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MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Stratford Festival Theatre Arts Camp includes year-round programming intended to give participants the chance to learn collaboratively and experientially alongside their peers. Taught by professional teaching artists, participants enjoy a variety of classes, workshops, discussion, rehearsal and theatre-going. Past participants report that our camps have helped them to increase their self-confidence, further develop their skills as theatre artists and make new friends. In our programming, we aim to provide supportive communities of learning that emphasize having fun and creative playmaking.

Participants come from throughout Canada and around the world to take part in our camps, which include sessions for Grades 1–12 as well as Adult and Family camps. Our summer overnight camps focus on Shakespeare, Musical Theatre and new this year, Playwriting. We also offer PA Day and March Break day camps for the local community.

Want to learn more? See what some of our Theatre Arts Camp participants have to say about their experience here.

"This program has surpassed all of our expectations. It is truly remarkable. I can’t thank you enough for the experience that my daughter will cherish for a lifetime! She has already asked if she can do it again next summer!” – Nina, parent

For more information contact the Education Department at educate@stratfordfestival.ca.

Space is limited and will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis.

Bursaries & Scholarships
If you require financial assistance, we encourage you to apply for a bursary or scholarship. Bursary and scholarship application forms should be submitted with your registration.

Stratford Festival Bursary - Open to all applicants

CCAR Scholarship - Open to US students in grades 11 and 12 who wish to attend both the Shakespeare and Musical Theatre Intensives.

Early bird pricing until January 31, 2020.

General Theatre Arts Camp FAQs

DAY CAMPS AND PA DAYS

PA Day Camps: Grades 1 to 6 (9 am to 4 pm) 

Open to all levels of experience and learning - no prior theatre experience needed!

Join us for exciting, creative theatre exploration during our 2019/2020 PA Day Camps. Students in grades 1 - 6 get a chance to immerse themselves into the world of theatre and have the opportunity to engage in specific activities that are tailored for the theme of each session. Our PA Days have been thoughtfully planned out to cater for all needs and our professional theatre artists have designed spectacular workshops that will have you appreciate the role of the actor at a whole new level. Fun is our focus, all while learning new theatre skills, building core confidence and working as part of an ensemble. 


• September 13: Fighting Words in Shakespeare - Shakespearean Insults and Stage Combat 
• November 8: Dramatic Villains in Shakespeare's plays - Stage Makeup and Characters
• December 6: Costumes and Characters - Wardrobe, Wigs and Wonder!
• January 31: Creating a Character Voice
• May 1: Physical Theatre and Movement - CANCELLED
• June 8:  World of a Play - CANCELLED


Enjoy a day of play and learning without the pressure of a performance at the end of the day. Students will leave with a wealth of new skills, creative expression, and an experience that will have them yearning to come back! 

Please note our PA Day programs are held in connection with the Avon-Maitland and Huron-Perth school board schedules. 


Cost: From $49 per session
Save 10% if you book three or more at the same time
Extended care available from 8 am until 5 pm for $10/day.


For more information please look at our FAQs

March Break Camp: March 16 to 20 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)   CANCELLED

A chance for students to explore and engage in a variety of skills, from prop-making to projecting your voice. Participants get a chance to create an ensemble rooted in our theme of the season: power. The week culminates in a sharing of work for parents, family and friends.

Grades 1-6
Nutritional snacks provided, but students must bring their own lunch.
Before/after care available from 8 am until 5 pm for $10/day.

Early Bird pricing: $199
After January 31: $225

Information Sheet

Summer Day Camps: June 29 to July 3 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)  CANCELLED

Experience the world of playmaking and play building. Using the themes from Wendy & Peter Pan, students will be introduced to specialized drama techniques.  The week culminates in a sharing of work for parents, family and friends.  Please note: there will be no class on July 1.

Grades 1-6
Includes a ticket to the 2 p.m. matinée of Wendy & Peter Pan on June 30.
Nutritional snacks provided, but students must bring their own lunch.
Before/after care available from 8 am until 5 pm for $10/day.

Early Bird pricing: $349
After January 31: $375

Information Sheet

Devising Theatre Day Camp: June 29 to July 3 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)  CANCELLED

In this one-week play incubator camp, students work together to create a play from scratch as a collective. Taking this season's theme of power as a starting point, they engage in activities that develop skills in movement, writing, improvisation, design, and directing.  This camp culminates with a showcase of the play for friends and family. Students are welcome to participate regardless of their prior level of experience with drama and theatre.

Grades 7 to 9
Includes a ticket to the 2 p.m. matinée of Wendy & Peter Pan on June 30.
Lunch is provided each day.
Please note that there will be class on July 1.

Early Bird pricing: $449
After January 31: $475

Presented in partnership with Cultivate, an art-based initiative that develops unique programs focusing on expanding the agency of young artists through interdisciplinary work and community-based approaches.

Information Sheet



OVERNIGHT SUMMER SESSIONS

Shakespeare Focus: July 5 to 11    CANCELLED

Shakespeare Focus sessions provide participants with the opportunity to explore the foundations of Shakespeare's work. The curriculum includes an emphasis on voice, language, physicality and performance. Through guided exercises, workshops and rehearsal, participants will learn and stage their own adaptation of one of his classics.

Grades 7 & 8
Includes a ticket to four Festival performances.
The week will culminate in a short performance by the participants for family and friends.
All meals, performance tickets and accommodation are included in the session price.

Early Bird pricing: $1,550
After January 31: $1,700

Information Sheet

Musical Theatre Focus: July 12 to 18     CANCELLED

Musical Theatre Focus sessions provide participants with the opportunity to explore the foundations of musical theatre through to 2020. The curriculum includes an emphasis on voice, dance and storytelling. Through guided exercises, workshops and rehearsal, participants will learn and stage their own performance, featuring original text and a selection of well-known songs from the musical theatre canon.

Grades 7 & 8
Includes a ticket to four Festival performances.
The week will culminate in a short performance by the participants for family and friends.
All meals, performance tickets and accommodation are included in the session price.

Early Bird pricing: $1,700
After January 31: $1,850

Information Sheet

Playwriting Focus: July 19 to 25   CANCELLED

The Playwriting Focus session provides participants with the opportunity to learn about the process of creating an original play text. Taught by a professional teaching artist who also works as a playwright, participants will work to develop their writing by learning new strategies and techniques.  

Grades 7 to 9

Program includes:
Learning fundamentals and principles of playwriting through a variety of techniques and inspiration
Guided to create an original new short script, scene or vignette (5 minutes in length)
Understanding how to format and structure scripts
Learning how to pitch the script to an audience
Working with professional playwrights in a mentoring capacity
Participating in a Q&A with actors, directors or playwrights involved in the 2020 season

Includes a ticket to four Festival performances.
The week culminates in a reading of the participants' new work for friends and family.
All meals, performance tickets and accommodation are included in the session price.

Early Bird pricing: $1,500
After January 31: $1,650

Information Sheet

Shakespeare Intensive: July 5 to 18     CANCELLED

Shakespeare Intensive sessions provide participants with a more rigorous exploration of classical theatre. The curriculum builds on the foundations of Shakespearean performance with a focus on developing the participants' performance skills through voice, text and movement. With individual and ensemble-based exercises, masterclasses and rehearsal, participants will learn and stage their own adaptation of one of Shakespeare's classics.

Grades 9-12
Includes a ticket to eight Festival performances.
The week will culminate in a short performance by the participants for family and friends.
All meals, performance tickets and accommodation are included in the session price.

Early Bird pricing: $2,650
After January 31: $2,850

Information Sheet

Musical Theatre Intensive    CANCELLED
Session 1: July 19 to August 1 
Session 2: August 2 to 15

Musical Theatre Intensive sessions provide participants with a more rigorous exploration of the musical theatre genre. The curriculum builds on the foundations of musical theatre performance with a focus on developing the participants' performance skills through vocal music, choreography and scriptwriting. With individual and ensemble exercises, masterclasses and rehearsal, participants will learn and stage their own performance, featuring original text and a selection of well-known songs from the musical theatre canon.

Grades 9-12
Includes a ticket to eight Festival performances.
The week will culminate in a short performance by the participants for family and friends.
All meals, performance tickets and accommodation are included in the session price.

Early Bird pricing: $2,800
After January 31: $3,000

Information Sheet

ADULT AND FAMILY CAMPS

Adult Theatre Arts Week: August 4 to 7 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)    CANCELLED

Experiment and explore Shakespeare's plays by immersing yourself practically into his world. Discover character and conflict, voice and volume, and movement and motive. Each day will focus on a different dramatic technique and element of classical theatre. Through guided exercises and scene study, participants will learn and rehearse selected scenes from some of Shakespeare's classics. No experience necessary, just a willingness to jump in and have fun!

18+
Includes a ticket to the 2 p.m. matinée of Hamlet on August 4.
Coffee and lunch are included each day.
The week will culminate in a short performance by the participants for family and friends.

Early Bird pricing: $499
After January 31: $625

Information Sheet

Family Theatre Arts Weekend: July 4 & 5    CANCELLED

Start a new family tradition! Discover theatre together, learn from Festival artists with active workshops including stage combat, spontaneous improvisation, choreography and a special hands-on workshop just for the kids and the kids at heart.  Designed for families of all ages.

All ages
Includes a ticket to the 2 p.m. matinée of Wendy & Peter Pan on July 5.
Coffee and lunch are included each day.

Early Bird pricing: $299 for adults, $129 for children 16 and under 
After January 31: $349 for adults, $179 for children

Information Sheet

2020 WORLD

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The Stratford Festival is partnering with "2020 World" to empower underserved youth across Canada.

A year's worth of arts-based activities will culminate in an opportunity to attend the 'Shakespeare Focus' summer camp. We appreciate you supporting this exciting partnership to widen the world for underserved young people across Canada using the power of the arts.