The Redwood Theatre, 1300 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4L 1Y7, Canada
About the event
Come one, come all! Witness a celebration of circus, camp, queer joy, and community! Rainbow Circus, an inclusive circus company, and Mac Tavish, your humble circus hunk, invite you to join them at Big Top: a Circus Cabaret. Expect high-flying aerial, musical wonders, and delightfully campy burlesque and drag performances.
Hosted by local comedian Taryn Douggall, Big Top seeks to uplift emerging 2SLGBTQ+ performers in the Toronto Community and beyond, while raising funds for Macโs top surgery recovery.
One night only; the East End will never forget it!
Our Rainbow Teen camp will spend the next week crafting a silly and scary Halloween-themed circus show. Family friendly!
Show at 6:30 pm, doors at 6 pm on Friday, August 22nd.ย
Tickets are: $20 for adults (19+) $15 for youth (ages 13-18)ย $10 for kids (5-13)
If cost is a barrier, please reach out to reserve one of our community tickets.
Please help us get the wordย out about this show. Profits from the show help offset the costs of offering a sliding scale campย without any grants, not to mention the teens work hard all week to create something awesome that deserves to be celebrated.ย
Invite ALL of your friends & chosenย family.ย Emailย rainbowcirque@gmail.comย for tickets or purchase in cash at the door.ย
Merch drop/scholarship fundraiser! ๐ณ๏ธโโง๏ธ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฆ โจ Our Protect Trans Kids shirts and sweaters are available to order, just in time for Pride weekend! Now, more than ever, we want to get this message out in the world to let Trans kids, youth, and adults know that they are seen, loved, and respected. โจ The best part? These super soft shirts and sweaters are designed by Bat, a Trans youth artist, who screenprints each item by hand in his home studio, with all profits going towards our Rainbow Circus youth scholarship fund. โจ All orders must be placed by July 13th and will be ready in mid-August.
(DEADLINE EXTENDED to JULY 31ST.!)
Sizing is Kids XS – Adult 4XL
All shirts are Unisex shirts from Gildan, they are designed to be soft style shirts. We know that some folks prefer the stiffer shirts that don’t form to the body as much, if this is you, indicate in the “other notes” section and we will make that happen.
You can find more info about the sizing and materials on the Gildan site:
In line with our values of equity, all apparel we offer will be priced the same regardless of size. Currently, our supplier stocks kids XS – adult 4XL if you’d like a different size please get in touch and we will do what we can to make it happen (we have a few ideas at the ready). All orders must be placed by July 13th and will be ready in mid-August.
[ID: digital graphics of shirts and sweaters, they have various sized “protect trans kids” wording or Rainbow Circus logos on the front, and the backs of the shirts have a graphic of butterfly wings in either the trans flag or rainbow colours. Text on the posters reads “Pride shirts! Scholarship Fundraiser. 35$ shirts, 55$ sweaters. Order by July 13th.]
Originally titled โCommunity Scholarshipsโ, the Rainbow Scholarship program started in 2020 as a way to create access for folks struggling with the rising class costs that came with reduced class sizes for in person pandemic programming.
They started as a collection of $20-$50 donations from circus community members, to keep youth accessing circus.
These scholarships are specifically for children and youth in financial need. They are designed to address some of the financial barriers to participating in circus classes by providing students with a percentage of funds off their tuition. LGBTQ2S+, BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent, those living with mental illness, working-class, and immigrant folks to the front!
During the first year of free Rainbow Circus summer camps, we used all of the profits from the camp shows to fund scholarships for programming throughout the school year. Weโve continued this every year since.
With equity in mind, we didn’t want to offer free inclusive summer camps followed by full-priced circus classes that were out of reach for some of our students. An ongoing and robust scholarship program felt like a good solution.
Since then, 10% or more of all Rainbow Circus student shows and performances have gone towards our Rainbow Scholarship fund.
100% of our โProtect Trans Kidsโ and Rainbow Circus apparel profits go towards the scholarship funds.
Weโve also had small and large donations to our scholarship fund.
These scholarships are possible because of the amazing community we have supporting us.
As we celebrate this wonderful milestone, weโre also saying THANK YOU to everyone who has made this possible!
Youโre helping youth access movement arts, vibrant community, and self-expression.
Want to donate?
E-transfer: rainbowcirque@gmail.com with โscholarship in the memoโ or email us to arrange another method.
In the past three years, we have been grateful to receive grants and support from ArtReach and the Toronto Arts Council that have allowed us to offer two weeks of free camps for 2SLGBTQ+ youth every summer. This programming has been a part of the foundation that’s made the Rainbow Circus community what it is today.
To carry on the legacy of these camps, we are offering our Rainbow Camp on a sliding scale model this year to balance financial accessibility with business sustainability. While all of our camps and classes are eligible for sport funding, and community scholarships, we recognize the unique barriers that teens experience in accessing recreational athletic programming, especially those identifying as part of 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
Sliding scale pricing models recognize that people have different access to finances, often because of historical inequity and ongoing oppression. With this model, we’re working to provide different pricing options so that folks can choose the tuition tier that best meets their needs. You know your finances best, please consider the options below and choose the tuition tier that seems like the best match for you.
It’s an imperfect experiment but we hope it’s an opportunity to grow in alignment with our values please feel free to give us feedback.
Sliding scale options:
๐๐๐
Tier 1: $128.75
For those struggling to consistently meet their basic monthly expenses, with little to no savings, may be living within one or multiple marginalized identities. Unemployed or under-employed, without other sources of financial support. Affording the full camp tuition would be entirely out of reach without a sliding scale spot.
Tier 2: $257.50
For folks who are regularly able to meet their monthly expenses and sometimes have room for extras. You may need to budget for this expense and pay over time, but would find the full cost of tuition a barrier to participation. People who are underemployed or whose income may fluctuate significantly from month to month (self-employed folks, gig workers, or those in the service industry).
Tier 3: $386.25
For folks who are regularly able to meet their monthly expenses, and afford extras outside of them. The cost of participation may require looking at your budget, but wouldnโt impact your ability to meet your basic needs. Those with secure employment, but whose income may fluctuate. You may have some savings or other supports but could use a bit of help with this expense.
Tier 4: $515.00
For people who can afford their monthly expenses as well as recreational activities without significant stress. If you have savings and investments, own your own home, and can afford the tuition without any hardship this tier is for you.
Tier 5: $565.00
The full cost of programming, plus a bit extra. For folks with assets to redistribute to community members. You feel financially comfortable and are able to make large purchases without consulting your budget. You may have inherited wealth and historical privilege, and live in a multi-income home with earners making a good wage.
(If you’re sharing about this on socials in Canada you can use this page to share as media channels are not able to be shared on Canadian social media because of Bill C-18)
Join us on Saturday October 14th from 6-9pm (movie starts 6:30) for a Rainbow Circus social night to watch the Barbie movie and have some social time with your circus friends. Youโre welcome to dress up in Barbie theme! Everyone is welcome, you donโt need to be a student to attend.
Details:
Where: 1300 Gerrard St E, 2nd floor (upstairs studio)
Tickets 20$ (including HSTโand popcorn!)
Tickets are limited and may not be available at the door. We recommend advance purchase!
(e-transfer rainbowcirque@gmail.com with the participant name & โmovie nightโ in the memo)
Some PWYC tickets are available (email us).
Access notes:
The upstairs studio is up three flights of stairs, there is no elevator.
Movie will be played with closed captions turned on.
Chairs and floor chairs will be available, you are welcome to bring your own pillows and blankets to cozy up with!
Outside snacks and drinks with a closed lid are permitted.
Our youth performers will blow you away with their talents! After a weeklong intensive creation period, our intermediate student performers will present to you their show “forgotten toys” full of circus specticles. This all ages show will feature aerial silks, hoop, dance, contortion, and more!
Sliding scale community tickets are available to increase financial access to the show for marginalized and historically disenfranchised folks. Please feel free to choose the ticket price that suits you, and email us if cost is a barrier but you would like to attend (rainbowcirque@gmail.com)
10% of show profits go to Rainbow Circus community scholarships to support financial access to circus classes for LGBTQ2S+ youth.
5% of show profits go to an Indiginous orginization as part of our reconciliation work.
W๏ปฟith support from The Redwood Theatre.
A๏ปฟccess Notes:
Getting Here:
The address is 1300 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4L 1Y7
The nearest intersection is Greenwood and Gerrard.
The building is accessible by bus from Greenwood station, as well as the 506 College/Gerrard streetcar.
There is street parking available as well as bike lockups in the surrounding neighbourhood.
It can be hard to stop on Gerrard street directly, so for easier dropoffs, we suggest turning onto Redwood Ave (a one way street going North) and getting dropped off next to the building.
The building is accessible by bus from Greenwood station, as well as the 506 College/Gerrard streetcar. Greenwood station is only barrier free at the street level and is not accessible by subway. The nearest accessible subway is Coxwell Station.
The Building:
The entrance to the building is off the sidewalk, a set of double doors, that open manually (no push button).
There is no lip on the door. There is a moderately steep ramp from the entrance into the mainspace.It goes up from the street level, and then back down into the main space, at a grade that is not to code and has no railings. Wheelchair users may need physical assistance to go up this ramp. The mainspace is level. The floors are a mix of concrete and wooden dance floor.
The space is lit with dimmable overhead track lighting, with minimal windows. There are sound panels against the walls to reduce ambient noise.
It has air conditioning and an updated H-Vac system for air filtration.
Washrooms:
There is a single-user non-gendered washroom on the mainspace floor.
The washroom has enough space for a manual wheelchair, but would be too small for a powerchair user to turn around comfortably. There is no automatic door opener there is a grab bar, but the placement isnโt great. Handles to the bathroom door were knobs not levers. The faucet may pose access barriers to folks with limited mobility as it needs sustained pressure to function.
When you reconnect with a lost part of yourself and find that it has changed and grown in your absence. “Finding Helix” is a quirky look at connection with self and others and all of the uncomfortable, wonderful, and scary parts of being in relationship.
DANCERS/COCREATORS: Luke Anderson and Jayeden Walker
CHOREOGRAPHY: Kathleen Rea
MUSIC: Cheryl Ockrant
TICKETS: Sliding scale $10 to $50
ARTIST’S BIOGRAPHIES
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Luke carries Jayeden on his shoulder.
Luke Anderson (he/him/his) has a background in civil engineering which helped him foster a respect for the importance of quantitative science in our external world and it’s part in helping create an environmentally and socially healthy planet. In 2015 he left his structural engineering gig and took on the role of Executive Director of Toronto’s StopGap Foundation, which he co-founded, working with communities across the country to raise awareness about the importance of accessibility, inclusion, and barrier-free spaces. That same year he was introduced to the world of Contact Improvisation and soon developed a deep respect and interest in the somatic realms of our qualitative human experience. Luke identifies as someone living with a profound physical disability and uses a wheelchair to aid his mobility. Luke’s lived experience working with and gaining wisdom from his own physical and emotional pain, encounters with systemic inequity for people with disabilities, and personal suffering fuels his desire to contribute to the well being of various communities including the Toronto Contact Improvisation community. Finding joy, weirdness, mystery, and massive amounts of hilarity are some of Luke’s personal and professional daily intentions. Luke’s movement practice at home and at jams incorporates a playful mix of his passions for dance, nonviolent communication, focusing, harmonica, and didgeridoo virtuosic aspirations.
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Headshot of Jayeden
Jayeden Walker is a queer neurodivergent circus artist with a specialty in aerial arts. She has been performing circus for over a decade in both corporate and creative settings, finding contact dance in 2019. Healing from a series of traumatic brain injuries guided Jayeden to shift her focus toward creating inclusive, trauma-informed movement spaces and disability arts. Her most recent act, Pirate Tails, has toured a number of pride festivals and was recently shown at the Harbourfront CoMotion Festival for Deaf and Disability arts. Jayeden currently lives, plays, and creates as a white treaty inhabitant in Toronto where she runs recreational circus classes and social circus programming for Queer and Trans youth.
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Cheryl is sitting wiht her cello laid across her knees and her arms crossed over her cello
Toronto cellist Cheryl O is a dedicated multi-media collaborator blending her acoustic and electronic improvisations with live theatre, dance, lm, circus arts, text, poetry,painting, and electronica. She is a regular performer at Contact
Dance as well as working on sound for lm, dance, and theatre. Cheryl is currently in her last semester of her Masters in Musicology at York University, focusing her research on free improvisation post-trauma through a lens of Polyvagal Theory. Her thesis is on creating new neural pathways to creatively move forward from trauma, backed by both science-based research and own traumatic experience in music education?Cheryl works from her off-gridTiny House studio in a secret location. She has two rescue cats, both black
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Kathleen stands in a studio with a grey floor a blur of dancers dancing around her.
Kathleen Rea danced with Canadaโs Ballet Jorgen, National Ballet of Canada & Tiroler Landestheater (Austria). She fell in love with contact improvisation 22 years ago & has been involved in the community ever since. She has choreographed over 40 dance works and has been nominated for 5 DORA awards. Kathleen has a learning disability which means writing takes 6 times longer than average. It is one of lifeโs mysteries that despite this struggle she loves writing and is a published author (The Healing Dance). She has a Masterโs in Expressive Arts with a minor in Psychology. She is a certified teacher of the Axis Syllabus and Buteyko Breathing. She is the director of REAson dโetre dance, a Toronto not-for-profit dance company that is contact improvisation based and produces a weekly jam, a Film Fest, and dance theatre productions. She has autism & works to educate the world about neurodiversity. She developed the well-read REAson dโetre dance Dance Jam Guidelines (download here) which over the past 20 years have influenced consent culture in the contact improvisation worldwide community. She also is the founder of the Contact Improv Consent Culture Blog. Kathleen Rea’s Demo Reel
COVID PROTOCOL
All current COVID Gov’t protocols will be followed.
Masking is required by the audience.
Performers will be unasked and will do a Rapid COVID test prior to performing
All levels of vaccination or non-vaccination are welcome.
There will be HEPA filters on the location
ACCESS INFORMATION
Location:
The address is 1300 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4L 1Y7
The nearest intersection is Greenwood and Gerrard.
The building is accessible by bus from Greenwood station, as well as the 506 College/Gerrard streetcar.
There is street parking available as well as bike lockups in the surrounding neighborhood.
It can be hard to stop on Gerrard street directly, so for easier dropoffs, we suggest turning onto Redwood Ave (a one-way street going North) and getting dropped off next to the building.
The building is accessible by bus from Greenwood station, as well as the 506 College/Gerrard streetcar. Greenwood station is only barrier-free at the street level and is not accessible by subway. The nearest accessible subway is Coxwell Station.
The Building:
The entrance to the building is off the sidewalk, with a set of double doors, that open manually (no push button).
There is no lip on the door. There is a moderately steep ramp from the entrance into the main space. It goes up from the street level, and then back down into the main space, at a grade that is not to code and has no railings. Wheelchair users may need physical assistance to go up this ramp. The main space is level. The floors are a mix of the concrete and wooden dance floors.
The space is lit with overhead track lighting, with minimal windows. It does have air conditioning and an updated H-Vac system for air filtration.
Washrooms:
There is a single-user washroom on the mainspace floor.
The washroom has enough space for a manual wheelchair but would be too small for a powerchair user to turn around comfortably. There is no automatic door opener there is a grab bar, but the placement isnโt great. Handles to the bathroom door were knobs not levers. The faucet may pose access barriers to folks with limited mobility as it needs sustained pressure to function.
Audio and visual considerations.
There is no speech in the dance work itself, opening remarks and land acknowledgements will be written as well as spoken in English (no ASL interpretation). There will be no audio description of the piece.
Relaxed Performance:
The Sunday 3:30 pm matinee is a relaxed performance. With an accommodation, those that can not wear masks can unmask. People can come and go as they need. A warning of possible triggers and what to expect will be given prior to the performance. “Stim” sounds from the audience are expected and welcome.
Seating:
Seating is first come first serve with a variety of seating options at different levels. Seating options are floor chairs, folding chairs, higher โbar stoolโ style chairs, wheelchair/mobility aid reserved spots, and standing room.
FUNDING
This event is funded by the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Heritage Foundation, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
When you lose a part of yourself and then find it but it was changed and grown and this makes it uncomfortable, wonderful, and scary. “Finding Helix” is A quirky look at connection within self and with others.
This is an informal studio showing (no lights and costumes) with a chat with the creators afterward.
DANCERS/COCREATORS: Luke Anderson and Jayeden Walker
TIME: Doors open at 4:00 pm The show starts at 4:30
LOCATION: Redwood Theatre 1300 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4L 1Y7 Please see access info for descriptions of the level of wheelchair accessibility.
ARTIST’S BIOGRAPHIES
Luke Anderson (he/him/his) has a background in civil engineering which helped him foster a respect for the importance of quantitative science in our external world and it’s part in helping create an environmentally and socially healthy planet. In 2015 he left his structural engineering gig and took on the role of Executive Director of Toronto’s StopGap Foundation, which he co-founded, working with communities across the country to raise awareness about the importance of accessibility, inclusion, and barrier-free spaces. That same year he was introduced to the world of Contact Improvisation and soon developed a deep respect and interest in the somatic realms of our qualitative human experience. Luke identifies as someone living with a profound physical disability and uses a wheelchair to aid his mobility. Luke’s lived experience working with and gaining wisdom from his own physical and emotional pain, encounters with systemic inequity for people with disabilities, and personal suffering fuels his desire to contribute to the well being of various communities including the Toronto Contact Improvisation community. Finding joy, weirdness, mystery, and massive amounts of hilarity are some of Luke’s personal and professional daily intentions. Luke’s movement practice at home and at jams incorporates a playful mix of his passions for dance, nonviolent communication, focusing, harmonica, and didgeridoo virtuosic aspirations.
Jayeden Walker (she/her) is a queer neurodivergent circus artist with a specialty in aerial arts. She has been performing circus for over a decade in both corporate and creative settings, finding contact dance in 2019. Healing from a series of traumatic brain injuries guided Jayeden to shift her focus toward creating inclusive, trauma-informed movement spaces and disability arts. Her most recent act, Pirate Tails, has toured a number of pride festivals and was recently shown at the Harbourfront CoMotion Festival for Deaf and Disability arts. Jayeden currently lives, plays, and creates as a white treaty inhabitant in Toronto where she runs recreational circus classes and social circus programming for Queer and Trans youth.
Toronto cellist Cheryl O (she/her) is a dedicated multi-media collaborator blending her acoustic and electronic improvisations with live theatre, dance, lm, circus arts, text, poetry, painting, and electronica. She is a regular performer at Contact Dance as well as working on sound for lm, dance, and theatre. Cheryl is currently in the last semester of her Masters in Musicology at York University, focusing her research on free improvisation post-trauma through a lens of Polyvagal Theory. Her thesis is on creating new neural pathways to creatively move forward from trauma, backed by both science-based research and own traumatic experience in music education๎Cheryl works from her off-grid Tiny House studio in a secret location. She has two rescue cats, both black
COVID PROTOCOL All current COVID Gov’t protocols will be followed.
Masking is required by the audience.
Performers will be unasked and will do a Rapid COVID test prior to performing
All levels of vaccination or non-vaccination are welcome.
There will be HEPA filters on the location
ACCESS INFORMATION
Location: The address is 1300 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4L 1Y7
The nearest intersection is Greenwood and Gerrard.
The building is accessible by bus from Greenwood station, as well as the 506 College/Gerrard streetcar.
There is street parking available as well as bike lockups in the surrounding neighborhood.
It can be hard to stop on Gerrard street directly, so for easier drop-offs, we suggest turning onto Redwood Ave (a one-way street going North) and getting dropped off next to the building.
The building is accessible by bus from Greenwood station, as well as the 506 College/Gerrard streetcar. Greenwood station is only barrier free at the street level and is not accessible by subway. The nearest accessible subway is Coxwell Station.
The Building: The entrance to the building is off the sidewalk, a set of double doors, that open manually (no push button).
There is no lip on the door. There is a moderately steep ramp from the entrance into the main space. It goes up from the street level, and then back down into the main space, at a grade that is not to code and has no railings. Wheelchair users may need physical assistance to go up this ramp. The main space is level. The floors are a mix of concrete and wooden dance floor.
The space is lit with overhead track lighting, with minimal windows. It does have air conditioning and an updated H-Vac system for air filtration.
Washrooms: There is a single-user washroom on the main space floor.
The washroom has enough space for a manual wheelchair but would be too small for a powerchair user to turn around comfortably. There is no automatic door opener there is a grab bar, but the placement isnโt great. Handles to the bathroom door were knobs not levers. The faucet may pose access barriers to folks with limited mobility as it needs sustained pressure to function.
ASL of audio description: There is no ASL or audio description as we do not have the funds to supply these. Please note there is no speech in the dance work.
FUNDING BY: Toronto Arts Council Ontario Arts Council, Canadian Heritage Foundation
Rainbow Circus 