Rehearsals Spotlight Housing Struggles
Tucked behind black velvet curtains off the main stage at Massey Theatre, local actors and co-creators with intellectual disabilities rehearse their upcoming production, We All Need a Home. On a Tuesday night in early 2026, they practice claiming space, amplifying voices through disability theatre, and crafting narratives of belonging, dignity, and true home.
Drs. Rachelle Hole and Leyton Schnellert, co-directors of the Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship, drive this initiative. “Over years of collaboration, stories about disability are too often told from the outside, filtered through systems, policies, or academic distance,” Schnellert states. “One question kept resurfacing: What would change if theatre began with the lived experiences of people with intellectual disabilities?”
The duo collaborates with the Community Living Society, Massey Theatre, and theatre artists. This partnership fosters trust and curiosity, positioning self-advocates as leaders who shape messages in their own words.
Transforming Experiences into Performance
“Theatre is the best way to tell this message,” explains co-creator and actor Aaron Pietras. “Theatre is for everyone and leaves the audience mesmerized. It keeps them on the edge of their seats because we get to tell our stories face-to-face. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, your age, your language, your background, or your disability… we all need a home.”
During prop-making workshops, co-creators like Amy Chan and David Delatorre contribute ideas and artwork. Crayons scrape across poster board, brushes dip into jars, and markers outline slogans like “Housing is a human right!” These signs feature in a staged protest scene depicting housing system challenges.
“Being a co-creator is the best part. We don’t just perform; we create the whole show! We do the scripts, the sets, the lights… everything,” says Dana Faris, a veteran participant. “We all contribute,” Pietras adds. “That’s what makes it feel like family.”
Unlike traditional productions, this devised theatre starts with personal stories. Co-creators explore themes via workshops using movement, tableaux, and scenario building. They also act as co-researchers, designing feedback and analyzing data alongside Hole and Schnellert. Inclusive housing research informs the process, grounding performances in lived realities and evidence.
“It’s not your typical theatre. We improvise as we go. It’s always evolving,” Faris notes. “We want the audience to interact, absorb what they’re seeing, and then think, ‘What can I do now? How do I take action?’”
Addressing Inclusive Housing Gaps
Access to affordable, inclusive housing challenges many with intellectual disabilities. “In British Columbia, the housing crisis disproportionately affects this population, often limiting opportunities to live in community settings with adequate resources for safety and dignity,” Hole explains. The production raises awareness that inclusive housing is essential and achievable through community-driven solutions, while highlighting needs for mental health supports.
Actors receive an hourly living wage, valuing their expertise as storytellers and leaders.
Centering Self-Advocates
In the rehearsal room, relationships outweigh titles. Decisions emerge collaboratively through improvisation and exploration. “Devised theatre is an iterative process that honours multiple ways of knowing and doing,” Schnellert says.
Hole emphasizes, “The most important principle is that the topic and message come from the people most affected. Our role is to listen, facilitate, and support the power people already have.” Schnellert adds, “What changes everything is when people have time and support to articulate not just barriers, but possibilities. That’s disability justice: centering lives and fostering leadership.”
Workshops buzz with energy as co-creators test ideas, laughter echoes, and confidence grows. “This topic was my idea, and now it’s our play,” Pietras beams. “Somebody freakin’ pinch me right now!”
Upcoming performances: June 2026 at Massey Theatre, New Westminster.
