Currently the EDI department’s offices are located on the third floor of the Normal School in Room 307. 

Mission & Vision Statement

In service of the Stratford Festival’s commitment to our Festival Values, the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Department works to support and cultivate equitable methods of theatre making, expand a culture of belonging, and steward inclusive arts communities.

The EDI Department consists of two team members:

• Meineka Kulasinghe – EDI Manager
• Mateo G. Torres – EDI Development & Facilitation Coordinator

It is the function and purpose of the EDI Department to work both internally and externally to build a more equitable and inclusive Stratford Festival environment for the benefit of all its employees. We aim to represent the Festival as space where everyone feels welcomed, including staff and artists, patrons, or members of the various surrounding communities. The EDI department works collaboratively with all departments to devise strategies and implement actions that expand the diversity of the Festival’s staff and programming, enhances the theatre’s cultural competency in all areas and expands measures of accessibility across all platforms.

Two resources that can be accessed via this page and serve as consistent means of action and accountability for the EDI team are The Living Guidelines and the Pathways to Cultural Belonging (PATH) form. Please consult these resources to further explore our mission, initiate conversation and to always seek support.

The EDI department is actively engaged with the Stratford Welcoming Community which works in tandem with several Stratford businesses and organizations (including Stratford-Perth-Pride, Destination Stratford & the Stratford Police Department) for the purpose of creating a safer and more inclusive culture for the city of Stratford overall. We aim to achieve this goal through a citywide collaboration of devising actions plans informed by community feedback and collectively working together to provide support and additional resources on a consistent basis.

Some of the other ongoing initiatives for the EDI team include: · Ongoing expansion and support of affinity spaces for staff members who identify as members of Indigenous, People of Color, Disabled or 2SLGBTQ+ communities

• Building new relationships with various vendors and community partners
• Enhancing diverse recruitment and hiring initiatives
• Devising and facilitating EDI workshops that can be adapted and applied to all departments based on their specific needs
• Expanding access to and promotion of mental health access for all staff members, including those who are contracted. The EDI team is always happy to listen or talk with you. Come by our offices, schedule a meeting or contact us at any time for assistance.

The above content was originally provided by Daviorr Snipes and updated by Meineka Kulasinghe November 2024

Questions?

Meineka Kulasinghe, EDI Manager

mkulasinghe@stratfordfestival.ca

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