Image from Femmes du Feu’s Belonging (Unpacking Welland), 2023. Photo by Anthony Gallacio.
Being part of this project has given me the confidence and incentive to initiate conversations around caregiving within the circus community and as part of the working groups I am involved in. This is a topic that is just starting to be openly discussed and can be challenging in certain circles.
Femmes du Feu Creations
Femmes du Feu Creations
Artist Welcome Package and Residency Support
Level UP! Strategy Area: Care Solutions
Pilot Project: Creating a Care Package that includes caregiver resources and supporting childcare during residencies, adding an infant change table to their venue, and supporting artists in residence with finances for childcare
Project Duration: 2022/2023 Season
Continuing to Implement: Yes. The Downtown Welland BIA is adopting some of the ideas from Femme du Feu’s Care Package, and the company is developing policies and procedures around support for caregivers for their team
Resources Shared: Project Field Notes, Care Package for Visiting Artists
About Femmes du Feu Creations
Location: Ontario
Artistic Discipline: Circus, Dance
Operating Budget: $100,000 to $1,000,000
Femmes du Feu Creations (FdFC) is a not-for-profit organization with three primary missions: performance creation, education, and sector development in circus and dance in rural and urban communities in Ontario, prioritizing the Niagara region. Since its inception, FdFC has been creating and presenting circus works, researching innovative ways to combine its contemporary dance and choreographic backgrounds with contemporary circus, with an ongoing vision for cross-discipline collaborations.
FdFC creates performance work through collaboration with artists across disciplines, combining contemporary circus/dance with artistic curiosity, risk and reflection.
Femmes du Feu’s Level UP! Project
Located in the small town of Welland, Ontario, Femmes du Feu operates out of the Bank Art House, under the artistic direction of Holly Treddenick. Holly piloted childcare support for touring and residency artists at the Bank Art House, and also created a Welcome Package.
Project Highlights:
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- Showing the Care Package to the mayor, city council, and the WDBIA and having them want to adopt it as their own!
- Supporting artist caregivers coming to a small town to be in residence
Resources
Femmes du Feu Creations | Project Field Notes
About This Resource Femmes du Feu Creations shared Project Field Notes as part of their Balancing Act Level UP! Pilot Project. Their pilot focused on piloting childcare support for touring and residency artists and creating a Welcome Package for visiting artists.
Femmes du Feu Creations | Care Package for Visiting Artists
About This Resource Femmes du Feu Creations developed a Care Package for Visiting Artists in 2023 as part of their Balancing Act Level UP! Pilot Project. The package contains information about various local ammenities and services, and includes recommended places to...
More Information
For more information about the Femmes du Feu Creations visit femmesdufeu.com
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