Educator Information

School Groups at FOLD

The Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) is Canada’s first festival for diverse authors and storytellers. Established in 2016, the festival provides literary events each spring virtually and in-person. In 2025, the festival will run from April 27 – May 4. Events April 27 to 30 will be virtual, while events May 1-4 will be offered in-person.

As part of the spring festival, the FOLD provides one-of-a-kind events for secondary school students. Educators who register for the festival will have access to an Educator Guide, which includes pre- and post-event activities for high school classrooms.

All events designed for school groups will be presented live each day on our virtual platform April 29 – 30 at 9:45am and 1:15pm ET. Virtual events will be made available for on-demand viewing on the festival platform within hours of their live presentation. For event details, head over to our School Group Events page after March 19.

A virtual pass allows teachers to access the entire virtual festival for use in their classrooms. Teachers can also opt-in to receive Student Access Logins (SALs) which allows students to view events on their own devices. See below for details.

If you are interested in purchasing a board-wide pass, please have an authorized representative from your board submit the School Board Pass form as soon as possible.

Educators in the following school boards should check their message board and reach out to a representative after March 19 for their School Board Code, which will allow you to register for a virtual pass at no additional charge:

Peel District School Board
Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board
Waterloo Region District School Board
Durham District School Board

There will also be two in-person events on Thursday, May 1 at 10:00am ET and 12:30pm ET taking place at the Rose Theatre. Authors will be available following the event for book-signings. A recording of the panel conversation will be made available on the festival platform soon after the festival ends. For event details, head over to our School Group Events page.

In-person tickets are available through the Rose Theatre Box Office. See below for more details.

School Group events at the Festival of Literary Diversity are ideally suited for students grade 9-12 due to mature themes and subject matter. School group events in November, for the FOLD Kids Book Fest will be tailored to elementary, middle grade, and secondary students.

School Group Book List

- All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety by David A. Robertson
- 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing by David A. Robertson
- The Knowing by Tanya Talaga
Another Story Bookshop, the FOLD’s official festival bookseller, will be onsite for the May 1 – 4 for in-person events. ASB also offers online sales of FOLD titles every year in the month leading up to the festival.

Registration

VIRTUAL PASS | $30

Available for purchase March 19 at thefoldcanada.org/register

A virtual pass allows teachers to access the entire virtual festival for use in their classrooms. In addition to the festival pass, which allows teachers to login to the festival starting April 27 using their registration email address, teachers can opt-in to receive Student Access Logins (SALs) during registration which allows students to view events on their own devices – including through our new festival app – until the platform closes on June 30.

For event details, head over to our School Group Events page.

IN-PERSON TICKETS | $7 per event | $10 for both events

Now available for purchase

In-person tickets are available through the Rose Theatre Box Office for $7 per student for a single event and free for educators.

Educators can book tickets online by heading to the Arts Adventure page and entering the code TEACH into the promo code box. Tickets can also be purchased by phone (905 874 2844 Ext. 62803 or 62804) or by email boxofficeEDU@brampton.ca.

Educators who want to attend both events can take advantage of the bundle price of $10. This can be redeemed ONLY by calling or emailing the Box Office.

For event details, head over to our School Group Events page.

SCHOOL BOARD PASS | $2500

A school board pass provides a school board with a designated code so that all staff within the board can register for a festival pass, including Student Access Logins (SALs) for teachers to distribute to their students. A representative from the board will need to complete a form in order to receive an invoice and a registration code that each teacher and teacher-librarian in the board can use to register on the platform starting March 29. School Boards need to confirm their interest by March 19, 2025.

If you are interested in purchasing a board-wide pass, please have an authorized representative from your board submit the School Board Pass form as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions for Educators

When does registration open?

Registration for all festival events* opens on March 19. Details will be shared closer to the date.

*In-person school group events are now open
What platform is being used?

The virtual festival takes place on an innovative, customized virtual platform called vFairs. All virtual events take place in the platform using Zoom. Events can also be viewed on the vFairs mobile app.
What security precautions are in place to make sure students are safe?

The FOLD is taking every precaution to keep all guests safe. SAL’s give students restricted access on the platform. They will never appear on video. While they can pose questions in Zoom, they cannot participate in the chat or on the leaderboard. All questions will be monitored by a designated FOLD team member. Any concerns with student use will result in the suspension of that code and a follow up with the teacher associated with the account.

Our Virtual Safe Space Policy will be posted on the platform. In the unfortunate event that inappropriate behaviour does occur, FOLD staff will act swiftly, in consultation with the teacher and school board.
If I can’t attend the virtual event live, will I be able to access the videos afterward?

All FOLD virtual events will be made available within a few hours of being presented live. All videos will be available until June 30.
Will I have access to other FOLD virtual events?

All virtual passes and Student Access Logins (SALs) provide full access to all virtual events. In-person event passes, and specialty tickets must be purchased separately.
If I’m interested in one event, do I still need a full pass? Are individual event registrations available?

Other than our in-person school group events at the Rose Theatre, access to individual virtual events is not available. However, virtual passes are set at a reasonable rate, providing access to more than 25 incredible literary events. We’re confident that educators we be able to find a number of events for you and/or your class to enjoy.
How do I register my class for in-person school group events?

In-person tickets are available through the Rose Theatre Box Office for $7 per student for a single event and free for educators.

Educators can book tickets online by heading to the Arts Adventure page and entering the code TEACH into the promo code box. Tickets can also be purchased by phone (905 874 2844 Ext. 62803 or 62804) or by email boxofficeEDU@brampton.ca.

Educators who want to attend both events can take advantage of the bundle price of $10. This can be redeemed ONLY by calling or emailing the Box Office.