DATE: Tuesday, December 15, 2026
TIME: 2:00pm – 4:00pm, doors open 1:30pm
LOCATION: Dorothy Somerset Studio, 6361 University Blvd, Vancouver
Community-based participatory action research (CPAR) is “rooted in the activist call ‘No research on us, without us’” (Fine & Torre 2021, p. 3). CPAR places participants at the centre of the research not only to illuminate their voices as they strive to make social change but also as researchers. Devised disability theatre within CPAR reveals issues of power, representation, and voice. We All Need a Home is a play about inclusive housing. This project involves self-advocates’ leadership at every stage: development, implementation, evaluation, and knowledge mobilization.
Built upon principles of self-advocacy and disability justice, this project unites self-advocates and allies in a collaborative artistic practice intended to educate and empower audiences both within and outside of the disability community. Attendess will witness self-advocate actors perform issues that directly affect their lives, engage creatively in problem-solving, and imagining solutions. In the “talk back” portion of the production, audience members will have the opportunity to share their experiences and how the production offers them new perspectives and tools related to inclusive research and housing.
Come witness this one hour play co-created by fifteen self-advocates (adults with intellectual disabilities) and stay for the 30-minute “talk back”/panel with the self-advocate researchers and co-researchers from UBC’s Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship.
Schedule
1:30pm – Doors open
2:00pm-3:00pm – Welcome and performance
3:00pm-3:15pm – Break
3:15pm-4:00pm – Talk-back with the actors/co-creators, who are also co-researchers on the project
Project Team
Rachelle Hole, Co-Director, CIIC
Leyton Schnellert, Co-Director, CIIC
Presented in partnership with the Community Living Society, Massey Theatre, and Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship (CIIC).
Funded by Vancouver Foundation, Community Living British Columbia, UBC CUES Fund, and Community Living Society.
Accessibility information
The following accessibility information is being actively updated as information becomes available. If you require further accommodations or additional information to participate, please let us know in the registration form linked above or by contacting the event access coordinator, Dr. Carly Christensen at carly.christensen@ubc.ca as early as possible.
Interpretation and auditory support
- The actors will be using microphones to assist people who are hard of hearing.
- ASL will be provided. Audience members who rely on ASL are encouraged to sit close to the front.
- The program is in plain language.
Seating & tables
- Wheelchair and companion seating are available. Please contact Dr. Carly Christensen if you have a specific request.
Safety
- Masks are required unless wearing one creates a medical, sensory, communication, or other access barrier, and will be available free of charge at the door.
- If you have cold or flu symptoms, please stay home and rest well.
Sensory considerations
- The performance will be relaxed with dimmed lighting, soft sounds, and space for audience members to move around.
- Scent: In consideration of those with chemical sensitivities, we ask that attendees refrain from wearing perfumes and minimize their use of other scented products.
