We Support Caregivers
in the Performing Arts
The aim of Balancing Act is to create increased equality, accessibility, and inclusion for parents and caregivers※ working in the performing arts. We collaborate with artists, arts workers, and arts organizations to develop pathways for change at an individual, organizational and systemic level.
Balancing Act is an initiative of Theatre Direct.
※ Balancing Act’s definition of caregiver includes individuals who care for children, older adults, those in need of personal care, and anyone who self-identifies as a caregiver.
Latest News
- Theatre Direct receives federal funds for Balancing Act
Theatre Direct has received $699,700 from the federal Feminist Response and Recovery Fund for the Balancing Act initiative Level UP! The Minister of Women and…Continue Reading - Level Up! Info SessionArts organizations from across Canada are invited to join Theatre Direct on Thursday, June 17, for an info session about Balancing Act, our artist caregiver…Continue Reading
- Hack Lab Launched!
We received such a positive response to Hack Lab’s inaugural call to artist caregivers that we are able to offer two cohorts that will run…Continue Reading
Keep up with the latest from Balancing Act.
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Meet Kate!
This Monday, Kate Kamo McHugh joins our all caregivers/parent affinity group meet-up online via Zoom from 1 pm to 2:30 pm EST as the guest artist. Sign-up and receive the link by writing to balancingact@theatredirect.ca.
Learn more Kate, who was also a member of our artist caregiver cohorts of Theatre Direct's Hack Lab, below.
Bio ⤵️
Kate Kamo McHugh is a multidisciplinary theatre artist and educator from Kitchener, Ontario. Some highlights for Kate include dancing for Disney Cruise Lines, working in children’s theatre in South America, and taking part in the Free Rein artistic residency with the National Arts Centre / Centre national des Arts this summer. Earlier this year, Kate was honoured to co-facilitate a movement based workshop for the Newcomer Youth Program in partnership with MT Space and the YMCA of Three Rivers - Waterloo Region. Kate is currently rehearsing with Cosmic Fishing Theatre and will be workshopping her solo piece Michiko at IMPACT 21 in October. She holds a BFA from Ryerson University in Theatre Performance Dance.
About Balancing Act Canada Affinity Groups ⤵️
The third Monday of each month, Balancing Act offers an online affinity group for artists and arts workers engaged in care; a supportive space to dialogue and exchange stories and resources. Each session features an artist talk, followed by open discussion and a breakout room for new and expectant parents.
#balancingact #artistcaregivers
Affinity Group This Monday with Kate Kamo McHugh! 👥
All Caregivers/Parents Affinity Group
Monday September 20, 2021
1 pm to 2:30 pm EST
Online via Zoom
Featuring guest artist Kate Kamo McHugh!
The third Monday of each month, Balancing Act offers an online affinity group for artists and arts workers engaged in care; a supportive space to dialogue and exchange stories and resources. Each session features an artist talk, followed by open discussion and a breakout room for new and expectant parents.
Kate Kamo McHugh, an artist, educator, and mother from Kitchener, Ontario, will speak about her multidisciplinary theatre practice, her work with Theatre Direct's Hack Lab and her recent Free Rein residency at the National Arts Centre / Centre national des Arts.
To register and share access needs, please e-mail balancingact@theatredirect.ca.
#balancingact #artistcaregivers
Le Musée de la famille on this week!
As part of Zones Théâtral, on now until September 18 in Ottawa, check out creators Anne-Marie Ouellet and Thomas Sinou's return to the festival with an intimate look at the structure of the family.
Both a safety net and a prison, the family, however defined, is a veritable micro-society. True to their practice, the creators invite us to a performance in which everyday actions are dramatized and co-opted, and where sound and music are omnipresent.
Learn more below and here: bit.ly/3AcNkMc.
#balancingact #artistcaregivers