can easily scan and redeem their free AI credits during the workshop.

5

Print QR Code on Business Cards or Flyers (Optional)

For added convenience, consider printing the QR code on business cards or flyers that participants can take with them. This makes it easier for attendees to redeem credits on their own devices. You can use our printable card template to create professional-looking gift cards.

Example gift cards

Customize Your Presentation

Use our pre-made presentation template to introduce Shakespeare to your workshop participants. The template covers all the key points you'll need to present.

Identify Potential Helpers

If you know some participants in advance who have experience with AI coding or Shakespeare, reach out to them before the workshop and ask if they'd be willing to help others during the building session. Having pre-identified helpers can make the workshop run even more smoothly, though you can also enlist helpers at the start of the workshop itself by asking who has experience.

Preparation Checklist

• ✅ Gift cards purchased and uploaded to faucet
• ✅ QR code added to presentation slides
• ✅ Presentation template customized (optional)
• ✅ Potential helpers identified (optional)
• ✅ Workshop space confirmed with projector/screen

Step 1: Introduce Shakespeare

Start your workshop with a brief introduction to Shakespeare and what it can do. Use the presentation template to cover the key points.

Present Shakespeare Overview

1. What is Shakespeare? And basics of how it works
2. Why Shakespeare is more freedom-respecting than alternatives like Lovable or Replit
3. Choosing AI providers and models (recommend Claude Sonnet 4.5 for the best code output)
4. How to push and deploy your code
5. How to edit existing sites on Shakespeare
6. Ideas of things you can build

Explain What Shakespeare Can Build

Help participants understand the scope of what they can create during the workshop by explaining Shakespeare's capabilities and limitations.

Emphasize that Shakespeare excels at building Nostr-native applications and client-side web experiences. For projects requiring backend infrastructure, participants should consider other tools or plan to integrate Shakespeare-built frontends with separate backend services.

Step 2: Build Together

Share the Gift Card QR Code

Display the QR code from your faucet page on the projector and have participants scan it with their phones to redeem their free AI credits. Make sure everyone successfully redeems a gift card before moving on to the building session.

The core of the workshop is collaborative building. One facilitator builds an example project on the main screen while participants work on their own projects simultaneously.

Lead the Group in Building Projects Together

For workshop project ideas and inspiration, browse the Shakespeare showcase to see what other builders have created.

Step 3: Share and Celebrate

The final phase of the workshop is where the magic happens. Participants deploy their creations and share them with the community.

Deployment Process

Shakespeare makes deployment simple:

1. Click Deploy: Participants use the built-in deployment feature to publish their sites
2. Get Public URL: Each project receives a unique public URL instantly. Share it in a group chat, or outloud

Showcase Time

Reserve the last 15-20 minutes for participants to present their creations:

• Screen Sharing: Pull up participant websites on the main display
• Quick Demos: Each person gets 1-2 minutes to show what they built and explain their process
• Celebrate Creativity: Highlight unique approaches and creative solutions
• Collaborative Problem Solving: Showcase time is also an opportunity to share things that went wrong, and get advice from the group!

Additional Resources

• Shakespeare Act 2: Build Freely - Feature overview
• How to Prompt Better Projects with Shakespeare - Prompting guide
• Editing Code in Shakespeare - Manual editing tips
• Deploying and Sharing Shakespeare Projects - Deployment guide
• Shakespeare Website
• Shakespeare Faucet - Gift card redemption

Happy building, and enjoy your workshop! 🎭