Stratford - 'Shakespeare Through the Ages' Arts Trail
The Stratford Arts Trail, “Shakespeare Through the Ages”, is a 3 km self-guided walk through Stratford featuring sculptures, creative spaces, music and stories inspired by Shakespeare. Local artists and community members created works using a range of materials, including stainless steel, stone, brick, mild steel, timber, ceramic, concrete and fibreglass.
The trail opened in 2012 and links nine interactive “thought spaces”. A tenth artwork, Fortress of Fire, was added beside Stratford Kindergarten in 2022. Follow the QR codes at the artworks for information and photographs. A map and MP3 guided tour are available from Segue Community Hub and Arts Cafe.
Distance: Approximately 3 km
Time: Allow around 1-2 hours to explore the trail
Route: Self-guided town walk linking sculptures and creative spaces
Start: Stratford Sister Cities globe sculpture outside Stratford Library
Terrain: Town streets, footpaths and shared paths
Accessibility: Described by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as an all-abilities, communication-friendly trail. The route links with Stratford's All Abilities Pathway and the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail.
'Shakespeare Through the Ages' Arts Trail Map
Shakespeare Through the Ages Arts Trail:
1. The Globe
Created by Kathy Luxford-Carr using stainless steel and local stone, this sculpture marks the start of the trail and reflects Stratford's connection with its sister city, Stratford-upon-Avon.
2. Unlucky Match
Created by David Howell from reclaimed brick and mild steel, this work depicts Juliet waiting on the balcony for Romeo.
3. Garden for Humanity
Created by the Stratford community and WOMB, this installation combines timber, ceramic and cement render. It brings together local creative work and Indigenous art.
4. Torn Heart
Created by Gavin Roberts and Ken Free from red gum and galvanised steel, this work draws on Shakespeare's stories of lost love and reflects on the loss of Indigenous identity and history.
5. Tempest
Created by Anthony Powers from mild steel and timber, this boat refers to Shakespeare's play The Tempest and Stratford's experience of flooding.
6. Do You See What I See?
Created by David Luxford from concrete and fibreglass, this work invites visitors to consider what they see in the figure looking into the distance. Casts of the artists' faces appear on the river side of the wall.
7. Witches
Created by Gina Callander and Gavin Roberts from mild steel, this work depicts the witches from Macbeth gathered around a cauldron. The original 2012 sculpture was replaced in 2021.
8. Chink in the Wall
Created by Kathy Luxford-Carr from concrete and Hebel stone, this work is inspired by the play-within-a-play scene in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Visitors can whisper through openings in the wall.
9. Shakespeare's Desk
Created by Gavin Roberts from mild steel, this is a place to sit and imagine writing a sonnet or watch the activity of Stratford.
10. Fortress of Fire
Created by local sculptor Paul Gennings, this large ceramic fortress was built and fired on site. It is located beside Stratford Kindergarten.
Facilities:
Public toilets are available at Memorial Park, opposite the Courthouse Theatre and Segue Arts Cafe. Segue Arts Cafe is at 66 Tyers Street and is a place to ask about trail maps and the MP3 guided tour.
How to Get There:
The trail starts at the Stratford Sister Cities globe sculpture outside Stratford Library, 70 Tyers Street, Stratford. Stratford is approximately 229 km east of Melbourne by road.
Location
70 Tyers Street, Stratford 3862 View Map
✆ (03) 5145 6790
Web Links
→ www.stratfordshakespeare.com.au/arts-trail
