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Job Description / Duties

The Shaw Festival is seeking applications for seasonal, full-time Set Design Assistants and Costume Design Assistants. These positions are part of the Design Team and report to the Production Director, Design Manager, and Mentors. Design Assistants work on regular season productions with professional designers, and are offered mutually agreed upon opportunities to further their own art and craft through mentorship, artistic incubation, and the fostering of creative relationships.

Design Assistants will take direction from the Designer(s) of the production(s) they are assigned to, and work in collaboration with Shaw’s Production departments. Assistants will have regular check-ins with the Design Manager and Design Mentors who will offer orientation and support throughout the term. Assistants will also attend Design Team meetings and may work collaboratively with other Assistants on design projects for the Shaw Festival. Throughout their contracts, Assistants will have opportunities to participate in salons, skill development, and workshops with other artists.

Design Assistant positions have varying contract lengths depending on show assignments, ranging from 10 weeks to 20 weeks of full-time residency in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Positions are available for the 2026 season starting in February and March, with contracts ending in June, July or August. Weekly commitment is based on a 40-hour work week. It is understood that the weekly workload will vary related to the nature of the job responsibilities. Candidates may be assigned to one or multiple shows within the season based on availability and interests. Production scheduling details will be discussed with candidates selected for interviews.

Successful candidates may have the opportunity to return for additional seasons within the Design Assistant program. These seasons may or may not be consecutive.

SET/PROPS DESIGN ASSISTANT

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Research and visual reference collection and distribution to appropriate departments related to the set and prop designs of a production
• Interpreting and updating drafting/drawings throughout the production process
• Building set models
• Attending design meetings, production meetings, shop visits, props pulls and all technical rehearsals with the Designer to support the design process
• Attending rehearsal when possible
• Compiling documentation of the production for remount/archival purposes

COSTUME DESIGN ASSISTANT

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Collection and distribution of research and visual references to appropriate departments and crafts people related to costume designs of a production
• Creating paperwork as part of the design package
• Assisting on fabric and garment shopping trips/internet shopping, and record keeping related to those activities with Wardrobe Coordinators and Designers.
• Attending design meetings, production meetings, shop visits, costume pulls and all technical rehearsals with the Designer to support the design process
• Attending wig and wardrobe fittings with the Designer
• Attending cutter/crafts person discussions with the Designer

Qualifications / Required Skills

Qualifications include:
- Self-motivated
- Problem-solving skills
- Willingness to learn and collaborate
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, verbal and written
- Strong organizational and time management skills with an ability to multi-task and be flexible
- Experience and/or training in design/production on a professional level with an interest in set and costume design for performance
- Basic model making skills and materials knowledge
- Basic sketching/rendering skills
- Skill and comfort in visual communication
- Research skills
- Computer skills - Microsoft Office and Photoshop skills considered an asset
- Basic period knowledge and interest
- For Set/Props Assistants: Basic drafting skills in CAD or VECTORWORKS
- For Costume Assistants: Basic fabric knowledge and understanding

For the 2026 season:
- preference will be given to Assistants who can support across all 3 disciplines (set, props and costume)
- Previous experience Assisting professional theatre designers is preferred
- Ontario Class G (or equivalent driver’s license) with a clean driving record required

Please include your availability to start and move to Niagara-on-the-Lake in your cover letter. Please include any additional information about your availability throughout 2026.

Additional Information

PLEASE NOTE
The Shaw Festival includes multiple locations – the Design Studio is located in the main Festival building in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the Prop Shop, Scenic Construction Shop, Scenic Art Shop and Warehouses are located a short drive away in nearby towns. A vehicle is required to access these buildings. Design Assistants will have shared access to a Shaw vehicle which can be signed out as needed.

Salary: $1,000 weekly

Contact Information

Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, and a statement of availability by Monday November 10th 2025 to:

Human Resources, Director
Shaw Festival Theatre
10 Queen’s Parade, Box 774
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0

Email: dlg@shawfest.com 
While all responses are appreciated, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Employer Profile

In 1962, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, lawyer and playwright Brian Doherty parlayed his love for the work of Irish playwright Bernard Shaw into a summer theatre festival, producing eight performances of Don Juan in Hell and Candida in the Court House auditorium. In this singular act of passion for theatre and culture, the Shaw Festival was born.

Today, with 10 or more productions each year performed in three theatres for an audience of more than 250,000, the Shaw Festival has grown to become a major Canadian cultural icon, a gem in this country’s rich cultural heritage. Inspired by the wit and passion of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival is a contemporary theatre that features a smart, provocative, potent and diverse mix of plays from the past and present, performed by our celebrated repertory theatre Ensemble. The result is theatre that is challenging, surprising, often funny and always entertaining. These plays are lovingly and artfully brought to the stage each year by a talented team of actors, directors, and designers, showcasing the incredible tapestry of talent that this country contributes to the world.

Helmed by Artistic Director Tim Carroll (TC), The Shaw’s 63rd Season runs from April 6 to December 21.