Enhancing visitor experiences and promoting Stratford as a cultural resort town.
That’s the aim of the Stratford Destination Animation Project, made up the Regional Tourism Organization 4, Stratford City Centre BIA and the Stratford Tourism Alliance, who are co-investing $35 thousand, with a total partner contribution adding up to over $150 thousand, into eleven successful applicants.
The eleven were chosen from a field of sixteen with the group saying they align with Stratford’s DNA of being a cultural resort town.
They are:
- Playmakers! Theatre School for the Stratford Lantern Parade and an added component, the Stratford Lantern Parade: Tom Patterson Island Experience. On October 13, 2018, citizens of Stratford and visitors will light up homemade lanterns and stroll from City Hall to Tom Patterson Island and back, in a special celebration. Additionally, on Tom Patterson Island there will be a lantern labyrinth that will allow participants to walk a magical path illuminated by hundreds of candle-lit lanterns.
- Stratford Perth Museum for the project The Gazebo Comes Alive, which will enhance the under-utilized Steed Gazebo, located just east of the Normal School and a few metres away from the Stratford Festival, in order to showcase the Stratford Festival, Stratford Perth Museum, and the Stratford tourism experience. The aim is for the gazebo to create a unique experience while providing information about events and things to do that are linked to the project partners.
- Movies Under The Stars is a series of outdoor films taking place this summer in Stratford, Market Square, on Tom Patterson Island, and at the Stratford Perth Museum. Movies Under The Stars will expand their experiences building on the success of their first year, collaborating with the Stratford Symphony, Stratford Summer Music, and the Stratford Perth Museum, with titles including, ‘Sing’, ‘Interstellar’, ‘Moonstruck’, Justin Bieber’s, ‘Never Say Never” and ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’.
- The Stratford Symphony Orchestra presents Movies Under the Stars: The Stratford Symphony Orchestra Serenades Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, an evening of free entertainment to charm the entire family. A special score has been composed to accompany the showing of four silent films, two by Charlie Chaplin and two by Buster Keaton. Twenty of the Symphony’s musicians will play this music live in Market Square.
- Stratford Writer’s Festival will be hosting prominent artists such as poet Najwa Zebian. Poet Najwa Zebian, who has 736,000 followers on Instagram, is very popular with younger audiences which Stratford Writer’s Festival aims to attract to Stratford. These events will have art incorporated into the presentations and will collaborate with local art galleries to create truly unique experiences.
- Stratford Summer Music will present Orchestre de la Francophonie on Sunday July 22, 2018 at 7pm an orchestra consisting of 60 of the finest young professional francophone musicians mostly from Quebec, will perform an exciting repertoire for an outdoor concert in Market Square.
- Stratford Chefs School will host the Appetite for Words Launch, a one-day experience in July 2018 in celebration and support of the 2019 Appetite for Words festival hosted in October.
- SpringWorks Puppets! presents Macbeth Muet, a daring, fast paced, wordless version of Shakespeare’s Scottish play adapted and performed by Montreal’s “La Fille du Laitier”. The award-winning cast uses object puppetry and physical theatre in a sex and violence filled 55 minute interpretation that’s true to the original, with an added dash of manic fun. In Market Square during the day, Macbeth Muet artist, Jon Lachlan Stewart, will challenge the audience with “Shakespeare Plays in 30 Seconds”. In this interactive, improv performance, you pick a play, which he performs on the spot… a la silent film. The results are riotously unpredictable.
- On Saturday, July 14th and Sunday, July 15th, SpringWorks Puppets! Presents a Puppet Mini-Festival. Fun for families and visitors of all ages. Market Square and City Hall will come to life with a variety of free and ticketed activities, high calibre puppet presentations, as well as buskers, giant wolf puppets, and the chance to have your child take part in a world-wide puppet-making event, creating kitten puppets that will be posted online alongside other children’s puppets from around the world.