Assistant Facilitator - The Somewhere Players Inclusive Drama Program
/Job Title:
Assistant Facilitator - The Somewhere Players Inclusive Drama Program
Organizations:
Sideways Creative in collaboration with the Garth Homer Society
Deadline:
Sep. 4, 2026
Organization Description:
Sideways Creative is where drama and the creative process are used to build confidence and belonging. The Somewhere Players is that work applied to inclusive theatre. Adults with developmental disabilities play theatre games and devise an original piece drawn from a story and lived experience, performing it as their own.
Sideways Creative also draws on visual arts and play as forms of expression. The throughline: structure that fits the person, not the other way around.
Website:
http://www.sidewayscreative.ca
Job Description:
The Somewhere Players is a 12-week inclusive applied theatre program for adults with developmental disabilities, running September to December 2026 at Garth Homer Society's SJ Willis Adult Campus in Victoria, BC. The program is grounded in ensemble devising, story-making, and the applied theatre tradition. Participants take on performance and production roles to create an original/adapted piece of theatre, culminating in a company premiere for an invited audience.
The Assistant Facilitator works alongside the lead facilitator across all 12 weeks, taking an active role in warm-ups, facilitating exercises, and ensemble games, and supporting participants, reading the room, and mentoring the production crew. This is a co-creative role, not a support worker or technical role.
Location: SJ Willis Adult Campus, Victoria, BC
Schedule: Tuesday mornings, September 22 to December 8, 2026 (12 sessions of 1.5 hours each, plus prep and pack-up), with an orientation before the September 22 start and a check-in every other week, after that session wraps.
Responsibilities:
Co-lead warm-ups, theatre games, and devising exercises alongside the lead facilitator, modelling participation and taking creative risks in front of the group.
Read the room throughout each session, noticing who is dysregulated, disengaged, or needs a quiet check-in before it becomes visible to the lead facilitator.
Support participants to engage at their own level, without speaking for them or directing their choices.
Handle logistics moments as they come up (a dropped prop, a seating shift, a break that runs long) without breaking the flow of the session.
Capture quotes, images, and observations in a notebook during scene and story work, material that feeds the story wall and the devising process.
Support production crew mentorship (sound, props, stage management) alongside the lead facilitator.
Debrief with the lead facilitator for 5 to 10 minutes after each session on what worked, what needs adjusting, and what the assistant noticed that the lead might have missed.
Attend the pre-program orientation before Week 1.
Qualifications:
What We Are Looking For:
Experience in theatre, drama facilitation, movement, music, or a related arts practice. Community theatre and improv backgrounds are relevant.
Comfort with inclusive facilitation, disability arts, or working with adults with developmental disabilities in an arts context.
Musical or rhythmic skills, someone who can lead a clapping game, bring a drum or guitar, or guide a vocal warm-up with confidence.
Willingness to be a company member, not the expert in the room, taking creative risks alongside participants rather than directing them.
Basic comfort with tech, props, or simple production logistics is an asset.
Nice to Have:
Familiarity with AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) or other communication supports.
Previous work with inclusive theatre companies, disability arts organizations, or community arts programs.
Experience with devising or ensemble-created work.
How to Apply:
Send your resume along with a short note about what draws you to the program to hello@sidewayscreative.ca
Remuneration:
$50/hour, up to 37 hours over the course of the program
