

About Us



SpringWorks’ programming spans the seasons.
We provide a safe place for local, regional, national and international artists to showcase their works and an opportunity for audiences to experience new and diverse work in their own community.
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This is a place for independent creation, a springboard for new work, nurturing and supporting artistic endeavours and art forms often more easily accessed in larger urban centres.
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A Bit of the Back Story
Stratford, Ontario, Canada
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A mecca for classical theatre
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A town with wonderful restaurants, with superb cuisine, and great shopping
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A community nestled in beautiful environs
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A place with a plethora of things to to be explored
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A magical, synergetic, alchemical home for the arts
In 2011,
at the invitation of the Stratford Tourism Association,
with an awareness of the ebb and flow of the arts lovers' presence,
Hermione Presents,
a collective of professional artists and creators,
with decades of performing and producing experience,
combined our gifts and strengths,
to share new, diverse, independently created work,
in this town.
SpringWorks: indie theatre & arts, a multidisciplinary arts festival, was born.
A decade of evolution has brought us to a series of events and festivals exploring creative expression, spanning the seasons.
Our intent is to enable meeting places for rural & urban voices from far & near to tell their stories.






Our Team

Eileen Smith
Artistic Producer
Founder, Executive Director,
opera singer, actor, musical theatre performer, singing coach with more than 35 years experience, including working with Shaw, Stratford, Charlottetown festivals, Canadian Opera Company and others.

Micaela Fitzsimmons
Chair
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Curator
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Visual Artist
Curator at the Stratford Perth Museum since 2009, Micaela Fitzsimmons has a background in design, visual arts and museum management from Sheridan College, the University of Waterloo and Fleming College. She has served on a number of volunteer boards including Perth Arts Connect and the Nancy Campbell Collegiate Institute.

Taylor Jordan
Board Member
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Community Artist
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Maker
Taylor is passionate about the arts and supporting artists of all disciplines. She is a seasoned Community theater actress and maker of soaps, candles, jewelry and pottery. Taylor loves to network to help bring the community closer together.

Michael Fullerton
Board Member
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Manages IT
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Software and hardware maintenance and purchasing
IT consultant,
hospitality industry expert and
retired chef and baker, restaurants include Rundles in Stratford

Phoenix Fire
Board Member
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Actor
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Puppeteer
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Educator
Phoenix Fire (they/them) is a Disabled, 2SLGBTQ+, Neurodivergent multidisciplinary theatre artist, producer, and educator. Since 2019, Phoenix has served as co-founding Artistic Director of Third Wheel Theatre Co. alongside Shayna Burns. As an artist, they’ve had the privilege to work alongside Clay & Paper, Page1 Theatre, MT Space, Magnus Theatre, Paprika Festival, HFTco., Crossroads Theatre, SpringWorks Festival, and others. Passionate about accessibility, Phoenix uses their platforms to advocate for tearing down access barriers in the arts (and generally, too)! When Phoenix isn't working, you can find them throwing paint on a canvas, playing with their dogs, or finding new places to hide a tattoo."

Heather Davies
Board Member
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Director
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Producer
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Writer
Heather has been a theatre maker, writer, producer, and artistic director at the Ryga Arts Festival in Summerland BC, 2017 to 2022. Having lived and worked in the UK, she has called Stratford, ON home for over ten years. In 2021, she move to the U.A.E. to develop the first MFA in Theatre in the MENA region as Programme Leader post-graduate studies at Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA). She is thrilled to contribute to SpringWorks as a board member.

Katy Mitukiewicz
Katy is an independent Quickbooks Consulting Professional assisting businesses across South Western Ontario with bookkeeping services and business development.
Katy’s primary objective is to see her clients achieve their financial goals and scale their businesses.
KeepUp Bookkeeping

Stephen Degenstein
SWF Technical Director
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Venue & Site Planning & Management
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Stagecraft training
More than 30 years working in theatres across Canada designing staging, props, costumes, lighting and sound, and teacher of backstage theatre arts at Fanshawe, Sheridan and Off the Wall Theatre Alliance. He also provides stage and technical support, site set-up and coordination for many arts organizations in Stratford.

Christina Gordon
SWF Associate
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SWF Programming & Site Management
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Bookkeeping & Daily A/R
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MC extraordinaire
Singer, Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher, Performing Artist with 30+ years experience on stages across Canada

Breanne Tice
Marketing Coodinator
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Actor
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Singer
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Creator
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Educator
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Entrepreneur
Graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University's BFA Acting program. Trained with Canadian theatre companies including Soulpepper Theatre, Stratford Festival and Young People’s Theatre.

Sarah Hagarty
Associate Producer
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Actor
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Singer
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Writer
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Producer

Christian Hendriks
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Grant writer
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Freelance copy editor
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Ticketing coordinator
Christian Hendriks (he/him/his) is a volunteer grant writer, a freelance copy editor, and the ticketing coordinator for INNERchamber. He has Master's degrees in English literature and Library & Information Studies and experience working in museum collections. His goal is to support the place he calls home through its arts, culture, and heritage organizations.

Hermione Presents
Interdisciplinary Arts Productions Inc.
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Registered Charity
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Not for Profit
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Arts Organization
is mandated to support
arts education and
arts festivals and events.
HP is the charitable arm that sustains
SpringWorks: indie theatre & arts festivals
including PuppetWorks!
and
World in a Weekend : International Puppet Festival