Who We Are:
Based in Stratford, Ontario, the Stratford Festival is one of the world’s foremost repertory theatre companies. It operates year-round, presenting a season of about a dozen plays each year between the months of April and November, a rich stream of digital content and hundreds of events designed to deepen understanding of the plays. For every person a theatregoer sees on our stages, we have seven people working behind the scenes, some of the world’s most dedicated and experienced arts workers.

The Stratford Festival is committed to ongoing work to support equity, inclusion, anti-racism and anti-oppression in all areas of our work. These areas include play selection, casting, marketing and public relations efforts, education programs, production, design, recruitment of staff and volunteers, and the composition of the Board of Directors.

Why You Should Apply:

• Creative work environment
• Employee Assistance Program to encourage work-life balance and strong mental health
• Complimentary & discounted ticket offers and events
• Employee discounts on merchandise and event space

We are posting several seasonal contract positions for Assistant Set/Props Designers, Assistant Costume Designers and Assistant Lighting Designers for our 2026 season. These positions report to the Head of Design and are part of the design team. All positions require full time residency for the contract period in Stratford, ON. Applicants must be legally allowed to work in Canada.

Contract lengths vary and are approximately 16-20 weeks in length and begin as early as January 5, 2026.

Please indicate which design discipline you are applying for in your cover letter.

Responsibilities:

• Assistant Set/Props Designer responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Assist the set design process on specific productions by following through the visual aspects of the productions and interpreting drawings for props and sets
• Research and acquisition of photographic reference and distributing this information to the various departments and craftspeople
• Attend production and design meetings with the designer to support the creative team on the design process
• Maintain clear and consistent lines of communication between all team members and Designer
• Liaise with fabricators to ensure realization of design
• Assist with crossover items between set/props, costumes, lighting, sound, or video as required
• Attend preview performances
• Compile all paperwork for use in the production process as well as for archiving purposes
• Assistant Costume Designer responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Assist the costume design process on specific productions by following through the visual aspects of the productions and interpreting drawings for costumes
• Research and acquisition of photographic reference and distributing this information to the various departments and craftspeople
• Assist with the online sourcing and purchasing process and in-person buying trips to acquire fabric samples, costume pieces and materials
• Attend production and design meetings with the designer to support the creative team on the design process
• Maintain clear and consistent lines of communication between all team members and Designer
• Liaise with fabricators and department Buyers to ensure all needs are met for the realization of design
• Prepare for and attend all fittings with the designer and document the process
• Assist with crossover items between set/props, costumes, lighting, sound, or video as required
• Attend preview performances
• Compile all paperwork for use in the production process as well as for archiving purposes
• Lead the process of understudy costume acquisition, selection and fittings
• Assistant Lighting Designer responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Assist the lighting design process during the creation of the lighting used for the production
• Prepare floor plans, cue sheets, tracking sheets, plots, and other forms for the documentation of the lighting design Assist with the online sourcing and purchasing process and in-person buying trips to acquire fabric samples, costume pieces and materials
• Attend production and design meetings with the designer to support the creative team on the design process
• Prepare an accurate sketch of all lamps as focused
• Maintain tracking information and cue sheets during lighting sessions and technical rehearsals
• Coordinate with stage management to confirm placement of all called cues
• Compile all paperwork for archiving purposes
• Adhere to the Stratford Festival Health & Safety Commitment and Procedures, and ensure that safe work practices and policies are supported and enforced within reporting structure.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• Post-secondary diploma program, typically a two year program, or equivalent, (i.e. Community college, Technical Institute or Trade School, etc.) in Design
• 2 to 4 years of related working experience
• Experience working as a Designer or Assistant Designer in a professional theatre environment
• SET/PROPS specific: Proficient in Photoshop, Autocad and/or Vectorworks
• SET/PROPS specific: Drafting and set model construction
• SET/PROPS specific: Experience with 3D printing is an asset, but not a requirement
• COSTUME specific: Strong knowledge of costume history, ability to measure garments accurately and understanding of how costumes are constructed
• LIGHTING specific: Proficient in Autocad and/or Vectorworks, ETC Family consoles, Lightwright
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Drive and applications

Behavioural Competencies:

• Communication: actively listen and effectively transmit and receive information
• Organization skills: create structure and optimally use resources to achieve results and ensure productivity
• Time Management: efficiently allocate and use time to meet goals and deadlines, prioritize tasks as necessary.
• Initiative: proactively execute tasks and resolve issues with minimal guidance
• Teamwork: readily work with others towards a shared goal, actively support teammates and recognize everyone’s contributions

Shared Values:

• Inclusion: contribute to an environment where everyone is welcome, valued and respected; consistently demonstrate an open-mindedness and intellectual curiosity that promote and celebrate the diversity of perspectives.
• Innovation: put experience and knowledge into creative problem-solving and the continuous improvement of the organization.
• Rigor: show integrity in behaviour, attention to detail in work and commitment to excellence and professional evolution
• Caring: be empathetic, understanding and attentive to others
• Connection: establish and maintain trusting relationships that are respectful and constructive

Who Should Apply:
We welcome applicants of every identity, and encourage applications from Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Deaf, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ folks. We are committed to accommodating people with disabilities throughout the recruitment process and beyond. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternative format documents, ASL Interpreter or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please let our recruitment team know.

No candidate will meet every desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we’d love to learn more about you!

If you would like to contribute your own remarkable talents to North America’s largest not-for-profit theatre, we’d like to hear from you.