Amal, 2019, performance in Tunis, Tunisia. Credit: Ahmed Bousnina.
Director Majdi Bou-Matar, ensemble, and creative team in rehearsal for The Last 15 Seconds (2010, Kitchener, Canada). Credit: MT Space Archives.
It was extremely helpful to feel so supported by such a thoughtful and caring and flexible team. It was wonderful to spend time with everyone involved in Balancing Act.
MT Space
MT Space
Wrap-around Support
Level UP! Strategy Area: Pathways to Agreement
Pilot Project: Wrap-around support for MT Space staff and contracted arts workers, as well as onboarding processes for new hires.
Project Duration: 2022 – 2023
Continuing to Implement: Yes
Resources Shared: Project Field Notes, Mental Health Plan
About MT Space
Location: Ontario
Artistic Discipline: Theatre
Operating Budget: $100,000 to $1,000,000
MT Space was founded in 2004 by Lebanese-Canadian artist Majdi Bou-Matar to centralize marginalized and racialized artists and stories, and fill what seems to be a great void in a community of many different peoples. Since then, MT Space has been fulfilling its mandate by creating, producing, touring, and presenting artistic work that reflects Canada’s cultural diversity, bringing culturally and socially relevant work from across the country and around the world to the Kitchener-Waterloo region. MT Space has seven streams of activity: Creating, Producing and Touring New Work; IMPACT Festival; Theatre for Social Change; Presenting Series; Newcomer Youth Theatre Project/Young Company; Workshops & Education; and Incubation of new artistic projects. Since 2016, MT Space has been led by Artistic Director Pam Patel.
MT Space’s Level UP! Project
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Pam Patel and Company Manager Bó Bárdos, MT Space’s Level UP! Project focused on reviewing their pathways for wrap-around care, improving their support systems for staff while addressing mental health, burnout and work-life balance.
Project Highlights:
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- Working with HR Consultant Amy Balatoni to develop a mental health support plan
- Developing a regular company practice of reading and discussing Towards Braiding by Elwood Jimmy and Vanessa Andreotti with Sharon Stein to support their values-based work
Resources
MT Space | Project Field Notes
About This Resource MT Space created these Project Field Notes in 2024 as part of their Balancing Act Level UP! Pilot Project. Their project focused on developing wrap-around support for MT Space staff and contracted arts workers, as well as onboarding processes for...
MT Space | Mental Health Support Plan for Touring Artists
About This Resource MT Space created this Mental Health Support Plan for Touring Artists document in 2023 as part of their Balancing Act Level UP! Pilot Project. The document includes a list of reccommended steps to take to support the mental health of touring artists...
MT Space | Workplace Wellness Statement
About This Resource MT Space developed this Workplace Wellness Statement in 2022 as part of their Balancing Act Level UP! Pilot Project. statement was added to MT Space's employee handbook to offer additional support to staff to prevent burnout and improve work-life...
Related Resources
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- Towards Braiding (eBook) by Elwood Jimmy and Vanessa Andreotti with Sharon Stein
More Information
For more information about MT Space visit mtspace.ca.
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