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Parent-Artist Advocacy

This series covers challenges faced by parent artists and builds on the work of the Parent Artist Advocacy League for the Performing Arts (PAAL), a national resource hub and all-parent, all-discipline league advocating for a national standard of best practices for parents in the performing arts.

four strollers
Making Radical Parent Inclusion Replicable and Sustainable
Essay

Making Radical Parent Inclusion Replicable and Sustainable

5 December 2019

Rachel Spencer Hewitt, founder of the Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL), talks about putting PAAL’s handbook of best practices for parent support into action in collaboration with New York City’s the Playwrights Realm.

A man is sitting holding a phone up to his ear while a toddler sleeps on him. The toddler is holding a rainbow colored stuffed animal.
Redefining “Radical” In Terms of How We Support Parents
Essay

Redefining “Radical” In Terms of How We Support Parents

4 December 2019

Mickey Rowe, co-founder and co–executive director of National Disability Theatre, talks about the difficulties of being a single parent with disabilities and working in theatre.

seven people pose for a photo
Parents of Color and the Need For Anti-Racist Theatre Practices
Essay

Parents of Color and the Need For Anti-Racist Theatre Practices

3 December 2019

Nicole Brewer talks about the term “child friendly,” reconstructing the issue of parent support as an issue of race and racism, supporting parent-artists with an anti-racist lens, and more.

3 adults and 2 children huddle together smile
Why Parent-Artists and Institutions Need Human Resources Support
Essay

Why Parent-Artists and Institutions Need Human Resources Support

2 December 2019

Iris McQuillan-Grace writes about the importance of providing an advocacy structure with a human resources lens to the performing arts landscape.

three actors onstage
When the World Isn’t Made for Your Body
Essay

When the World Isn’t Made for Your Body

How Interconnected Access Benefits Multiple Communities

1 December 2019

Introducing the second installment of the Parent-Artist Advocacy series, Sally Lobel talks about how the parent-artist community and the disability community have the potential to be excellent accomplices and allies.

Don’t Tell Anyone—A Call to Action for a Healthy Work-Life Balance in the Arts
Essay

Don’t Tell Anyone—A Call to Action for a Healthy Work-Life Balance in the Arts

15 December 2017

Adriana Gaviria speaks on how entertainment industry unions and institutions in the US can step up to better advocate for parent artists.

Harnessing the Heroic Narrative of Creative Motherhood
Essay

Harnessing the Heroic Narrative of Creative Motherhood

14 December 2017

Performer Stephanie Hayes reflects on how motherhood helped her reinvent her relationship to her own creativity.

Invisible Leaders and Creating Support for the Parent Artist
Essay

Invisible Leaders and Creating Support for the Parent Artist

A Conversation on Research, Visibility, and Inclusion

13 December 2017

Continuing the series on parent-artists, Ineke Ceder and Catherine Mueller Melwani discuss how research can play a role in creating a bridge between the parent-artist experiencing isolation and the solutions recommended for equity and parity.

Fighting for Gender, Race, and Motherhood in Theatre
Essay

Fighting for Gender, Race, and Motherhood in Theatre

12 December 2017

Stage manager Carmelita Becnel reflects on the need to support mothers, women of color, and stage managers as creative collaborators in the rehearsal room.

Creating a Family-Friendly Work Environment
Essay

Creating a Family-Friendly Work Environment

11 December 2017

Devon Berkshire lays out some tangible steps for decision-makers on creating a more family-friendly work environment.

Re-Defining Motherhood and Advocating for Parent Artists
Essay

Re-Defining Motherhood and Advocating for Parent Artists

10 December 2017

Rachel Spencer Hewitt, PAAL founder, kicks off the parent advocacy in the arts series with an overview of the history of PAAL and a rationale for family-friendly practices in the theatre.

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