Our Story
Balancing Act Founder and Lead Advisor, Lisa Marie DiLiberto
Balancing Act was founded in 2019 by Lisa Marie DiLiberto, Artistic Director of Theatre Direct.
“…Our work with Balancing Act will give artists the courage to believe that having a career in the performing arts and having a family is an attainable dream, knowing that they will be supported and encouraged instead of shut out and looked over. But let us not fool ourselves: caregivers are not the only ones who will benefit from this revolution. The art form itself will be richer by the creativity these artists will bring, most of whom are at the height of their careers as they become parents.”
– From “Balancing Act” by Lisa Marie DiLiberto, published in Theatre Research in Canada, Volume 41, Issue 2, Fall 2020.
International Industry Leaders
National parent-artist initiatives worldwide are making waves, including the Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL) in the US and Parents & Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA) in the UK. To learn more about similar organizations outside of Canada, visit our External Resources Catalogue page.
Balancing Act Founder and Executive Director Lisa Marie DiLiberto and son
Parenting in the Arts Meeting
Theatre Direct Artistic Director Lisa Marie DiLiberto brings together a think tank of artist parents (and their babies) at the Drake in Toronto in the winter of 2018. Key issues are raised, a vision for a future takes hold, and Balancing Act is born.
Parenting in the Arts meeting at The Drake in Toronto, 2018
Balancing Act Research
Balancing Act commissions a study from The School of Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto: Behind the Curtain: A mixed methods study exploring barriers to and strategies for managing competing roles and work-life balance of performing arts workers and caregivers. Ong, M., Scannell, J., Namasivayam, K., Wolf, H., & Davis, J. (2019). Key finding: “71.9% of artists/arts worker respondents say they have turned down work because of caring responsibilities.”
Early Strategies
A powerful group of partners and stakeholders comes together in Toronto stewarded by Theatre Direct’s former Balancing Act Producer, Hanna Wolf. Together, they are set to launch a series of supportive strategy pilots such as on-site childcare during performances, the 5-day work week, creating a family room at the theatre and best practices for touring. As the pandemic takes hold, Balancing Act turns its focus on developing digital tools to support flexible, remote work and strategies to support artist caregivers at home. See Past Projects.
Level UP! and Affinity Groups
In early 2021, a Balancing Act steering committee composed of organizational leaders from across the country was formed to collaborate on creating a tangible framework for caregiver support to benefit both artists and organizations. The three-year Level Up! Initiative launches! Balancing Act introduces monthly affinity groups for parents and caregivers in the arts, building a community of peer support.
Wrap & Unpack
Balancing Act travels the country with 'Wrap & Unpack', a series of regional knowledge mobilizations in Saskatoon, Montreal, Whitehorse, Halifax, and Toronto.
Balancing Act completes the third cohort of the Level UP! Initiative in March 2024, for a total of 76 strategy partners across Canada from theatre, dance, opera, circus and comedy.
Level UP! Sector Expansion
With the suppport of Women and Gender Equality Canada, Balancing Act launches Level UP! Sector Expansion. Partnering with Women in Music Canada, Women in Film and Television - Toronto, and MOTHRA: Artist-Parent Project, this 2-year national initiative now encompasses Music, Screen-based Media Industries (Film & TV), and Visual Arts.
Dance Artist Bonnie Kim and father Key Kim with physiotherapists Andrew Byun and Bonnie Jeng of Physio-logic. Photo by Joseph Hung.
The Art of Care
In March of 2026, Balancing Act hosted The Art of Care and celebrated a milestone: 79 Level UP! Sector Expansion Partners had participated over two years, bringing the total number of Level UP! Partners to over 150. Together, these partners have created over 200 pages of resources to support caregiver inclusion in the arts workforce, available for free download on our Resource Hub. It is our hope that these will promote greater equity and inclusion for caregivers across the entire arts sector - now and into the future.
