About

Our History & Mission

The Associated Designers of Canada (ADC) was founded in 1965 by a group of Toronto-based designers with the goal of creating a union to support designers working in television, film, and theatre. While union status was not achieved at the time, a dedicated group of designers continued to grow the organization, expanding its reach and influence.

By the late 1970s, ADC successfully negotiated a formal contract agreement with the emerging Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT), leading to the development of Standards and Working Procedures. This document helped establish a national design community by demonstrating ADC’s role in advocating for and supporting designers across Canada.

In 2009, ADC shifted its focus exclusively to live performance design, rebranding as the Associated Designers of Canada and becoming a National Arts Service Organization (NASO) under the Department of Canadian Heritage. This status enabled ADC to expand its sector-wide advocacy, mentorship programs, and professional development initiatives.

A pivotal moment in ADC’s evolution came in 2020, when the organization transitioned its labour representation component to IATSE Local ADC659, allowing ADC to concentrate fully on its role as a National Arts Service Organization. This transition enabled the organization to expand its advocacy efforts, ensuring that all live performance designers—unionized or independent—have access to the resources, professional development opportunities, and community support they need to thrive.

Our Mission

ADC is a member-driven organization dedicated to supporting, promoting, and advocating for theatrical design as an art form and profession. We work to ensure that designers are recognized for their contributions and that design remains integral to the creation of live performance in Canada.

Our Objectives

• Champion Theatrical Design – We promote theatrical design as an essential artistic discipline, ensuring it is valued within the Canadian cultural landscape.
• Raise Awareness and Advocate – Through leadership, advocacy, and industry partnerships, we amplify the voices of designers and highlight their contributions to live performance.
• Support Designers at All Career Stages – We provide mentorship, professional development, and career-building resources to designers at every stage of their professional journey.
• Strengthen Canadian Theatre – By fostering collaboration and innovation, ADC contributes to the creation, production, and presentation of live performance, ensuring the continued growth and sustainability of theatre design in Canada.

The Associated Designers of Canada (ADC) is committed to ensuring that our members, and all theatre industry practitioners, work in a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment regardless of age, ability/disability, education, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, political beliefs, race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, marital, or family or socio-economic status. This list is not exhaustive and may be updated with inclusive language to uphold equity and autonomy for all marginalized populations. 

As a member-driven organization, the culture of the ADC is shaped by artistic, humanistic, and democratic participation. The ADC represents and amplifies the unique artistic visions of designers. Our collective community is shaped by our relationships, how we treat and care for each other, how we express respect and mutual support, and continued acts of cooperation. We remain committed to good governance and clear rules around practices of transparency and accountability. Our reporting, representation, and decision-making will be clear and relevant. 

All creative work spaces must be free of harassment, discrimination, bullying, and intimidation. These spaces must encourage and enable those within them to dismantle systems of oppression. No other standard is acceptable. All individuals working in the theatre industry must be able to address grievances without risk that an institutional power will silence them. We strive for all rehearsal halls, theatres, performances spaces, workshops, fitting rooms, studios, board rooms, offices, and creative spaces to be safe and supportive of artistic work. The ADC recognizes that many artists in the industry face the risk of jeopardizing their livelihoods by speaking up. We endeavor to change this dynamic so that no voice is silenced.