Job Postings: Found Producer & Season Producer

Common Ground Arts Society (CGAS) is an Edmonton-grown arts organization that mentors and supports local emerging and mid-career artists. Since 2011, we have provided a platform for new work; we curate creative collisions between artists and audiences; and we inspire dialogue about local space, place, and sense of belonging through live performance. CGAS engages a roster of diverse, multidisciplinary, and experimental artists.

Common Ground’s year is built around three major activities:

• RISER Edmonton (CG’s producing training program which sees 3-5 artists/companies per year undergo a year of producer mentorship ahead of the RISER New Works Festival, then pairs the projects with other professional festivals across the prairies for a guaranteed premiere presentation in the following year)
• Found Festival (CG’s annual festival presenting theatre, dance, music, and more in unexpected places throughout Edmonton)
• Prairie Mainstage Series (CG’s mainstage season which presents one local independent production and one production from elsewhere on the prairies per year)

In addition to these ongoing programs, CG partners with other artists and companies to build new opportunities for artists to access professional work in their community. We specialize in supporting underrepresented artists and other arts workers who’ve faced barriers to developing their practice.

The Found Festival Producer will act as the lead curator and project manager for Edmonton’s annual celebration of art in unexpected places. In collaboration with the Found Festival staff and Managing Producer, the Found Festival Producer will act as a primary point of contact for artists, partners, venues, and contractors to ensure a vibrant and successful Festival experience.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have strong connections to the local artistic community, ideally with touch points across multiple disciplines. While the Producer will have support on technical production from the Found Festival Technical Director & Production Manager, the Producer should have some practical knowledge in the technical needs of producing live events. Demonstrated experience working in fast-paced festival environments is essential.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Curating the Found Festival lineup through an open local and national call alongside Found Festival staff;
• Hiring, recruiting, and onboarding Found Festival staff;
• Acting as a primary point of contact for Found Festival artists, staff, and contractors;
• Acting as the lead project manager for Festival operations and production tasks;
• Supporting Found Festival staff in identifying and securing agreements with Festival venues;
• Collaborating with the Production Manager and Technical Director on technical planning and problem-solving;
• Overseeing Festival operations during pre-production and production weeks and representing the Festival at install and performance events;
• Assisting the Managing Producer and staff with the development of the brand and image of Found Festival;
• Assisting the Managing Producer with relationships and applications to funding partners in both the public and private sectors;

And other duties as required to support the continuation and sustainability of Found Festival.

PAY AND SCHEDULE

The Incoming Found Festival Producer will receive a fee of $5,000.00 to shadow and assist outgoing Festival Director Whittyn Jason for the 2026 edition of Found (July 8-12). 

The Incoming Found Festival Producer is anticipated to work 30-50 hours per month in April-May 2026 and 120 hours between June to the close of the 2026 Festival.

The expected fee range for the permanent role beginning in the 2026-27 Season is between $7,000-$9,000 per year. The Found Festival Producer works casual part-time hours in Found Festival’s off-season (4-12 hours per month, August-February with an increase to 15-20 hours per month during curation in December-January) then increases in expected hours towards near full-time work in the pre-production and production periods of Found Festival.

This is a part-time contractor position with hybrid work-from-home and site management responsibilities.

The Season Producer will act as the lead curator and project manager for Common Ground’s Prairie Mainstage Series and other Season activities and partnerships. In collaboration with the Managing Producer, the Season Producer will steward relationships with artists and partners across the prairie provinces to deliver high-quality, impactful presentations that contribute to a stronger touring ecology for independent theatre-makers.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have strong connections to the local theatre community, ideally with functional awareness of theatre artists and communities across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and/or Manitoba. A practical and proven understanding of the logistics of theatre touring on an indie scale is a strong asset. Demonstrated experience in facilitating logistical needs for theatre artists is essential.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Curating the Prairie Mainstage Series through ongoing artistic research and community-building across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba;
• Negotiating and securing presenting agreements with Series artists;
• Acting as the lead project manager for Series operations and production tasks;
• Booking and liaising with Series venues;
• Overseeing Series operations during pre-production and production weeks and representing the Festival at install and performance events;
• Assisting the Managing Producer and staff with the development of the brand and image of the Prairie Mainstage Series;
• Assisting the Managing Producer with relationships and applications to funding partners in both the public and private sectors;
• Assisting the Managing Producer with other Season activities and partnerships programmed in CG’s artistic programming;

And other duties as required to support the continuation and sustainability of Common Ground’s non-Festival programming.

PAY AND SCHEDULE

The Incoming Found Festival Producer will receive a fee of $5,000.00 to on-board with current CG staff and assume leadership responsibilities for CG’s first 2026-27 Prairie Mainstage Series presentation in Fall 2026.

The Incoming Season Producer is anticipated to work 5-20 hours per month in April-August 2026 while shadowing and onboarding and 80+ hours per month between September to October while leading the 26-27 Series’ first presentation.

The expected fee range for the permanent role beginning in 2027 Season is between $7,000-$9,000 per year. The Season Producer works casual part-time hours in off-season (4-12 hours per month) then increases in expected hours towards near full-time work in the pre-production and production periods of Season activities.

This is a part-time contractor position with hybrid work-from-home and site management responsibilities.