Youth Programs

RISE UP is an 8-month hybrid mentorship program that bridges young IBPOC students aged 14-18 with early and mid-career IBPOC theatre artists.  Mentors will be from many areas of theatre including acting, directing, design, and production.

The participants will meet once a month, between October and May, alternating between a group workshop one month followed by a one-on-one mentorship session the next month. Monthly sessions will take place on weeknights over ZOOM, ranging between 1 and 2 hours in length. The program culminates with a one-day retreat at the Stratford Festival to see one of the 2023 productions.

Mentees will be paid a program fee of $250 each. They will also be provided free education and mentorship in addition to paid travel, lunch, and show costs at the retreat day.

Deadline for applications is September 29th, 2022.

Learn more and register for the Theatre Arts Camp here.

Young Filmmakers' Showcase

Welcome to our 2023 STRATFEST@HOME Film Festival, presented by The Meighen Forum, where we are inviting you to participate in the Young Filmmakers' Showcase! Selected films will be screened live at Lazaridis Hall in the new Tom Patterson Theatre on July 15^th. Select film submissions less than 3 minutes in length will also be shared on the Festival's social channels.

Filmmakers will have the opportunity to hear from industry experts and receive special recognition for their work. All selected filmmakers will receive two free tickets to the event and will have the opportunity to stream their film on STRATFEST@HOME!

To learn more and register for the Young Filmmakers' Showcase, view the Submission Guidelines.

THE CHALLENGE: A response to Schulich Children's Plays A Wrinkle in Time

Theatre and Film have an interrelated relationship by portraying stories through visual and performing arts. Both help us to understand different perspectives through shared experiences.

We hope you have the opportunity to experience the Stratford Festival's production of Schulich Children's Plays A Wrinkle in Time with your friends, family or class! We encourage you to submit a film inspired by a feeling you had during the play. If you don't, you are still welcome to take part; continue reading for a special message from the director to help inspire your submission.

You may submit a script or create a short film using a smart phone, tablet, or camera—whatever you have at your disposal. It can be a narrative or documentary film, live-action or animation. It can be a music video or experimental film—whatever moves you. And on the topic of music, we have you covered! Participants are invited to choose from royalty free tracks, including those curated by the creatives behind our stage production. See Submission Guidelines for links.

Now, to help you begin the creative process, a special message from the director and adapting playwright, Thomas Morgan Jones:

"Love is a major and central theme to the entire show. A Wrinkle in Time is an adaptation of a book by Madeleine L'Engle, and she had this amazing quote that I heard her say in an interview once where she said, 'We don't plan the terrible things, we just try to love through them.' For me, that's what A Wrinkle in Time is about at its core. How we give love, how we accept love, and how in order to do either of those things, we need to be empowered in our own voice and love ourselves."

For even more inspiration, check out this special video with Thomas Morgan Jones .