Driver seat vs. Driver's seat

Solution 1:

Speaking literally about a vehicle that requires a driver, the "driver seat" is a part of the vehicle for the driver to sit in, just as a "passenger seat" is a seat for passengers to sit in.

It could be said that until a driver is assigned to the vehicle, the driver seat doesn't belong to anyone. Once a driver receives their assignment and takes control of the vehicle, the seat belongs to that individual driver, so it can be spoken of as the "driver's seat".

In metaphor, a "driver seat" implies a position of control, where someone is responsible for navigation and the path forward. "Helm" is another word used for the same metaphor. It means the same thing to refer to it as the seat itself, or the seat that belongs to someone in that position. I think you may correctly say:

A group of actors needs to take the driver seat.

You could also use the possessive form if you prefer:

After agreeing to fund the the new production themselves, the actors were in the driver's seat.

Using the possessive may express your metaphor in a subtly stronger way, as it emphasizes ownership of the seat you're encouraging them to take.

You mentioned plans to use this term many times in your article. Note that it's possible to use the same metaphor too often. I would avoid using this one more than once, especially when in conjunction with the same circumstances and individuals.