I was offered a day rate for one day on a project where I have historically been paid by the week. The rate, which before I had a child would have been adequate (not exceptional), was not enough to cover the taxes I would have to pay on the income plus the childcare I needed to work the day. I took that gig at a loss so that I can continue to work with the project, but I turn down any new work with similar parameters since I simply can’t afford to take it.
Women’s Work Festival
Women’s Work Festival
Caregiver Artist Needs Assessment
Pilot Project: Developing a survey to gather insights into the lived experiences of caregiver artists in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in order to inform strategies and advocacy efforts aimed at improving support.
Project Duration: December 2024 – March 2025
Continuing to Implement: Yes, with modifications. Lessons learned from the caregiver artist survey will inform future activities and advocacy efforts.
Resources Shared: Project Field Notes, Caregiver Artist Survey, Press Release, Survey Results Summary
About Women’s Work Festival
Location: Newfoundland and Labrador
Artistic Discipline: Theatre
Operating Budget: Less than $100,000
The Women’s Work Festival (WWF) celebrates creators and plays-in-progress. The Festival is a week-long event that features readings, music performances, workshops, panels, and special events promoting work by, for, and about women. The Festival is intersectional and proudly includes the work of women and other marginalized genders.
Level UP! Project Details
Inspired by conversations from their BYOB (Bring Your Own Youngster) Coffee Chats, the project centered around developing and distributing a survey to caregiver artists in St. John’s theatre community to identify challenges faced by artists with caregiving responsibilities. The survey was completed by 20 caregiver artists, providing valuable insights that will inform future advocacy and resource development. Women’s Work Festival plans to share the results publicly and continue the conversation during its 20th-anniversary festival in 2026, reaffirming its commitment to long-term support for caregiver artists in the arts sector.
Project Highlights:
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The survey was a pivotal step towards developing concrete support strategies for caregiver artists in the St. John’s theatre community. Collected data, now publicly available on WWF’s website, provides a foundational understanding to advocate for ongoing support.
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Initial online survey response rates were slow at first so the team quickly pivoted to include direct, on-site engagement during the Festival, utilizing printed copies and QR codes to maximize participation.
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Resources
Women’s Work Festival | Project Field Notes
About This Resource Ana Pitol, Project Coordinator with Women’s Work Festival, created these Project Field Notes in 2025 to share details about the Festival's Level UP! Pilot Project. The project focused on investigating the specific challenges encountered by...
Women’s Work Festival | Caregiver Artist Survey
About This Resource Women’s Work Festival created this Caregiver Artist Survey in 2025 as part of their Level UP! Pilot Project. The survey, distributed as a Google Form, was shared with caregiver artists in St. John’s to gather insight into their experiences...
Women’s Work Festival | Press Release: Caregiver Artist Survey
About This Resource Women’s Work Festival created this press release in 2025 as part of their Level UP! Pilot Project. The press release was created to promote the Festival’s Caregiver Artist Survey, which was initiated to increase understanding of the unique...
Women’s Work Festival | Caregiver Artist Survey Results
About This Resource Women’s Work Festival created this summary of results from their survey of caregiver artists in St. John’s, Newfoundland. 20 caregiver artists participated in the survey between January and March 2025. This work was part of Women's Work Festival's...
More Information
For more information about Women’s Work Festival, visit womensworkfestival.ca.
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