PARTNERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS

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.
      

2021 Virtual Michigan Residency

September 27-October 15, 2021

This program aims to:
- provide students and teachers access to dynamic professional productions;
- explore innovative pedagogical strategies with teachers and students;
- support teachers to confidently and creatively teach theatre and dramatic literature in a way that aligns with academic standards for English Language Arts and Theatre;
- deepen student engagement through inclusive, participatory learning experiences.

It is offered in two parts:
1. Access to Virtual Productions
2. Post-Show Student Workshops

1) ACCESS TO VIRTUAL PRODUCTIONS
Teachers choose one of the following Stratford Festival On Film productions and receive access to a secure link for students to view in school or from home.
     • Othello (2019)
     • The Merry Wives of Windsor (2019)
     • R+J (2021)
     • A Midsummer Night's Dream (2021)

2) POST-SHOW STUDENT WORKSHOPS
Teachers can deepen the experience by booking a virtual post-show student workshop in connection with one of the filmed productions. Each workshop will be an hour in length and will include discussion, Q&A and some applied learning exercises.

REGISTRATION, DATES & DETAILS
Registration now open! Book your Virtual Residency spot today.     BOOK NOW
Once you have booked your spot a follow up email will be sent to you with details on booking a specific virtual production and to arrange the details for the student workshop.
E-mail educate@stratfordfestival.ca if you have any questions.


Access to Virtual Productions:
• September 27-October 1
• October 4-October 8
• October 11-October 15

Post-Show Student Workshops:
• October 4-October 15

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 Festival and the McMaster University Alumni Association have a longstanding partnership. Every season since 1960, we have held a summer seminar series open to all theatre and Shakespeare enthusiasts. Participants attend numerous productions, take part in lectures and discussion sessions, learn about backstage and production activities, and have the opportunity to meet with the cast and creative teams. In the spring, we also hold a lecture series in collaboration with the Hamilton Public Library.

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.