RACHEL

Rachels' primary focus for over 10 years has been Social Circus. Her interest in social circus began by creating and working with international social circus initiatives since 2006, and by 2010 she then began to focus on primarily on Social Circus, training with Cirque du Soleils' social circus department: Cirque du Monde, and working with more Social Circus initiatives in Canada: Nunavik, Manitoba, and finally, creating an initiative based in Toronto: SoCirC. She grew up in Toronto, beginning circus arts in 1990 when the first Circus school in Ontario opened: Main Space School of Circus Arts (now Toronto School of Circus Arts). As part of their first performance troupe, Rachel performed throughout Ontario and Quebec. She eventually worked under founder, Marsha Kennington, as a coach, and found her niche as an instructor focused on self esteem and social development. She also continues performing to date having performed at locations such as AGO, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Skydome (Rogers Centre) and at events such as Wonderball Gala, Special Olympic Opening Ceremonies, and Contemporary Circus Arts Festival of Toronto. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia (Montreal, 2005) after which she began working internationally, eventually returning to Canada to pursue more local social circus initiatives, and to compliment her practice as a facilitator, earning a Bachelor of Education in Toronto (OISE) for Visual Arts and Health and Physical Education (a combination reflecting the intersection of arts and movement in circus) with a focus on youth at-risk and indigenous perspectives in the classroom (2010). In North America, her social circus facilitation experience includes: Cirque du Monde (Hollywood, Los Angelas), CNEs 'Under the Little Top' (Toronto), Circus and Magic Partnership (remote indigenous communities in Northern Manitoba and in Winnipeg), Cirqiniq programs for Inuit youth (Nunavik). Some of her international experience includes includes Brazil (Pumbas Urbanas' Somos do Circo, Tiredentes, São Paulo) Uganda (Integrated Community Efforts for Development, 'ICOD', Lyontonde) South Korea (YBM Sisa Themed Creative Program, Ilsan). Currently Rachel is currently based in Toronto, coordinating and facilitating SoCirC programming and social circus training in various diverse Toronto communities and continuing to travel regularly to Manitoba and Nunavik to facilitate local Social Circus programs and train local instructors. Rachel enjoys continuing to learn new circus skills, perform, and introduce youth to this diverse art both outside of Canada, various locations within Canada, and with SoCirC in her own community of Toronto.