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.
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.
Our Backstory:
In 2011, at the invitation of the Stratford Tourism Association, Hermione Presents began working in Stratford. This came from an awareness of the ebb and flow of arts lovers’ presence in the community.
Hermione Presents is a collective of professional artists and creators with decades of performing and producing experience. Together, we combined our gifts and strengths to share new, diverse, independently created work in this town. From this, 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 Community:
We call Stratford, Ontario, Canada home...
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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
Our Team
Eileen Smith
Artistic Producer, Founder & Executive Director
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.
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.
Shayna Burns
Artists Services & Admin Associate
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Actor
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Singer
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Educator
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Dance instructor
Shayna Burns (she/her) is an actor, singer, director, aerialist, creator, arts administrator and instructor based out of Kitchener, ON, born and raised in Stratford, ON.
Artistically, Shayna focuses on emotionally driven emerging theatre. As a co-founder of Third Wheel Theatre Co, she continues to devise original works. Recent theatre credits include Alice in Wonderland, Art Ambulance, and Tell Me There’s A Garden.
Looking forward, she hopes to continue discovering the edges of her abilities and curate this craft we call ART!
Breanne Tice
Marketing Coordinator
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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.
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.
Bookkeeper
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
Micaela Fitzsimmons
Chairman of the Board
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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.
Britt Runeckles
Website Maintenance
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.
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
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."
Michael Fullerton
Board Member
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Manages IT
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Software & Hardware Maintenance
IT consultant,
hospitality industry expert and
retired chef and baker, restaurants include Rundles in Stratford
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.
Madison Bell
Board Member
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Marketing & Fund Development
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Graphic Designer
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Artist
Madison Bell (she/they) is a marketing and fund development professional with over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector. Her work centres on strategic storytelling, audience engagement, and creative fundraising initiatives that support long-term organizational growth.
Madison has a strong passion for the arts, particularly independent and multidisciplinary creation. In her personal life, Madison is an advocate for reproductive and gynecological health care and has been involved in advancing inclusive and equitable care for 2SLGBTQ+ people.