The Stratford Festival has committees, affinity groups, clubs and sport teams. If you are interested in getting more involved with the Festival please consider joining one of the groups below. The Festival is happy to make space available for affinity groups or other gatherings wherever possible. Please contact the company manager or HR to help with arrangements.
AFFINITY GROUPS
Asian Affinity Space
Group Leads – Kerri Lee (Education Coordinator) klee@stratfordfestival.ca and Meineka Kulasinghe (EDI Manager) mkulasinghe@stratfordfestival.ca
Events:
Group Statement: The Asian Affinity Group at the Stratford Festival is a collective of theatre artists who are creating a space where members feel seen, heard, validated, and supported. We are a space of celebration where we lift each other up and support one another. Our group aims to inspire a commitment to representation onstage and offstage, as well as with Stratford Festival’s patron base. We hope to challenge what has been seen as “traditional” and raise awareness of the importance of representation in the arts.
Black and African Diaspora Affinity Space
Group Support – Meineka Kulasinghe (EDI Manager) - mkulasinghe@stratfordfestival.ca
Purpose: A space of affirmation, celebration, healing, and support for all Stratford Festival staff, artists and contractors who identify as Black or part of the African diaspora
Events: Potlucks, group outings, game nights, conversation spaces
Group statement: It imperative to the art we create and the work we do at this theatre to have spaces where traditionally marginalized groups can be fully heard, recognized, and valued within their respective identities. The Black & African Diaspora Affinity group aims to hold nurturing spaces of joy and support for the diverse individuals who work at this theatre. This space is here to celebrate you and allow you the freedom to bring your full beauty, power, and love to the Stratford Festival.
First Nations, Inuit and Metis circle (FNIM)
Group Elder – Elizabeth Stevens (Kettle & Stony Point Chippewa First Nation)
Circle Support Team – Meineka Kulasinghe
Purpose: The FNIM Circle serves to provide counsel and support to the Festival Theatre for the purpose of building and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment for all First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists, audiences and staff members.
Activities: Affinity space events, talking circles, community activities & partnerships
Group Statement: The Circle will consist of seven members who will serve a 10 month commitment in the season from February – November. The Circle will guide the theatre in its efforts to expand relationships with Indigenous community partners across Canada, increase the number of Indigenous audience members and support Indigenous productions and artists throughout the season. The Circle will also devise affinity events throughout the year that foster social engagement and inclusion amongst the Indigenous staff members and artists.
Queer Straight Alliance (QSA)
Group Leads - Stratford Festival-Stratford and area Pride Community Liaison: Éric Charbonneau, Communications Person: Josue Laboucane, Off Campus Coordinator: Ari Weinberg Contact: qsa@stratfordfestival.ca
Events: The QSA in 2024 will be meeting monthly for an hour beginning February 2024 to exchange and get to know the 2SLGBTQiA+ community and allies at the Stratford Festival. Monthly meetings will be held Friday evenings, 7:00-8:00 PM for the months of February, March and April and, beginning in May through the end of the season, monthly meetings will be held Friday mornings 10:00-11:00 AM.
Mission Statement: Foster a community by gathering together and creating a safe place for staff and company members to meet, share and have a voice.
As agreed to in the Stratford Addendum to the Canadian Theatre Agreement, the Festival commissions this group to consult and provide input and guidance, on the scheduling and other related pertinent issues. The intent is to discuss concerns arising from the current season and, more importantly, to discuss the use of resources at the Festival including the development of the Season Schedule for the next season. The committee is comprised of the Executive Director, Producer, Director (or Assistant Director) of Production, and a TD, one PSM, one other SM representative, two actors and a director. The group may request any other person to join. The group meets on a regular basis, at least four times per calendar year. Please contact Jason Miller at ext 2283 if you have any questions about this group.
EWG content was updated by Jason Miller, February 2022
The Tyrone Guthrie Awards
The inaugural acting company, in honour of the Festival’s first Artistic Director, established the Tyrone Guthrie Awards in 1954. Funds for the awards are raised from an annual benefit performance and from interest accrued on investments. Over the past 64 years, the Guthrie Awards have contributed over $2.3 million towards the fulfillment of personal dreams and projects. The Tyrone Guthrie Awards Committee has at its disposal the proceeds from the benefit performance during the season and the accrued interest of some specific awards named after past Festival personnel. Awards are allocated in keeping with the committee’s mandate to provide past and present employees of the Festival with assistance in the completion of specific projects. There is no written set of guidelines to help the committee make its decisions; rather, each annually elected committee must make its own determination of what principles it wishes to emphasize in its selection of recipients. Unsolicited awards are also given out to thank individuals who have made a special contribution to the Festival community.
The Guthrie Committee typically accepts applications in August and reviews on their own time before beginning the meeting and selection process for awards. The Guthrie Award Ceremony is generally held in the Fall. This year's benefit performance is La Cage aux Folles on Wednesday, September 11th at 8:00pm.
The committee is comprised of:
- Four elected actors
- One elected stage manager
- One elected representative from IATSE
- One acclaimed staff member - For 2024: shared between Ceairy Free and Jason Miller.
- One acclaimed member of the Director’s Office - For 2024: Ari Weinberg.
The 2024 Guthrie Committee will be comprised of the following people: Laura Condlln, Ceairy Free, Jessica B. Hill, Holly Korhonen, Jason Miller, Melissa Renaud, Jason Sermonia, Emilio Vieira and Ari Weinberg.
Content updates in May 2024 from News Items
Please visit the Health and Safety page for information about this committee.
Artists’ Committee
It is the intent of the Artists' Committee to encourage open and candid dialogue between artists and management… to pose questions, offer suggestions and bring grievances to light, and to generally improve communication and understanding.
- The Artists' Committee aims to meet every month.
- The committee is comprised of:
- Four elected actors (must include a representative from each theatre and one liaison)
- One elected stage manager
- Two acclaimed members of senior staff from Director’s office, production and/or HR - For 2024: Dave Auster and Heather Cassels.
The 2025 Artists’ Committee will be comprised of the following people: Eric Abel (Liaison), Dave Auster, Heather Cassels, Aidan deSalaiz (Liaison), Tiffany Fraser, Jenna-Lee Hyde (Liaison), Steve Ross.
From the addendum: (F) Artists’ Committee ADDITION The Artists’ Committee will be jointly established each year by the Artists and the Festival. The intent of the Artists’ Committee will be to encourage open and candid dialogue between the Artists and the management, and to afford both parties an opportunity to pose questions of one another, offer suggestions, bring grievances to light, and generally improve communication and understanding of respective problems and concerns. The Artists’ Committee is the appropriate forum to discuss the provision of coaching throughout the season. The Artists’ Committee shall have no power as such and shall meet only to put forth representative views of discussion. If the members of the Committee feel that the matters discussed at any meeting are of sufficient interest, they may jointly present a summary of the discussion to an open company meeting where the matter can be discussed further or regarded as a matter of information only.
Artists' Committee Content was reviewed by David Auster, December 2024
The Anti-Racism Committee (ARC) was formed by the Stratford Festival in response to the murder of George Floyd, and the many protests, uprisings, and shootings on Turtle Island, including the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in 2020. The committee was initially composed of IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour) artists and staff that have intersected with the Festival both past and present. The mandate of the committee was to identify the institutional practices & systems which produce damaging or oppressive effects towards First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Black, and People of Colour within and outside the organization. These findings were compiled as a report that was presented to the Stratford Festival in the Fall of 2020.
This report can be read in its entirety HERE.
In the Winter of 2020, additional members were added from the organization to begin implementing the changes recommended in ARC’s report, and these members formed “Parallel ARC.” ARC and Parallel ARC together formed: Mega ARC.
Mega ARC would like to thank the former original members of the ARC for their contributions: Miali Buscemi, Jessica Carmichael, Erica Croft, Jani Lauzon, Thomas Olajide, and Nitasha Rajoo. Upon the group’s contract coming to a close in 2023, the remaining members of the ARC were: E.B. Smith (Chair of the ARC), C.J. Astronomo, Joanna Yu, Samantha McCue, & Isabella Stille.
The existence of the EDI Department and such ongoing initiatives as the Pre- Rehearsal Orientations (PRO), The Pathways to Cultural Belonging, & The Living Guidelines are all a direct result of the recommendations of the Anti-Racism Committee. The Stratford Festival is forever in debt to this group’s initial efforts and actions and their work with continue to live on in its next phase with the introduction of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access (IDEA) Committee when it is launched in 2024.
Anti-Racism Committee information was updated by Daviorr Snipes, December 2023.
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access Committee (IDEA)
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access Committee – is a committee composed of Stratford Festival staff members and artists who work in collaboration with the EDI Department and Stratford Festival leadership to ensure continual advancement in engagement of initiatives that foster ongoing progress in the areas of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility.
2024 Members
- Ty Wilson – Wardrobe Crew
- Gregory McLaughlin – Forum Manager
- Kerri Lee – Education Associate
- Keith Barker - Director of the Foerster Bernstein New Play Development Program
- Yash Chhabria - Digital Content Manager
- Laura Clark - Director of Major Gifts (GTA)
- Jo Woolnough – Accommodations Assistant
- Janeena Morris – Wardrobe Crew
- Kim Lott – Stage Manager
- Patrick King – Associate Director, Ticketing & Membership
The Annual Stratford-Shaw Cricket Match, started by veteran actor and cricket enthusiast Mervyn “Butch” Blake in the 1970s, is a staple of summer fellowship between the two festivals. Competing squads comprised of company members from all departments – Actors, Technicians, Musicians, Ushers, and even some Artistic Directors – train for weeks in the hopes of raising the Butch Blake Trophy, which then hangs in the green room of the winning side until the following year’s bout.
Currently in its 47th year, the Annual Stratford-Shaw Cricket Match will return, if it’s safe to do so, in a similar format to last year – forgoing the potluck luncheon and dance party for now, and opting for a limited, socially distanced audience. Organizers also decided to add the first charity fundraising element to the event in 2020, raising over $3500 for the AFC. Over the years of friendly rivalry, star studded lineups, creative spectator chants and some local media attention, one thing will always remain at the heart of this historic event: camaraderie between the festivals.
Pictured above, 2022 Stratford Festival Cricket Team
The following groups are not official groups of the Festival but they are listed here to bring awareness to them. Facebook groups can be a good resource for new people to the area and company.
Stratford Festival: Pulling Together
(If joining this group please answer the questions provided or access will be declined. It’s a safeguard to make sure people joining actually are working at the Festival)
Stratford Festival – Production Department
Stratford Festival: Shakespeare Challenge
FESTIVAL FACT:
On June 4th 2019, Artistic Director, Antoni Cimolino proudly accepted the gift of a Pride Flag from the Festival company's first-ever Queer-Straight-Alliance. This group of LGBTQ+ company members and allies was represented by André Morin. The flag was displayed on the Festival's flag pole for pride week creating a new Stratford tradition.
This historical fact was pulled from the @Stratfest twitter feed and edited by Hilary Nichol, May 2021
