PARTNERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS

Michigan Residency

For more than 15 years, the Stratford Festival has led an annual residency in Michigan with an emphasis on innovative pedagogical strategies and supporting educators at all levels in integrating these practices in their own contexts across the state.

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 2025, the residency includes the following for teachers and students to choose from:

• Michigan Teacher Day
• In-Person & Virtual Field Trips
• Student Workshops & Artist Chats

Michigan Teacher Day

Professional Learning & Previewing Performances
May 10 (in Stratford)

Explore the 2025 season before bringing your students.
Preview performances and take part in a professional learning workshops at the Stratford Festival.

$59 I $39 Early Bird
Register by April 25. Space is limited.

10 a.m. Registration & Teaching Shakespeare Workshop
2 p.m. As You Like It
8 p.m. Macbeth

BOOK NOW

Registration includes the morning workshop and a ticket to each performance. Tickets to the performances will be handed out on the day.

Field Trips, Workshops & Artist Chats

• In Person: Purchase tickets online or by phone through our Box Office.
• Virtual: Rent a single title or subscribe monthly to Classroom Connect, our digital streaming service that allows students to stream anywhere, anytime, for a low cost.

Bus Funding

We have dedicated funding to support travel to and from the Stratford Festival for Michigan students and teachers. Elementary and secondary school groups can apply for help with the cost of bus transportation. Learn more

Deepen Your Students' Experience!

Once you have booked your field trip, you will receive an email to coordinate any onsite workshops and post-show chats during your visit.

• Attend the Michigan Teacher Day or bring students for a 2025 field trip for the first time and receive a free post-show chat with cast and creative team members for your student group onsite during your visit.
• Bring students for a field trip to the Stratford Festival August-October from one of our 2025 Residency areas (Genesee, Ingham, Macomb, Oakland, Saint Clair, Washtenaw & Wayne Counties) and receive a free post-show workshop in your school in November or December.
• Subscribe to Classroom Connect to engage your students in a 2025 virtual field trip and receive a free post-show chat with a member of the cast or creative team from your chosen production.

Space in chats and workshops, onsite, in your school or virtually, is limited.
Registration is first come, first served.
Bespoke and longer-term workshops and teaching artist residences in schools are also available-please contact us to plan details.

"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

Learn more about our 2025 programming for Michigan teachers and students!

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.

First Nations University of Canada Partnership

Piloted in 2024 in collaboration with Timothy Drake at First Nations University of Canada (FNU), this partnership sees two students from FNU participate in a week-long immersive learning experience which includes tickets to performances, programming through The Meighen Forum and education, and artist meetings.

Read more about the first iteration of this partnership here.

Office of Indigenous Relations - University of Waterloo Partnership

Our partnership with the Office of Indigenous Relations at the University of Waterloo began in 2021 in concert with and led by the creative leadership of 1939. Through our collaboration, we collectively create educational resources and support community-building and engagement with a focus on Indigenous-led productions in the Stratford Festival season.

Below are three study guides we have created through this partnership:
1939 Study Guide
Women of the Fur Trade Study Guide
The Diviners Study Guide

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.