PARTNERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS

For more than 15 years, the Stratford Festival has led an annual residency in Michigan. Teaching artists from the Stratford Festival tour selected areas of the state offering accessible, interactive workshops and professional development to our partners at the elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels, as well as community arts organizations. As part of this program, Michigan teachers and students visit the Stratford Festival by way of in-person or virtual field trips.

The Michigan Residency explores innovative pedagogical strategies and supports educators in integrating these practices in their own contexts across the state. In the classroom, participating teachers and students work with Stratford Festival staff and teaching artists to tie state academic standards for English Language Arts and Theatre to the study of Shakespeare.

In 2024, the focus will take place in the communities of Ann Arbor, Flint, and Metro Detroit in the first two weeks of November. We will travel to Lansing and East Lansing the week of December 9. If you are an educator in one of these communities and would like a Stratford Festival teaching artist to work with your students, please email Arielle Zamora, Education Associate, at azamora@stratfordfestival.ca.

"The workshop increased my conviction that Shakespeare is a vital language experience, especially when brought to life physically by the students in the classroom. Using the real elements of theatre—voice, movement, embodied imagination—students are far more likely to connect with the spirit and value of Shakespeare. Silent reading just doesn't work."

- Michigan Residency participant

The Stratford Festival Michigan Residency is supported through the Michigan Education Outreach Fund, held within the Stratford Shakespearean Festival Endowment Foundation. For information on how you can support the Residency, please call our Advancement department at 1.800.561.1233, extension 5617.

CISDF

The Conference of Independent Schools Drama Festival (CISDF) is a one-of-a-kind, field trip experience for students in Grade 6-12 who are passionate about drama and theatre. By breaking down geographic boundaries and school walls, this province-wide theatre experience invites a powerful journey of self-expression and discovery.

The programming includes a middle school program in October as well as a multi-day senior school program in April.

June 23 to 28, 2025

Hosted by Bishop's University and led by Drs. Jessica Riddell, Shannon Murray and Lisa Dickson, this three-credit, intensive field study has students participate in five weeks of online asynchronous learning and then meet in person at the end of June to see plays, participate in workshops and tours, and engage with company artists.

Open to students, staff, alumni and faculty from the Maple League of Universities (Mount Allison, St. Francis Xavier, Acadia and Bishop's), the universities of Northern British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, and all other post-secondary students and life-long learners.

To learn more, visit: https://www.bushakesperience.com/

The Stratford Seminar Society
August 4-9, 2025

An intensive theatre immersion that enriches members' engagement with the Festival. The experience includes an opening dinner, discounted tickets to eight plays, academic lectures, interviews with Festival artists and daily discussions.

Open to everyone!

For more information, visit stratfordseminarsociety.wordpress.com

The Stratford Festival is a registered expert with Digital Human Library, a social enterprise advancing K-12 education as Canada's premier digital experiential learning library. Through Canada's largest network of Canadian teachers, industry leaders, businesses, experts, and collaborative community partnerships, Digital Human Library creates opportunities for teachers and students to engage in community-connected experiential learning by offering hundreds of interactive video conferences and engaging livestreamed educational programs.

NTS DramaFest

We work in partnership with the National Theatre School (NTS) DramaFest to support participating students and teachers in their engagement in drama learning in collaboration with the professional arts. The DramaFest brings together a large community of students, teachers, artists and parents with the mission to make theatre more accessible to all Canadian youth.

Teacher benefits include preferred rates for both digital and onsite education programs with the Stratford Festival. Details for 2025 benefits are shared directly by the NTS DramaFest with participating teachers.

Paprika Festival

The Paprika Festival is a youth-led professional performing arts organization that runs year-round professional training and mentorship programs that culminate in a performing arts festival of new work by young artists.

We work in partnership with the Paprika Festival to build bridges between young and established artists, equipping them with the skills and pathways to become future leaders in the sector. Our partnership includes supporting program facilitation and administration as well as mentorship support for emerging artists. In addition, we organize a one-day retreat in Stratford for Paprika Festival artists, alumni and staff.

The Stratford Festival was a founding member of the Arts Education Network of Ontario (formerly PAONE), a home for professionals who are committed to meaningful arts education within their organizations and communities.

As a member-driven service organization, they provide networking and professional development opportunities. They advocate for the value of arts education and strive to elevate the broader standards in arts education practice.

We are proud members of the Council of Ontario Drama and Dance Educators (CODE). CODE believes that specific Drama & Dance knowledge, skills and values are critical for learning at all levels of education in Ontario and that in order for this to happen, it is essential for Drama & Dance teachers to develop partnerships with the educational and artistic communities and with the public.

We value our relationships with the Board and teacher members throughout the province and have benefitted greatly from our participation in and support of professional development events and resources created by CODE.

We are grateful to be longstanding members of the Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA) which provides a forum for the artistic, managerial and educational leadership for theatres primarily involved with the production of the works of William Shakespeare. Alongside other members throughout the world, we discuss issues and share methods of work, resources and information through regular virtual communication, meetings and an annual, in-person conference.