Ontario

Over the past three years, I’ve sat on Equity Council during some huge shifts in Canadian theatre: CTA negotiations and ratification, the racial reckoning that began in June 2020, and the maddeningly difficult circumstances throughout the 18-month shutdown of our workspaces…a challenging time for theatre artists. Being in touch with so many members during this time was a constant reminder of the need for a strong and empathetic Council that listens and acts, and is open and accessible to the members. I believe that Equity IS its members.

I’ve tried hard to help Council be those things; if re-elected, I commit to continuing the work of clearer communication, bringing member concerns to Council, and helping to build a stronger, more compassionate, and more progressive Association.

As we re-discover what we as an industry are capable of, may we strengthen our advocacy, empower our communities, and work towards safer and more equitable working conditions. My passion is and always has been the Canadian theatre industry, and I would be grateful and honoured to serve Equity members for another term.

I have been an Equity member for a decade. Now, a year and a half into a pandemic that has torn through live performance, together we must build an industry better than before: safer, more inclusive, healthy and strong.

I worked with Equity as part of the CTA negotiating team in 2017/2018. During that time, I also helped rewrite ACTRA's Bylaw #7 and worked with Got Your Back. Listening to stories from within our industry and working collaboratively to improve language in our agreements and internal reporting procedures changed me. For the past three years I have been studying law. I wish to be of service to the community that has made me who I am.

Both of my parents are actors. I have lived among theatre makers my whole life. I am passionate about fighting for artists' rights and rightful, valued place in society. I am dedicated to working together to achieve big goals.

I would appreciate your vote and hope we get to work together soon.

After an unfathomably challenging 18 months, I'm optimistic that light is on the horizon and theatres will begin to reopen their doors in 2022. As someone who has already faced the learning curve of joining Council last term, I feel called to bring my experience to the new Council, so they are as prepared as possible for the unforeseeable decisions that will appear in the coming months, and to make sure our new normal prioritizes the safety of artists alongside the recovery of our industry.

There are also several projects started by this council that have not been completed, and I would love to continue them. These include a stronger new member education system, and a conversation about a deeper relationship with ACTRA, which will be extremely important to our industry moving forward.

Serving on Council for has been an incredibly enriching experience for me - not just for the knowledge I've gained, but also for how I was able to connect with my fellow artists, often in times of need or uncertainty, and make our industry feel like a circle of peers supporting each other in solidarity. It would be my honour to serve for a second term!

I would be honoured to serve another term at Council. We worked very hard going into the pandemic and loss of our jobs. I'm thrilled that I was able to assist with the Respectful Workplace Policy, the Senior Artist Support Task Force, the Mental Health and Wellness Task Force, Not In Our Space!, as well as the Governance and Policy Review Committee to simplify Equity’s policies and bylaws.

Honestly, it took me awhile to figure things out, and now that I have a better understanding, I'd like to continue, especially to examine how we move forward within Equity and what our future is. I stand with our members as we negotiate through these tough times. I stand with our IBPOC and LGBTQ2S+ members as a settler and an ally. Thanks to Glynis Ranney and Mike Nadejewski for the nomination.

I can't wait to get started coming back!

I am seeking re-election to Council, as I believe the silence of our stages shone a spotlight on the fundamental problem of our membership not being valued by all levels of our government. We will be the last sector in Ontario to fully re-open post pandemic.

As it is my belief that theatre, dance and opera are nothing less than embodied love for humanity, I hope to create a committee on Council that envisions and boldly explores the actions necessary in addressing the disconnect that government has towards learning the benefits and true value of what and who we are to our communities. Although our membership is a tiny percentage of our country’s total population; we can and do create seismic changes in the hearts and minds of our audiences.

How then can we co-create a governmental frame of mind ensuring that our members are paid living wages?

I am devoted to finding the much needed answers, and have hope-filled dreams of creating the alliances/programs necessary so that our members in turn can offer the gift of the richness and true diversity of their voices and creative practices, and be demonstrably valued coast-to-coast-to-coast.

I've been an Equity member since 2000 & been privileged to work in large theatres & with indie companies, on global tours & long local runs, doing text-based plays, improv, puppetry, mask, dance, mime, and clown. I've also created & produced work under Equity. Through these experiences, I have gained an understanding of some of the unique pressures each company undergoes.

This pandemic respite has given pause for us to evaluate what Equity actually means. New voices & new audiences are engaging with theatre & Equity needs more than ever to be ready for the potential growth to come. Part of this will be thinking more deeply about digital performance as well as where we can increase efficiency & decrease cost by sharing resources with ACTRA.

The pandemic exposed our precarity to government & the public. Can we leverage this awareness to changing our tax status to a 5-year average to compensate for the rollercoaster of boom & bust?

I'm running to help our profession grow with stability & transparency. I know I have a great deal to learn, but I also have an affinity to think outside the box. I hope to apply myself for your betterment.

These last years have seen long-overdue reckonings across society and within our community. In response, recent Councils have done vital work putting practices and structures in place to truly serve and support the entire membership. And while the pandemic has seriously impacted our sector, as our business starts to rebuild we have the opportunity to entrench these practices as foundational to the way we will be with each other, and with engagers and other colleagues.

We have strength in our diversity of voice, of experience, and of perspective. I believe the commitment of the next Council must be to build on the great work that’s been undertaken in these last unprecedented years. Let’s build an association with the capacity to bring change for its members, and one that can be changed by its members for the betterment of all of us.

As an actor, director and teacher, I am always asking what could be improved, and how I can contribute to bringing about that improvement. As a Councillor, I will look at our challenges and concerns with fresh eyes, listen with fresh ears, and seek ways to build our association for who we are now and who we can become.