The Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s Journey to Diversity and Inclusion

The Stratford Festival was already one of the world’s best-known and successful drama festivals — though probably one of the most homogenous with regard to its audiences and playbill. When in 2005 the executive and board needed an integrated plan for diversity and inclusion, they hired a consulting firm that utilized The Six Cylinders Model to attract families, people under 35, non-Caucasians, and immigrants. This article explains how the festival incorporated each of the cylinders: 1) leadership & governance, 2) products and services, 3) human capital, 4) work environment, 5) marketing, and 6) stakeholder connections.