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Urgent Concerns-Panel Talk: Circus & Well-Being During COVID-19 Pandemic

Fiona Bradley, Kim Campbell
During this discussion with our panelists, we ask important questions about the impact of the COVID-19 virus on the physical and mental health of circus artists. We do not have all of the answers, but by facilitating an open discussion, we hope to help the circus world to unite and act during a difficult time. The guest panelists are from diverse backgrounds, and regions in mental health:
  • Kate F. Hays Ph.D.,C.Psych., CMPC–The Performing Edge, Toronto, Canada.
  • Dr. Fleur van Rens, Lecturer Sports Psychology, Academic Chair of the Elite Athlete Program, College of Science, Health, Engineering & Education, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia. 
  • Janelle Peters, Circus artist, Therapist LSW, USA. Founder of Cirque_Psych on Instagram
  • Lisa Husseini, CEO of iCadenza and entrepreneur/creative coach, USA.
  • Michael Day, London Variety Organizer, Equity Circus Network Contact–London, England.
Resources mentioned by panelists:

Canada:

Dancers: honor your mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak

Applied Sports Psychology The COVID-19 Pandemic: Tips for Athletes, Coaches, Parents & the Sport Community

CAMH: Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic

United States:

American Psychology Association

NYC Well

COVID-19 & Freelance Artist Resources

Australia:

Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare (ASPAH)

Factsheet regarding COVID-19

For additional resources related to mental health and well-being, visit CircusTalk’s frequently updated article COVID-19 Resources Around the Circus World.

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Read more about the Circus and Changing Realities 2020 Panel Series.

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Fiona Bradley
Performer, Writer, Administrator -United States
As an artist, Fiona Bradley hopes to use circus as a platform to discuss social issues, to create inspiration and to fulfill their own need for connection. Fiona's current home is in Chicago. They are the social media and community manager for CircusTalk as well as a founding member of Semi-Circus and ensemble member in Aura Curiatlas. They received a Certificate IV in Circus Arts from the National Institute of Circus Arts in Australia and they continue their education where ever they go. As well as being a performer, Fiona is interested in circus management. They would like to connect people in the circus world (as well as outside of the circus world) and create an open and empowering community for everyone who is interested! This is one of the reasons they work as the social media and community manager for CircusTalk.
Kim Campbell
Writer -USA
Kim Campbell has written about circus for CircusTalk.News, Spectacle magazine, Circus Now, Circus Promoters and was a resident for Circus Stories, Le Cirque Vu Par with En Piste in 2015 at the Montreal Completement Cirque Festival. They are the former editor of CircusTalk.News, American Circus Educators magazine, as well as a staff writer for the web publication Third Coast Review, where they write about circus, theatre, arts and culture. Kim is a member of the American Theater Critics Association.

Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.

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Fiona Bradley

As an artist, Fiona Bradley hopes to use circus as a platform to discuss social issues, to create inspiration and to fulfill their own need for connection. Fiona's current home is in Chicago. They are the social media and community manager for CircusTalk as well as a founding member of Semi-Circus and ensemble member in Aura Curiatlas. They received a Certificate IV in Circus Arts from the National Institute of Circus Arts in Australia and they continue their education where ever they go. As well as being a performer, Fiona is interested in circus management. They would like to connect people in the circus world (as well as outside of the circus world) and create an open and empowering community for everyone who is interested! This is one of the reasons they work as the social media and community manager for CircusTalk.