For more than fifteen years, the Stratford Festival has led an annual residency in Michigan in partnership with teachers and students at the secondary and post-secondary levels and in collaboration with community arts organizations. The mandate of the Michigan Residency is to explore innovative pedagogical strategies and to support educators in integrating these practices in their own contexts across the state. In the classroom, participating teachers and students work with Festival staff and teaching artists to tie state academic standards for English Language Arts and Theatre to the study of Shakespeare. "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 Michigan Residency is offered free of charge to participating students and teachers. It is supported in part 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.
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.
The Stratford Seminar SocietyAugust 7-12, 2023
Now in our 45th season, we offer a week-long theatre immersion including discounted tickets to eight plays, academic talks to enrich the plays, candid interviews with leading Festival artists, spirited daily discussions, and an opening-night dinner.
Open to everyone!
For more information, click here.
You can also contact: Jim Montgomerysss.comptroller@gmail.com or 416.606.9479
Shakesperience is a one-week, three-credit, intensive field study course taken during the spring semester in June. During this week, course participants will travel to the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario to see plays, participate in workshops and backstage tours and have discussions with directors, actors and writers.
It is hosted by Bishop's University and led by Dr. Jessica Riddell, Professor in the English Department, Bishop's University, 3M National Teaching Fellow (www.jessicariddell.com).
The course is open to students from the Maple League (Mount Allison, St. Francis Xavier, Acadia and Bishop's). It is also open to staff, alumni and faculty from any of these universities!
To learn more, visit: https://www.bushakesperience.com/
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.